PTA wealth redistribution article in Arlnow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I don't give to our PTA because they really just don't need it all that much. It's fluff.

Now I could see myself in a situation of collective action giving to a district-wide PTA that was shared equitably, because those dollars have a higher impact for some schools.

That would require the CCPTA to actually do something...

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Nah, won’t happen. People can donate to any school. There’s nothing stopping anyone from writing a check to Randolph or Carlin Springs. If people really cared they would already be doing it.

I totally disagree. This is the reason we have public policy. I could drive all my recycling to the correct drop-off place, but I'm not going to. But put a bin at my curb, and I will do my part. Some people will donate less to their PTA's but I bet the decline overall would be small. Most people would support this idea. Saying people don't support it because they aren't already doing it is ridiculous. It's just not true or how humans work.

Read the ArlNow anonymous comments. You’re a fool if you think most people will support this. If my dollars aren’t going to my kid’s school, I’ll keep my money and spend it on enrichment outside of school.

Agreed. We have donated a lot to our PTA and been large spenders at auctions. I will donate and spend $0 in the future if this is implemented.

This topic comes up from time to time and the response above is what we hear from our big donors. People are ultimately too selfish to make this work.

Excuse me, no. Selfishness has nothing to do with it. We are absolutely “one percenters” as far as charitable donations go, and I’m reasonably confident that we contribute more money to charities than most of those pushing for this PTA thing.

But charities are charities. We decide where our money goes and evaluate the recipients. The PTA is an organization that is intended to serve a particular purpose at our school. The handful of volunteers or activists mobilizing for this don’t get to arrogate to themselves the right to disperse money elsewhere, based on their own values, and then guilt trip or socially blackmail the rest of us into going along. (Curiously, all the while with their own names in the paper.)

If our pool decides to take 30% of dues and contribute it to swimming programs for low income areas, I’d be against that as well. That doesn’t mean the programs aren’t worthwhile. I might well donate to them if asked, and if I thought the initiative was worthwhile and well run. But that’s not the mission of the pool. Every vehicle for civic or community engagement isn’t going to just become some liberal redistribution program by default.

I'm not saying you SHOULD donate to the CCPTA - I'm just explaining that you (and others) only want to donate to your own kid's school.

Yes - thank you for providing more detail on the rational behind the selfishness.

Whatever dude. Go protest in the quad. You’re a typical smug activist, happy to spend others’ money while also calling them names. And I’m drop dead certain I give more money away to charitable causes than you do—including LMI schools and charter programs. The fact that you don’t just get a blank check written by others to distribute for your own self-aggrandizement really grates on you.

It's not my thing so I don't really GAF.

I'm just explaining the reasons why it won't work. Because there are MANY people like PP who only want to contribute to their own kids' schools.

LOL at your charitable dick waving. If you need to think that to feel better about yourself, go ahead.

[Anonymous]

It doesn’t matter and it’s a wasted effort that will produce almost nothing substantial except to make liberals feel good.

Giving kids a school t-shirt or taking them on a random field trip once in awhile is nice but in no way has a substantial impact on a child’s education or life. So share the funds or don’t. It does t make a difference. PTAs give parents the opportunity they crave to be “involved” and connected with their child’s education. So if some parents want to put in time and effort on little projects , have at it. (and my child attended a high FARMS rate elementary with some dedicated volunteers who pulled off some events with items that were donated bc they asked people and if they could figure out how to do that I bet other PTAs have too ...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It doesn’t matter and it’s a wasted effort that will produce almost nothing substantial except to make liberals feel good.

Giving kids a school t-shirt or taking them on a random field trip once in awhile is nice but in no way has a substantial impact on a child’s education or life. So share the funds or don’t. It does t make a difference. PTAs give parents the opportunity they crave to be “involved” and connected with their child’s education. So if some parents want to put in time and effort on little projects , have at it. (and my child attended a high FARMS rate elementary with some dedicated volunteers who pulled off some events with items that were donated bc they asked people and if they could figure out how to do that I bet other PTAs have too ...)

I figured that’s why people might go for it. It’s low effort white liberal charity and Arlington is full of those (including me, I donate to Randolph yearly)

[Anonymous]

People won't even give other people's money to different schools, though. Ask people to direct their Target or Harris Teeter donations to just the Title I schools in Arlington and they flip out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nah, won’t happen. People can donate to any school. There’s nothing stopping anyone from writing a check to Randolph or Carlin Springs. If people really cared they would already be doing it.

