UMC parents in low income schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been that mom.
Always provided interpretation yet participation was low. I choose to think it is because they can’t, not won’t.
Advocated for my child, yes, but kept being told that teachers don’t have resources to really differentiate (except if a kid is really gifted and willing to do extra work after having done what is busywork for them).
My kid finally lotteried into a middle class school recently and I am so happy.
I have come to think that the needs and wants of UMC and farms/ESOL are almost the opposites. They are so different that it is impossible to cater to both groups in the same school unless they are separate groups maybe (tracking).

PTA is a lot about fulfilling the wants, the extra stuff in a more affluent school. In higher farms schools it’s about fulfilling the needs. When you have a mixed population one group is gonna get the short end of the stick. Same thing with the classrooms, high performers and low performers have very different needs and they cannot equally be fulfilled. Diversity is good thing but how do we handle these issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a white person with money supposed to do. We go to all rich schools with high test scores we are greedy racists who don’t share. We go to poor schools and try and raise the standards and abdicate for our kids (the horror I know) we are oppressive and not sensitive to people who can’t keep up. If we go private we are elitist who are the scum of the earth.

What you really want is rich people to go sit in the corner and be quite. That isn’t how power works even if the new generation has confused outrage with power.

I think we need to have a better balance of power. Yes, that means white people will have to give up some of theirs. Oh well. I have zero interest in living in a plutocracy, but that's what we're moving towards (if not there already).

-White UMC person

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been that mom.
Always provided interpretation yet participation was low. I choose to think it is because they can’t, not won’t.
Advocated for my child, yes, but kept being told that teachers don’t have resources to really differentiate (except if a kid is really gifted and willing to do extra work after having done what is busywork for them).
My kid finally lotteried into a middle class school recently and I am so happy.
I have come to think that the needs and wants of UMC and farms/ESOL are almost the opposites. They are so different that it is impossible to cater to both groups in the same school unless they are separate groups maybe (tracking).

PTA is a lot about fulfilling the wants, the extra stuff in a more affluent school. In higher farms schools it’s about fulfilling the needs. When you have a mixed population one group is gonna get the short end of the stick. Same thing with the classrooms, high performers and low performers have very different needs and they cannot equally be fulfilled. Diversity is good thing but how do we handle these issues?

Needs come before wants, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Agree. I work at a high FARMS school where the PTA president refuses to spend PTA money on interpreters to attend the PTA meetings, which essentially keeps the Spanish speaking majority away from participating in the PTA. When we looked closely at the budget and expenses, we saw that the amount of money spent on book fair decorations would pay for the interpreter for the whole year but the president still wouldn't budge. They said that if a staff member would volunteer their time to interpret then they would be ok with it. Staff members ended up finding high school students needing SSL hours. The PTA serves the interests of the English speaking UMC minority, and not the majority of the school's population.

The PTA President doesn't get to make all the decisions. Even the Board doesn't get to make all decisions. Votes should be open to members at meetings to vote on budget items. Anyone can propose an amendment on the floor for a public vote. Get more involved in your PTA and more educated on how PTA is *supposed* to work, then you can effect change. If there is an issue with the PTA board at your local school, go to your Cluster Coordinator or Area VP for support. Contact the MCCPTA if you don't know who your cluster coordinator or Area VP are.

I suggest you read the article. You can't expect poor, non-English speaking parents who barely have a high school education if that to walk into a PTA meeting and take on the 4-5 mothers with advanced degrees who are controlling everything by calling for a floor vote and an amendment to get interpreters. The point of the article is that the low income parents are intimidated by them and have neither the time nor debate skills to prevail.

Excuses and more excuses. You are an enabler to a population that keeps considering themselves as inferior. Keep catering to them and they will never step out of their comfort zone. Why not empower them to stand up and speak up for themselves rather than doing it for them? Sounds harsh but it is indeed a harsh and competitive world.

It's a special kind of gift to see immigrants who move somewhere where they can't speak the language as people who don't leave their "comfort zones."

All immigrants that come to the US should learn to speak English. There are free adult ESL classes all over the county, at libraries, churches etc. Some people do not make the effort because someone keeps on translating for them. Learning to communicate in English will help them communicate better with their children, get jobs etc.

We knew the bit about "comfort zones" was thinly disguised nativism. If it's so comfortable, go live their lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a white person with money supposed to do. We go to all rich schools with high test scores we are greedy racists who don’t share. We go to poor schools and try and raise the standards and abdicate for our kids (the horror I know) we are oppressive and not sensitive to people who can’t keep up. If we go private we are elitist who are the scum of the earth.

What you really want is rich people to go sit in the corner and be quite. That isn’t how power works even if the new generation has confused outrage with power.

Advocate for your kids, please.

But don't advocate ONLY for your kids.

Will an URM parent ever advocate for UMC children? Will poor parents ever advocate for the rich kids in the school?

"Them that has, gets" is a well-established principle, but this is the first time I've ever seen anybody support the principle that them that don't has should advocate for them that has to get more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What is a white person with money supposed to do. We go to all rich schools with high test scores we are greedy racists who don’t share. We go to poor schools and try and raise the standards and abdicate for our kids (the horror I know) we are oppressive and not sensitive to people who can’t keep up. If we go private we are elitist who are the scum of the earth.

What you really want is rich people to go sit in the corner and be quite. That isn’t how power works even if the new generation has confused outrage with power.

Advocate for your kids, please.

But don't advocate ONLY for your kids.

Will an URM parent ever advocate for UMC children? Will poor parents ever advocate for the rich kids in the school?

"Them that has, gets" is a well-established principle, but this is the first time I've ever seen anybody support the principle that them that don't has should advocate for them that has to get more.

