PTA wealth redistribution article in Arlnow

[Anonymous]

As long as there is a way for taking performative pictures of myself doing it, I’m all in.

[Anonymous]

Good for you white knights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That’s because that’s not the purpose of PTAs. If you want to provide food assistance there are other organizations for that. There’s no reason any PTA should be raising as much money as the richest schools in Arlington. What’s the point?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope it gets traction - this is a simple way for N Arlington to close some of the gap between schools. I’m a N Arlington elementary parents and I would give more if I knew all schools were sharing equally on a per-child basis.

Most people will stop giving if they know it’s not going directly to their child’s school. Mark my words - if this happens, we will see an overall decrease in PTA funding.

The quest for equity is a race straight to the bottom.

At least there will be greater equity.

[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.

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.

I agree. It's not like half their PTA's funds are going to go to another school. Also, the way the CCPTA grant fund works, any PTA, rich or poor, can receive a grant. That's intentional to keep it from being just a charity fund, for community building between schools, and to provide incentive for contributions knowing anyone may benefit. Maybe some will give less - so what. Maybe others will give more if they know their PTA supports the fund and some of their resources will be going to help others. Arlingtonians prefer to be socially conscious via money and programs, rather than actually living next door or going to school with the have-nots.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

HA! I'm liking the impact already. Even if it doesn't close gaps, at least it'll hinder out-of-control and unnecessary PTA fundraising and spending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

Each PTA decides whether or not it will contribute to the CCPTA grant fund - or to anything else, for that matter. You have a voice and a vote. If you don't like the outcome of that vote, fine. Stop donating to your own child's school. Nobody is forcing any PTA to contribute. CCPTA is providing an avenue for people who actually care and who want to help. They'll accept individual donations; so go ahead and send them a check. The bottom line is, you don't want to. So thank you for your generosity, "one percenter charitable giver."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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...

Instead of implied criticisms of CCPTA inaction, volunteer with them and get something done.

[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 ...)

You are naively ignorant. Sometimes a special field trip actually does greatly impact a child. Maybe if you had been more involved at your child's high FARMS elementary, you would have had a greater chance of seeing it happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope it gets traction - this is a simple way for N Arlington to close some of the gap between schools. I’m a N Arlington elementary parents and I would give more if I knew all schools were sharing equally on a per-child basis.

Most people will stop giving if they know it’s not going directly to their child’s school. Mark my words - if this happens, we will see an overall decrease in PTA funding.

The quest for equity is a race straight to the bottom.

At least there will be greater equity.

No, there won’t be. The problem is not that some people in Arlington are rich, it’s that Arlington has created high poverty schools through housing policy and the boundary process. The PTA is a way for parents to support their own kid’s school. If some parents want to donate to less affluent PTAs, that’s great, but it shouldn’t be mandated. The PTA isn’t the issue.

[Anonymous]

I thought there were a lot of gaps in the ArlNow article.

The PTA at Glebe already does a lot to reduce inequity in our own school community, from grocery gift cards for families in need to subsidizing after-school enrichment classes for those families in need, within our own school community.

People contribute money and their time because we are enthusiastic about our school community and supporting our own teachers.

I do not want a double tax. I think people would cease to participate. Also how far does it go - why stop at Arlington, why not send money to Southwest VA, other less advantaged states, other countries even?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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 ...)

You are naively ignorant. Sometimes a special field trip actually does greatly impact a child. Maybe if you had been more involved at your child's high FARMS elementary, you would have had a greater chance of seeing it happen.

And you are foolishly naive if you actually believe that 😂😂😂

It sounds exactly like the white liberal nonsense I have come to expect from Arlington parents

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

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.

I agree. It's not like half their PTA's funds are going to go to another school. Also, the way the CCPTA grant fund works, any PTA, rich or poor, can receive a grant. That's intentional to keep it from being just a charity fund, for community building between schools, and to provide incentive for contributions knowing anyone may benefit. Maybe some will give less - so what. Maybe others will give more if they know their PTA supports the fund and some of their resources will be going to help others. Arlingtonians prefer to be socially conscious via money and programs, rather than actually living next door or going to school with the have-nots.

Hahahahahaha they SAY they care, but they don’t. Don’t kid yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As long as there is a way for taking performative pictures of myself doing it, I’m all in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope it gets traction - this is a simple way for N Arlington to close some of the gap between schools. I’m a N Arlington elementary parents and I would give more if I knew all schools were sharing equally on a per-child basis.

Most people will stop giving if they know it’s not going directly to their child’s school. Mark my words - if this happens, we will see an overall decrease in PTA funding.

The quest for equity is a race straight to the bottom.

At least there will be greater equity.

No, there won’t be. The problem is not that some people in Arlington are rich, it’s that Arlington has created high poverty schools through housing policy and the boundary process. The PTA is a way for parents to support their own kid’s school. If some parents want to donate to less affluent PTAs, that’s great, but it shouldn’t be mandated. The PTA isn’t the issue.

+1

If someone wants set up some All-PTA fund to which people can donate or not, go for it. But, if I intend my donation for my school, it would not be well taken if my PTA overrode my choice. If they did, they would be giving up all my future donations.