Mann and Janney PTAs called out in NYTs op-ed for perpetuating segregation in cities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What drivel! All these comments denying that structural and institutional racism exists and is perpetuated daily is ridiculous. Stop placing all the blame on principals and the central office. Let's focus on rebuilding a just society that works for everyone. This is more than Clorox wipes!

No one is denying that structural injustice exists. The problem is over-simplification (like your comment here) and the op-ed's inaccuracy and knee-jerk shaming. Also, sound-bites about a just society is great (like your comment here), and no one disagrees with that, but the devil is in the details. One detail is not alienating potential partners.

I’m sorry you should be shamed. It’s inexcusable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What drivel! All these comments denying that structural and institutional racism exists and is perpetuated daily is ridiculous. Stop placing all the blame on principals and the central office. Let's focus on rebuilding a just society that works for everyone. This is more than Clorox wipes!

No one is denying that structural injustice exists. The problem is over-simplification (like your comment here) and the op-ed's inaccuracy and knee-jerk shaming. Also, sound-bites about a just society is great (like your comment here), and no one disagrees with that, but the devil is in the details. One detail is not alienating potential partners.

I’m sorry you should be shamed. It’s inexcusable.

Great argument, darling. Thanks for the judgment. It's going to win you friends when you need them to build the just society that you want (and which I also want, but unfortunately don't want to work with you to build).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not take into account that schools EOTP have free PK3, more funding per child, free meals, and many other resources that are not given to WOTP schools. And no one is complaining about that.

The reality is that WOTP schools are overcrowded and the parents have to make up the difference between what DCPS provides and what is needed.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds are used for in our WOTP school: field trip costs because DCPS charges us for the bus, smartboard repairs because they break and we need them repaired, classroom supplies for teachers so they don't have to spend their own money, etc.

As parents, we are expected to bring a huge box of supplies for the school at the beginning of the year because IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE DCPS BUDGET. Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms. Not sure what folks are up in arms about.

My EOTP school is also overcrowded (27 kids in our classes last year, no aide). We've cut positions elsewhere in the school to add classroom teachers and reduce class sizes, so we also don't have full specials blocks because there aren't enough specials teachers.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds can't cover: field trips because DCPS doesn't provide buses (and our kids don't have SmartTrip cards), SmartBoard repairs because they break (but we don't have money to repair them so we don't), classroom supplies (so I spend my own money).

Our parents aren't expected to bring any supplies because they can't. Also not covered by our DCPS budget: Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms.

I think you need a principal who is better at management.

I truly don’t understand. What does my principal need to better manage? I feel like zero dollars pretty much manages itself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is misleading. They have no way of knowing if these parents vote for elected officials who underfund schools. Why is ward 3 to blame if parents in poorer schools don't even attempt to form a parent group. You don't need money to advocate for your school. Title 1 schools get more funding than other schools. The trust is that there is no substitute for involved parenting.

As always, almost everyone turns into a conservative when it's a issue that affects themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What drivel! All these comments denying that structural and institutional racism exists and is perpetuated daily is ridiculous. Stop placing all the blame on principals and the central office. Let's focus on rebuilding a just society that works for everyone. This is more than Clorox wipes!

No one is denying that structural injustice exists. The problem is over-simplification (like your comment here) and the op-ed's inaccuracy and knee-jerk shaming. Also, sound-bites about a just society is great (like your comment here), and no one disagrees with that, but the devil is in the details. One detail is not alienating potential partners.

I’m sorry you should be shamed. It’s inexcusable.

Great argument, darling. Thanks for the judgment. It's going to win you friends when you need them to build the just society that you want (and which I also want, but unfortunately don't want to work with you to build).

Such a mean girl...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is misleading. They have no way of knowing if these parents vote for elected officials who underfund schools. Why is ward 3 to blame if parents in poorer schools don't even attempt to form a parent group. You don't need money to advocate for your school. Title 1 schools get more funding than other schools. The trust is that there is no substitute for involved parenting.

As always, almost everyone turns into a conservative when it's a issue that affects themselves.

Yup.

That's when we have the actual facts in front of us and don't blindly believe what the biased media says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Harshburger!

