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Field trips-has your school cut out most of these because they think the parents can't afford it?
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Anonymous
| My DC is in 1st grade in one of the public systems where we've had no field trips this year. The teaching team does not want to ask parents to pay anything due to the economy. The trips costs $15-18 last year with scholarships paid by the PTA where parents expressed the need. Just wondering if this is common. |
Anonymous
| I am a teacher who believes in quality field trips, and that parents will find the money to contribute and PTAs, other room parents etc. will help out those who can't (as you describe). Giving up field trips is just unthinkable! I would advocate for field trips at your school, and advocate for parents chipping in to support those that can't afford. |
Anonymous
| My K DC in Arlington County has been on 3 fieldtrips this year, including a walking fieldtrip to the fire station. They have at least 2-3 more planned before the end of the year. Half of them are trips to the Arlington Planetarium, which is terrific. |
Anonymous
| Very few field trips for DCPS schools because of the test pressure. |
Anonymous
| My kids are in MoCo. So far this year, each kid has been on three and there are a few more planned. In order to participate, parents must pay and some are bit pricey - up to $25. |
Anonymous
| I heard the field trips were less in DCPS b/c of the economy. The lower income parents are struggling. |
Anonymous
I would expect DCPS to be much less effected because we don't depend on school bus rental. There's a broad range of free programs and the only cost to the school is Metro fare. |
Anonymous
| Do DCPS students really take the Metro to go on field trips? I've never seen ES do that. It seems like it would be a logistical nightmare that would require tons of chaperones to make it happen. |
Anonymous
| DCPS takes metrobuses and metro trains. I was told the parents pay for any charter bus fees -$200-$400 per field trip. |
Anonymous
Our FCPS school is taking field trips, but the cost is a lot more modest than this. All the field trips my third grader has been on have been less than $10, most around $5. The most expensive was Mount Vernon and I thionk that was $8 for her and $12 for me. They typically take 2-3 a year. |
Anonymous
Yes, the Metro-accessible schools absolutely make good use of their locations. While you do need good chaperone coverage, especially in the younger grades, it's not a logistical nightmare for parents and kids who are heavy Metro users anyway. It also means that we can go on a lot of field trips, because we qualify for discounted Metro fares and don't need to shell out $$ for buses that may or may not show up on time anyway. |
Anonymous
| To add-- some cultural programs have grants that cover buses for school groups. In DC schools near Metro, these free buses are often declined because it is just easier to take Metro to most destinations. |
Anonymous
Interesting. The prices you quote about covers the cost of admission only-what did you do for transportation, did parents drive or did you use the school bus? |
Anonymous
Do you have any more information on which cultural programs might have bus grants? |
Anonymous
Our school only uses school buses. They use charter buses for longer extended field trips (Jamestown and Richmond in upper grades). |