There Needs to Be Enforced Equity Among PTA's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher in a Bethesda school and we absolutely do not need that money from the PTA in the beginning of the year. We've actually asked the PTA if they would move funds to other schools instead and they refuse to do so. We have more than we need, meanwhile so many other schools do not. Schools in the same district should not be this unbalanced. I can't believe what I'm reading in the majority of this thread. People with a lot of money seem to be really unhinged, uneducated, and unsympathetic to people residing in the same county as you. Shame on you. Like an above poster said, some of you are just completely missing the point and want to harp on the "life's unfair!" bs. I cannot wait to retire. So tired of this entire community. It is beyond toxic.

How do you get $ at the beginning of the year? Our PTA did away with gift cards years ago due to MCPS rules if I remember correctly. Teachers submit receipts for reimbursement up to a certain amount. Plenty of teachers don't submit receipts, and I am at a lower resourced school.

I think it is fine to tell your PTA board that teachers don't need money for supplies, but, I don't think it is appropriate to try and dictate that the money be sent to other schools. The money wasn't collected for that purpose, and they would likely need a membership vote to change the budget and to spend money that way. MCPS has a $3 billion budget yet it is the job of your school's parents to pay for basic supplies at other schools? GTFO.

It's a nice thing to do to help other schools. We've reached out to other PTA's and got no response for help even though they advertise a way to request help on their website. Those of us with schools without a lot of PTA/PTO funds find other ways to make it work. It's funny the schools with more money are the ones complaing the most.

If the MCPS Central Office can't properly fund schools with a $3 billion dollar budget, they ALL need to be fired.

End of story.

Define "properly".

MCPS wastes millions yet neglects providing basic supplies to teachers so that they're begging parents (according to the posts on this board)? If that is true, and if there is a single teacher in MCPS without basic school supplies, and MCPS has 1.6M to waste (ex. on "Leader in Me", 2M on discrimination training, who knows how many millions on Kid Museum, etc.), then the MCPS Central Office is completely incompetent and should all be fired. Especially at a Title I school that already receives more funding than others.

End of story.

One maxim of internet boards is that anyone who finishes their post with "end of story" actually has zero idea what they are talking about, and are unwilling to learn more about the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher in a Bethesda school and we absolutely do not need that money from the PTA in the beginning of the year. We've actually asked the PTA if they would move funds to other schools instead and they refuse to do so. We have more than we need, meanwhile so many other schools do not. Schools in the same district should not be this unbalanced. I can't believe what I'm reading in the majority of this thread. People with a lot of money seem to be really unhinged, uneducated, and unsympathetic to people residing in the same county as you. Shame on you. Like an above poster said, some of you are just completely missing the point and want to harp on the "life's unfair!" bs. I cannot wait to retire. So tired of this entire community. It is beyond toxic.

How do you get $ at the beginning of the year? Our PTA did away with gift cards years ago due to MCPS rules if I remember correctly. Teachers submit receipts for reimbursement up to a certain amount. Plenty of teachers don't submit receipts, and I am at a lower resourced school.

I think it is fine to tell your PTA board that teachers don't need money for supplies, but, I don't think it is appropriate to try and dictate that the money be sent to other schools. The money wasn't collected for that purpose, and they would likely need a membership vote to change the budget and to spend money that way. MCPS has a $3 billion budget yet it is the job of your school's parents to pay for basic supplies at other schools? GTFO.

It's a nice thing to do to help other schools. We've reached out to other PTA's and got no response for help even though they advertise a way to request help on their website. Those of us with schools without a lot of PTA/PTO funds find other ways to make it work. It's funny the schools with more money are the ones complaing the most.

If the MCPS Central Office can't properly fund schools with a $3 billion dollar budget, they ALL need to be fired.

End of story.

Define "properly".

MCPS wastes millions yet neglects providing basic supplies to teachers so that they're begging parents (according to the posts on this board)? If that is true, and if there is a single teacher in MCPS without basic school supplies, and MCPS has 1.6M to waste (ex. on "Leader in Me", 2M on discrimination training, who knows how many millions on Kid Museum, etc.), then the MCPS Central Office is completely incompetent and should all be fired. Especially at a Title I school that already receives more funding than others.

End of story.

Some see waste. Some see need. Who gets to decide?

The elected members of the board of education get to decide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher in a Bethesda school and we absolutely do not need that money from the PTA in the beginning of the year. We've actually asked the PTA if they would move funds to other schools instead and they refuse to do so. We have more than we need, meanwhile so many other schools do not. Schools in the same district should not be this unbalanced. I can't believe what I'm reading in the majority of this thread. People with a lot of money seem to be really unhinged, uneducated, and unsympathetic to people residing in the same county as you. Shame on you. Like an above poster said, some of you are just completely missing the point and want to harp on the "life's unfair!" bs. I cannot wait to retire. So tired of this entire community. It is beyond toxic.

How do you get $ at the beginning of the year? Our PTA did away with gift cards years ago due to MCPS rules if I remember correctly. Teachers submit receipts for reimbursement up to a certain amount. Plenty of teachers don't submit receipts, and I am at a lower resourced school.

I think it is fine to tell your PTA board that teachers don't need money for supplies, but, I don't think it is appropriate to try and dictate that the money be sent to other schools. The money wasn't collected for that purpose, and they would likely need a membership vote to change the budget and to spend money that way. MCPS has a $3 billion budget yet it is the job of your school's parents to pay for basic supplies at other schools? GTFO.

It's a nice thing to do to help other schools. We've reached out to other PTA's and got no response for help even though they advertise a way to request help on their website. Those of us with schools without a lot of PTA/PTO funds find other ways to make it work. It's funny the schools with more money are the ones complaing the most.