Even in cities where the rich and poor continue to live under the same local government, economic segregation saps political support for common, egalitarian infrastructure. Rich New Yorkers donate generously to beautify Central Park while resisting the taxation necessary to maintain parks in neighborhoods they never visit. In Washington, D.C., parents in wealthier neighborhoods contribute lavishly to parent-teacher organizations that provide extra money to public schools in their neighborhoods, but they do not vote for a similar level of funding for all city schools. Two schools in northwest Washington each raised more than half a million dollars in 2017, while several schools in southeast Washington don’t even have parent-teacher organizations. Last year, for the third time since 1970, the residents of Gwinnett County, Ga., which sits on the edge of Atlanta, refused to fund an expansion of the regional transit system into their suburban county.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/opinion/coronavirus-us-cities-inequality.html

Funny enough, I don't see the NYT question, or even describe, the incredible budgets spent on new schools in SE vs.those in NW.

I wonder why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not take into account that schools EOTP have free PK3, more funding per child, free meals, and many other resources that are not given to WOTP schools. And no one is complaining about that.

The reality is that WOTP schools are overcrowded and the parents have to make up the difference between what DCPS provides and what is needed.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds are used for in our WOTP school: field trip costs because DCPS charges us for the bus, smartboard repairs because they break and we need them repaired, classroom supplies for teachers so they don't have to spend their own money, etc.

As parents, we are expected to bring a huge box of supplies for the school at the beginning of the year because IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE DCPS BUDGET. Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms. Not sure what folks are up in arms about.

My EOTP school is also overcrowded (27 kids in our classes last year, no aide). We've cut positions elsewhere in the school to add classroom teachers and reduce class sizes, so we also don't have full specials blocks because there aren't enough specials teachers.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds can't cover: field trips because DCPS doesn't provide buses (and our kids don't have SmartTrip cards), SmartBoard repairs because they break (but we don't have money to repair them so we don't), classroom supplies (so I spend my own money).

Our parents aren't expected to bring any supplies because they can't. Also not covered by our DCPS budget: Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms.

I think you need a principal who is better at management.

I truly don’t understand. What does my principal need to better manage? I feel like zero dollars pretty much manages itself.

Well, for one, smartrip cards for DCPS students are free.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not take into account that schools EOTP have free PK3, more funding per child, free meals, and many other resources that are not given to WOTP schools. And no one is complaining about that.

The reality is that WOTP schools are overcrowded and the parents have to make up the difference between what DCPS provides and what is needed.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds are used for in our WOTP school: field trip costs because DCPS charges us for the bus, smartboard repairs because they break and we need them repaired, classroom supplies for teachers so they don't have to spend their own money, etc.

As parents, we are expected to bring a huge box of supplies for the school at the beginning of the year because IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE DCPS BUDGET. Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms. Not sure what folks are up in arms about.

My EOTP school is also overcrowded (27 kids in our classes last year, no aide). We've cut positions elsewhere in the school to add classroom teachers and reduce class sizes, so we also don't have full specials blocks because there aren't enough specials teachers.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds can't cover: field trips because DCPS doesn't provide buses (and our kids don't have SmartTrip cards), SmartBoard repairs because they break (but we don't have money to repair them so we don't), classroom supplies (so I spend my own money).

Our parents aren't expected to bring any supplies because they can't. Also not covered by our DCPS budget: Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms.

I think you need a principal who is better at management.

I truly don’t understand. What does my principal need to better manage? I feel like zero dollars pretty much manages itself.

Well, for one, smartrip cards for DCPS students are free.

Only if DCPS sends enough. There are threads on this. We only got 100 for over 500 kids. Begged and begged and eventually got about 50 more. They told us they only give them to kids who ride transit to get to school which most of our kids don’t.

[Anonymous]

When was this vote we missed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This does not take into account that schools EOTP have free PK3, more funding per child, free meals, and many other resources that are not given to WOTP schools. And no one is complaining about that.

The reality is that WOTP schools are overcrowded and the parents have to make up the difference between what DCPS provides and what is needed.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds are used for in our WOTP school: field trip costs because DCPS charges us for the bus, smartboard repairs because they break and we need them repaired, classroom supplies for teachers so they don't have to spend their own money, etc.

As parents, we are expected to bring a huge box of supplies for the school at the beginning of the year because IT IS NOT COVERED BY THE DCPS BUDGET. Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms. Not sure what folks are up in arms about.

My EOTP school is also overcrowded (27 kids in our classes last year, no aide). We've cut positions elsewhere in the school to add classroom teachers and reduce class sizes, so we also don't have full specials blocks because there aren't enough specials teachers.

I'll give you some examples of what our PTA funds can't cover: field trips because DCPS doesn't provide buses (and our kids don't have SmartTrip cards), SmartBoard repairs because they break (but we don't have money to repair them so we don't), classroom supplies (so I spend my own money).

Our parents aren't expected to bring any supplies because they can't. Also not covered by our DCPS budget: Clorox wipes, paper towels, tissues, dry erase markers, pencils, crayons, paper, and so on.

