Support Your Neighborhood Public and Charter Schools, even if your child does not attend

[Anonymous]

Dear Fellow Parents and Community Members,
For a long time I have been thinking that community members have an interest in supporting their neighborhood public and charter schools (donations to PTA, advocacy downtown and with the Chancellor, helping with clean up etc.) even if their child does not attend (and even, or especially, if you disagree with the Chancellor's initiatives). By this I mean that we all have a stake in our local public options--even if we have chosen independent or our child is before school age or 'aged out'--supporting the public options in your neighborhood can only help with property values and the 'livability' factor of your neighborhood. I have lived in a couple of very nice neighborhoods in DC where the locals seemed to have 'opted out' of their local public options. It makes for strange disparities, is not attractive to families looking to live in the neighborhood, and creates a totally different tone from neighborhoods where the local school really is the locally loved school. Any thoughts on this, and on how we can all 'own' and 'support' our local public options?

[Anonymous]

I donate to an OOB elementary and volunteer at our inbounds elementary, but I'm wary of getting more involved because I have a feeling it would involve getting stomped all over by indigant DCPS parents. (My kids are in private.)

[Anonymous]

It sounds like you go above and beyond. Thank you so much. DCPS and Charter parents--have we thought about how to leverage these 'neighbors' and 'friends' of the school better. Mailings? Invites to fairs? Flyers? Looking for ideas.

[Anonymous]

I believe this conversation has taken on more life in the Independent School Forum under the thread "Independent School Parents Opinions"-- if you wish to post, please go there. It is healthy to have independent and public parents discuss how to better support all our schools. Thank you for your ideas.