The kind of volunteering that makes a school better, like serving on the PTA and organizing fundraising events and after-school enrichment activities, does not require you to be home during the day (at least at our school). So it's hard to say. But contrary to people's impressions, the wealthiest neighborhoods do not usually have the most stay at home moms, though they do usually have the "best rated" schools. It's easier to afford a fancy neighborhood on two incomes than one.

I am not sure it is necessarily true. I am SAHM now. I am assuming if you have high earning dual income families, you can afford to buy in a more affluent neighborhood and they usually have better rated schools.

I'd guess yes.

True. We are at one of those highly sought after schools and I think maybe half the moms are SAHM or work part time but even the ft working moms make time to volunteer and can do so because they have jobs that allow some flexibility

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that the better schools usually have a strong PTA with lots of volunteers and money. We live in Alexandria and it feels like there are mostly dual working families.

No, but better rated schools tend to have higher average HHI and parents with higher levels of education and they tend to have more flexible schedules.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Working or not, you have to make time and do it as a team. It is hard when you have minimum parent involvement, but if everyone took time and interest to take on a toke, then it could be spread more evenly across the school year. That is how the classrooms do it for each of my DDs. That message is sent loud and clear at back to school night.

Sorry.. Autocorrect. Toke should be role .

Yeah, I think if everyone took on a toke then volunteering would be a lot more appealing.

I don't think anyone has statistics on which schools have more SAHPs. Which schools are more highly rated (or "better") is a totally separate, contentious issue. Try to put the two together and you're just spitting in the wind.

Yes.

In the DC metro area (close-in) my guess is that the majority of schools have dual income families whether they are "better-rated" or not.

Anonymous wrote:Working or not, you have to make time and do it as a team. It is hard when you have minimum parent involvement, but if everyone took time and interest to take on a toke, then it could be spread more evenly across the school year. That is how the classrooms do it for each of my DDs. That message is sent loud and clear at back to school night.

Sorry.. Autocorrect. Toke should be role .

Working or not, you have to make time and do it as a team. It is hard when you have minimum parent involvement, but if everyone took time and interest to take on a toke, then it could be spread more evenly across the school year. That is how the classrooms do it for each of my DDs. That message is sent loud and clear at back to school night.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know that the better schools usually have a strong PTA with lots of volunteers and money. We live in Alexandria and it feels like there are mostly dual working families.

No, but better rated schools tend to have higher average HHI and parents with higher levels of education and they tend to have more flexible schedules.

Note PP's distinction, which I agree with. "Better-rated" schools may or may not be "better" schools. "Better" schools may or may not be "better-rated" schools.

Anonymous wrote:I know that the better schools usually have a strong PTA with lots of volunteers and money. We live in Alexandria and it feels like there are mostly dual working families.

No, but better rated schools tend to have higher average HHI and parents with higher levels of education and they tend to have more flexible schedules.

They are the ones with the BF kids.

j/k!! yes, Pandora's box!!

I feel like this topic may be like opening Pandora's box.

I know that the better schools usually have a strong PTA with lots of volunteers and money. We live in Alexandria and it feels like there are mostly dual working families.