If the MCPS Central Office can't properly fund schools with a $3 billion dollar budget, they ALL need to be fired.

End of story.

Define "properly".

MCPS wastes millions yet neglects providing basic supplies to teachers so that they're begging parents (according to the posts on this board)? If that is true, and if there is a single teacher in MCPS without basic school supplies, and MCPS has 1.6M to waste (ex. on "Leader in Me", 2M on discrimination training, who knows how many millions on Kid Museum, etc.), then the MCPS Central Office is completely incompetent and should all be fired. Especially at a Title I school that already receives more funding than others.

End of story.

One maxim of internet boards is that anyone who finishes their post with "end of story" actually has zero idea what they are talking about, and are unwilling to learn more about the issue.

One maxim of internet boards is that anyone who is dismissive of morality and corruption has zero idea of what the criminal penalties are.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that if what has been said on this thread is accurate (e.g. why some poster is trying to collect PTA funds - because their schools aren't providing what the school needs, or if a teacher has to beg for supplies when the school is sitting on six-figure Central Office staff spending 3 BILLION dollars), there is something wrong at the top.

[Anonymous]

Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP that shows your child needs speech therapy, and assuming there are enough speech therapists, your child will have speech therapy. I suspect, like special ed teachers, the speech therapists have had it with the school system (expecting too much for too many students to for too little money), and there may not be any. Whe your child gets to HS, they too can participate in Bocci Ball.

You are funny. We had an iep. They gave my child 30 minutes weekly, which did not happen weekly, of group speech with 7 kids all with unrelated needs. They did not work on what my child needed but catered to the lowest functioning kids. We would have had to fire an attorney and fight it and that takes time and money that is better spent on therapies. This is how mcps gets away with it as parents like me give up and do it privately. With a child with severe needs time is not on your side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP that shows your child needs speech therapy, and assuming there are enough speech therapists, your child will have speech therapy. I suspect, like special ed teachers, the speech therapists have had it with the school system (expecting too much for too many students to for too little money), and there may not be any. Whe your child gets to HS, they too can participate in Bocci Ball.

You are funny. We had an iep. They gave my child 30 minutes weekly, which did not happen weekly, of group speech with 7 kids all with unrelated needs. They did not work on what my child needed but catered to the lowest functioning kids. We would have had to fire an attorney and fight it and that takes time and money that is better spent on therapies. This is how mcps gets away with it as parents like me give up and do it privately. With a child with severe needs time is not on your side.

In my classroom the speech specialist pushes in (leads the group) once a week for 30 minutes, and pulls out (usually takes 2 students at a time) for 30 minutes. It's whatever the IEP says!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

This, we are lucky if we bring in $2K. No big deal. We make it work with what we have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

This, we are lucky if we bring in $2K. No big deal. We make it work with what we have.

Our school brings in nearly 50k. We don’t have the same “who cares” as you. You are.
A lot. It’s sad a teacher would be proud of this. So great “work sign what you have” but what shouldn’t be the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

This, we are lucky if we bring in $2K. No big deal. We make it work with what we have.

Neat! I’m also a teacher in the same county who went from 300 from pta to zero from pta. Also, I never had to worry about anything. Fast forward to (being a choice) there are no funds. Asking for tissues is a huge ask. I’d never switch working conditions- the crazy people in this thread are the same parents upset their money might go to someone else. We don’t want your 500 Christmas gifts… we want parents who actually care.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get an IEP that shows your child needs speech therapy, and assuming there are enough speech therapists, your child will have speech therapy. I suspect, like special ed teachers, the speech therapists have had it with the school system (expecting too much for too many students to for too little money), and there may not be any. Whe your child gets to HS, they too can participate in Bocci Ball.

You are funny. We had an iep. They gave my child 30 minutes weekly, which did not happen weekly, of group speech with 7 kids all with unrelated needs. They did not work on what my child needed but catered to the lowest functioning kids. We would have had to fire an attorney and fight it and that takes time and money that is better spent on therapies. This is how mcps gets away with it as parents like me give up and do it privately. With a child with severe needs time is not on your side.

In my classroom the speech specialist pushes in (leads the group) once a week for 30 minutes, and pulls out (usually takes 2 students at a time) for 30 minutes. It's whatever the IEP says!

Exactly but the school can deny anything more than they want to give despite private evaluations and even what they say verbally. You are lucky if its 2 kids at a time. We never got two kids at a time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

This, we are lucky if we bring in $2K. No big deal. We make it work with what we have.

Neat! I’m also a teacher in the same county who went from 300 from pta to zero from pta. Also, I never had to worry about anything. Fast forward to (being a choice) there are no funds. Asking for tissues is a huge ask. I’d never switch working conditions- the crazy people in this thread are the same parents upset their money might go to someone else. We don’t want your 500 Christmas gifts… we want parents who actually care.

The funny part is as a parent, I'd just send in supplies regularly especially if my kid said they were out or running low. The same parents screaming about this would never think to do that. Our principal would not allow teachers to ask but you shouldn't need to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any truth that some of the PTA/boosters are set up as corporations and have millions in the bank?

Millions no, but some have 50-100k or more a year in spending.

I have seen a fun run bring in 15k. One school was getting so much money they didn't support smaller fundraisers that other parents proposed.

That’s peanuts. Our ES PTA’s silent auction night usually takes in around $40k annually.

This, we are lucky if we bring in $2K. No big deal. We make it work with what we have.

Our school brings in nearly 50k. We don’t have the same “who cares” as you. You are.
A lot. It’s sad a teacher would be proud of this. So great “work sign what you have” but what shouldn’t be the norm.

I'm not a teacher and work really hard just to raise that amount and will be thankful for it as it's better than nothing. Great for your school, but many of us just have to make it work with what we have. Too bad you don't help schools like ours while bragging.