PTA wealth redistribution article in Arlnow

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It’s not implied.

How much grant money did CCPTA disperse this year?

[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.

More specifically, the PTA funds aren’t the issue. The impactful aspects of PTAs aren’t the high dollar events. It’s the involvement and volunteering. Parents and teachers stepping up to facilitate special teams/student programs, community events, etc.

So just giving money won’t be that impactful if there isn’t anyone to put it to good use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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

Gotta got 'em up on "facebook."

[Anonymous]

I actually read the county's official timeline of ... racism in the county. Walls (wtf???), covenants, disc. zoning, segregation, and more. It was really, really bad and beyond nauseating. There's so much more work to be done to undo these effects.

[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.

Generally agree although it’s fair to ask whether APS avoids spending money on anything really important based on an assumption that the PTAs will cover the cost. In that case, if the PTA at a poorer school can’t cover the cost, the students miss out on things that might be considered essential, and APS should be called out.

Otherwise, trying to reallocate PTA funds on a county-wide basis in the name of equity will just lead to fewer contributions, as parents will anticipate less benefit to their own kids or schools. Folks are just not that altruistic, when the alternative is arranging individually for their kids to receive extra goods or services.

APS has a real problem with money management. All of the Federal Covid dollars were spent on budget shortfalls, not things Covid-related. I hope they are audited.

BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Why is this necessary? Various posts on various threads have assured us that all APS schools are amazing.

[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.

This. I’m progressive at it gets - voted for Bernie. Arlington needs to change its housing policy and boundary process. Also more money for schools in general would help. PTAs on the other hand exist as a way for parents to help their own child’s school. Obviously many PTAs donate money to other schools but mandating it doesn’t make sense.

[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.

Bingo. This will get lots of lip service, but no real $$ traction.

+1

[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.

Bingo. This will get lots of lip service, but no real $$ traction.

+1

Exactly. Every single person pushing for this is free to write a check for another school’s PTA if they actually think it’s important. Or even organize an effort among the local PTA to do the same.

But they won’t, because that won’t allow them the personal publicity. Oh look at me being a hero for brown kids!!!

They also know that many families wouldn’t want to contribute to this. So rather than just being honest and fundraising specifically for other schools’ PTAs, they’ve concocted this whole framework to divert funds that a normal person assumes will go to their own kids’ school.

If your ideas are so great and noble then stand behind them.

[Anonymous]

I’m at a school that contributed PTA funds for the grocery gift cards during the pandemic, did food drives for other schools, let’s parents know they can donate money to other school’s school supply drive and other things along those lines. We are also in the range of 50k in fundraising.

And even though I attend PTA meetings, I never paid enough attention to know if we contribute to the CCPTA fund. I bet we do. I’m also going to guess I know more about what the PTA does than 90% of parents at our school. We just don’t get good attendance at PTA meetings. We also have been running low on volunteers for things — and this was pre-pandemic. Officers, parents to run big events etc.

Telling parents money raised at an event or direct dollars given will go to other PTAs would likely dry up a good number of the committed volunteers left. I frankly have so little time to give the PTA but really try to fit in meetings and events. We do other volunteer in the community.

But I make the time for the PTA because it gives me a tie to my kids’ school and I know it funds some of the things they really enjoy. That money going elsewhere — particularly now that I only have two left in upper elementary — and I would be less inclined to help and give.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It’s not implied.

How much grant money did CCPTA disperse this year?

How many grant applications were there?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is this necessary? Various posts on various threads have assured us that all APS schools are amazing.

It's a chance for the fat uglies to takes shots at the popular pretty girls. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

It’s not implied.

How much grant money did CCPTA disperse this year?

How many grant applications were there?

Were they taking applications this year? We never heard anything about it.

[Anonymous]

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.

Why is that?

Because despite all the empty lip service paid during the past year during DL about how deeply, deeply concerned they were about the poor kids, they don’t actually give a single, solitary damn about the poor kids, or about any kids except their own.

[Anonymous]

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.

Those little $$ raised by PTAs are not life-changing at all, no amount will close any gap. Ugh, the public really has no clue. South Arlington schools get more funding than N.Arlington schools to begin with.