We still have the same DCPS curriculum as everyone else. We have overcrowded classrooms.

I think you need a principal who is better at management.

Classic DCUM. Weird how the WOTP school that has all the same gaps but parents that can pay to cover them doesn't need a new principal. Let's give PP's EOTP principal an extra $500k this year and see if she magically becomes as good of a "manager" as the WOTP principal in the original PP.

OK, so who is to blame for the inadequate DCPS budget?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do they know NW parents don’t vote for equal funding?? My kid goes to a dcps with a well funded PTA, and I would vote in additional funds for all of dcps in a second. The pta shaming is just a version of blaming “white women” for everything.

Really, really not. The article is spot on. And I have a kid at Murch so it's not like I don't know.

So there was a vote for additional funding for schools citywide, and you voted no? Because that is what the article says.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Harshburger!

Even in cities where the rich and poor continue to live under the same local government, economic segregation saps political support for common, egalitarian infrastructure. Rich New Yorkers donate generously to beautify Central Park while resisting the taxation necessary to maintain parks in neighborhoods they never visit. In Washington, D.C., parents in wealthier neighborhoods contribute lavishly to parent-teacher organizations that provide extra money to public schools in their neighborhoods, but they do not vote for a similar level of funding for all city schools. Two schools in northwest Washington each raised more than half a million dollars in 2017, while several schools in southeast Washington don’t even have parent-teacher organizations. Last year, for the third time since 1970, the residents of Gwinnett County, Ga., which sits on the edge of Atlanta, refused to fund an expansion of the regional transit system into their suburban county.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/11/opinion/coronavirus-us-cities-inequality.html

We've paid our taxes. It's up to the government to figure out how to spend it, equitably (however you define it) or otherwise. If you don't like it, vote them out. Stop shaming people for not voting for an extra special assessment. It's just a way for politicians to divide and conquer.

I'll stop thinking that these inequitable PTA budgets are shameful if you promise not to object if the D.C. Council proposes raising your taxes to add $500,000 in funds to every elementary school in the city besides Janney and Mann. That way, everybody wins!

I have zero issue with that. DC already has low property taxes.

no it doesnt

Yes it does. Look at tax rate, not your million dollar assessment. DC is very low.

DC = 0.85%
MoCo = 0.7166%
Falls Church City (the highest in Virginia) = 0.8%

stop lying. you aren't comparing like to like

Virginians also pay a car tax every year, and arlington county is much higher than DC. Also in DC we get the homestead deduction that other jurisdictions don't get AND our taxes are capped at 10% increase per year which is unheard of in other places. So yes, DC taxes are extremely low when it comes to property.

the 10% increase cap and homestead deduction are both pretty normal. we also have a much higher personal income tax than Virginia. we can go round and round but the bottom line is that you tried to spin a lie about property taxes and the overall tax burden in DC by cherry picking and not comparing like to like.

moreover, you should be aware that the 10% increase cap (also, tell me an area where property values have gone up 10% in a single year) and homestead deduction exxist for equity reasons and primarily benefit vulnerable seniors while providing protection against gentrification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do they know NW parents don’t vote for equal funding?? My kid goes to a dcps with a well funded PTA, and I would vote in additional funds for all of dcps in a second. The pta shaming is just a version of blaming “white women” for everything.

This is a little weird. I have a lot of admiration for the NYT editorial board, but their assertion here way oversimplifies the issue and the facts.

I've lived in D.C. for decades, and I've never seen a ballot for or against equal funding in D.C. schools. On this point, the NYT op-ed is based on a non-existent fact. It's like the blank piece in Scrabble: you can make a lot of impressive words with one of those! (but it's not a real word)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do they know NW parents don’t vote for equal funding?? My kid goes to a dcps with a well funded PTA, and I would vote in additional funds for all of dcps in a second. The pta shaming is just a version of blaming “white women” for everything.

This is a little weird. I have a lot of admiration for the NYT editorial board, but their assertion here way oversimplifies the issue and the facts.

I've lived in D.C. for decades, and I've never seen a ballot for or against equal funding in D.C. schools. On this point, the NYT op-ed is based on a non-existent fact. It's like the blank piece in Scrabble: you can make a lot of impressive words with one of those! (but it's not a real word)

It is especially odd when you realize that a vote for literal equal funding would benefit the named schools and hurt others. So the article completely missed the point. There is a point to be made about PTA funding, but the way the article tries to frame is so factually incorrect that they miss the opportunity to actually address some real problems.