Pretty much, this. It’s like the people claiming they would be happy to pay higher taxes. Well, good ahead— no one is stopping you from writing that check.
It’s not selfish to want to take care of your own family & community. It’s not selfish to want some control over where your own money goes. If wealthier PTAs want to separately raise funds for lower income schools— go for it. People are likely to donate. But setting up a system wherein it’s impossible to give resources specifically to your own kids’ school because the money will be redistributed to another school? Not a good plan, and will not be popular. That really is like telling people they can’t have anything unless everyone can have it— bringing others down in the name of equity.

[Anonymous]

I think a joint annual fundraising campaign makes sense - say for something targeted like schools supplies. All the PTA raise money for a campaign and its distributed based on need. But, generally asking ptas to raise money to give to other PTA to spend as they wish will not work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nah, won’t happen. People can donate to any school. There’s nothing stopping anyone from writing a check to Randolph or Carlin Springs. If people really cared they would already be doing it.

Pretty much, this. It’s like the people claiming they would be happy to pay higher taxes. Well, good ahead— no one is stopping you from writing that check.
It’s not selfish to want to take care of your own family & community. It’s not selfish to want some control over where your own money goes. If wealthier PTAs want to separately raise funds for lower income schools— go for it. People are likely to donate. But setting up a system wherein it’s impossible to give resources specifically to your own kids’ school because the money will be redistributed to another school? Not a good plan, and will not be popular. That really is like telling people they can’t have anything unless everyone can have it— bringing others down in the name of equity.

It is “selfish” but it’s also common.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a joint annual fundraising campaign makes sense - say for something targeted like schools supplies. All the PTA raise money for a campaign and its distributed based on need. But, generally asking ptas to raise money to give to other PTA to spend as they wish will not work.

Agreed. Even people who donate to their own PTAs want to know the specifics of what their money is being used for, with detailed plans beforehand and budgetary reports as the year goes along. A big chunk of that donation being sent off elsewhere without transparent, detailed plans and accounting isn’t going to be popular.

[Anonymous]

After reading this thread, I feel like I'm the only person who is perfectly okay with my PTA donation being spread across low income schools. I guess I might even donate more if I know that the actual money will be used rather than sitting in an account for years.

[Anonymous]

I support this plan because I think it will cause PTA giving and fundraising, which I generally regard as a waste of time, to fall off a cliff. At that point, perhaps people will have a chance to reflect on the notion that schools should be paid for with taxes.

If you're not willing to spend tax money to make it possible for every school in the system to have a nice thing, perhaps that's a sign that it isn't actually necessary.

If you think its necessary but there is no money to pay for it, perhaps your efforts would be better directed to the school board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a joint annual fundraising campaign makes sense - say for something targeted like schools supplies. All the PTA raise money for a campaign and its distributed based on need. But, generally asking ptas to raise money to give to other PTA to spend as they wish will not work.

Agree with this completely

[Anonymous]

We are at a school with a large PTA balance. Our PTA funds don't go to other schools but we regularly do drives to provide coats, food, funds, holiday gifts, and books to lower income schools working with those schools' PTAs or social workers.

[Anonymous]

Ugh this is so crappy. These posters are awful. Heaven forbid your dollars go toward helping a lower income *child*! Let’s continue the cycle of inequality!

DCs attend one of the wealthier schools but our PTA has had fundraisers for supplies for schools close to us and I always participate. It’s crazy how some schools don’t have enough pencils but the PTAs at other schools have tons of cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are at a school with a large PTA balance. Our PTA funds don't go to other schools but we regularly do drives to provide coats, food, funds, holiday gifts, and books to lower income schools working with those schools' PTAs or social workers.

Same. I was on our fundraising group and we raised the most money in any year at our school. We are not typically known as a high income school. It was frustrating what we can spend the money on and what we couldn’t. There was little we could do to help low income students as PTA rules say funds must benefit all students. It’s more than redistribution of funds, it’s also changing rules on how funds can be spent. We had 100 K in our reserves and could not distribute grocery gift cards to low income families at the holidays. Instead we bought balls for the playground. Ridiculous.