This is a useless thread.

Those with means will get what they want. It's always been this way.

When the monies are reallocated, kids in the middle get overlooked. Regular class sizes grow. Honors gets watered down. And those with means leave for their own greener pastures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

"Them that has, gets" is a well-established principle, but this is the first time I've ever seen anybody support the principle that them that don't has should advocate for them that has to get more.

This is a useless thread.

Those with means will get what they want. It's always been this way.

When the monies are reallocated, kids in the middle get overlooked. Regular class sizes grow. Honors gets watered down. And those with means leave for their own greener pastures.



Lots of things have always been this way - until we decide to change them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We the at Focus school and our PTA has tried to reach out for years. We do have Spanish interpreters. We send out information in Spanish for the events.

Guess what? Participation from Spanish speaking parents is really low.

My kid in 1st grade had a field trip and we struggled to get enough volunteers for it. At my niece’s more higher-income school, they turn away parents on field trips!

I volunteered for a class party last year and I was the ONLY parent volunteer. Literally the only one.

I’m not White, but don’t judge the UMC White Moms for taking control of the PTA. If they are the ones running things, it’s because they are able to or choose to show up.

Able to. You got it.

So what’s your point? Parents that are able to, will get involved. Would you rather have no parents involved? Ridiculous.

The OP’s article is useless, IMO. Digital gap? Are you kidding? We are at a high FARMS school and my kid complains that her friends have their own tablets and she doesn’t. She has been to her friends’ houses, and they have plenty of access to technology at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

"Them that has, gets" is a well-established principle, but this is the first time I've ever seen anybody support the principle that them that don't has should advocate for them that has to get more.

This is a useless thread.

Those with means will get what they want. It's always been this way.

When the monies are reallocated, kids in the middle get overlooked. Regular class sizes grow. Honors gets watered down. And those with means leave for their own greener pastures.

Lots of things have always been this way - until we decide to change them.

good luck

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What is a white person with money supposed to do. We go to all rich schools with high test scores we are greedy racists who don’t share. We go to poor schools and try and raise the standards and abdicate for our kids (the horror I know) we are oppressive and not sensitive to people who can’t keep up. If we go private we are elitist who are the scum of the earth.

What you really want is rich people to go sit in the corner and be quite. That isn’t how power works even if the new generation has confused outrage with power.

What she really wants is for rich people to donate a ton of money first, THEN sit in a corner and cede any actual power or perceived power over to the ESOL parents.

[Anonymous]

PTA policies and priorities will be decided by the parents who contribute money or time to it. Simple. No freebies. If you do not show up, then your interests will not be taken care of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PTA policies and priorities will be decided by the parents who contribute money or time to it. Simple. No freebies. If you do not show up, then your interests will not be taken care of.

Shorter PP: "I got mine."

[Anonymous]

I would bet $1mil that OP not only has never been to a PTA meeting, but probably does not even have any kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Agree. I work at a high FARMS school where the PTA president refuses to spend PTA money on interpreters to attend the PTA meetings, which essentially keeps the Spanish speaking majority away from participating in the PTA. When we looked closely at the budget and expenses, we saw that the amount of money spent on book fair decorations would pay for the interpreter for the whole year but the president still wouldn't budge. They said that if a staff member would volunteer their time to interpret then they would be ok with it. Staff members ended up finding high school students needing SSL hours. The PTA serves the interests of the English speaking UMC minority, and not the majority of the school's population.

The PTA President doesn't get to make all the decisions. Even the Board doesn't get to make all decisions. Votes should be open to members at meetings to vote on budget items. Anyone can propose an amendment on the floor for a public vote. Get more involved in your PTA and more educated on how PTA is *supposed* to work, then you can effect change. If there is an issue with the PTA board at your local school, go to your Cluster Coordinator or Area VP for support. Contact the MCCPTA if you don't know who your cluster coordinator or Area VP are.

I suggest you read the article. You can't expect poor, non-English speaking parents who barely have a high school education if that to walk into a PTA meeting and take on the 4-5 mothers with advanced degrees who are controlling everything by calling for a floor vote and an amendment to get interpreters. The point of the article is that the low income parents are intimidated by them and have neither the time nor debate skills to prevail.

I’m sorry. You don’t give immigrants enough credit. They traveled half way around the world, sometimes in harrowing conditions, without much money and safety net and built a life in a country where they don’t speak the language

Those PTA SAHMs would wet their pants if dropped into the home countries of these immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PTA policies and priorities will be decided by the parents who contribute money or time to it. Simple. No freebies. If you do not show up, then your interests will not be taken care of.

Shorter PP: "I got mine."

You twit. What exactly do you think the specific process of “getting Mine” consists of? Active participation and hustle. I know many dream of where others provide everything readymade and then everyone just shows up and takes an easy test where everybody scores the same and then when the cake is handed out evenly there is considerations to who got smaller pieces in the past (so not so even).

Just a couple of problems with that utopia is it is really just a meek and passive way to try a justifying getting the big piece of chicken just like everyone else is doing but you are use being pathetic to elicit sympathy. And it works just about as well as it does on a playground

And 2nd is that for someone to hand out a bunch of free (or what ever bogus merit suits you ) cake, one must hustle up a bunch of cake. Typically the people who are able to stock pile lots of cake don’t get there by handing out free cake. Even the billionaire cake guys who give it all back had to be hoarders for a long time cutting off and taking others cake to amass so much.

New poor Latinos are not supposed to eat as much cake as the leaders and elite of the Capital city of the richest country in the world. And I wouldn’t want to live in a world where they did either. 50$ field trips are better