I am former PTA office holder mom whose kid was going to a bottom of the heap MCPS school pyramid. My DH was so done with my moaning and groaning that he suggested that either we move to a W-school or I get involved in that school and make a change. My playbook came from the W-schools foundations and PTA websites. At a fraction of funds of what these schools have, I was able to replicate most of these offerings at our school. I am a-ok with the W-schools being well funded by the pta and foundations, because they have some great solutions that all of us can learn to modify and make it our own.

Yes, they are putting in their money to get extras, and there is no one stopping parents like me to use our ingenuity and ability to become great copycats and get the same for our own kids in non-W schools. BTW - in the process of helping my kid, I was easily able to help the entire school community. Was it sustained after I left? No. Mainly the administration does its best to scuttle the attempts of any parent who wants to do things on their own. As a parent, your best protection and power is to be under the umbrella of PTA. As a PTA parent, you can really get programs at school for students. All students. Even the FARMs and ESOL kids. Do you need parental participation? Yes, but only a few parents. You can do with minimal participation of parents in the PTA, but you need to create opportunities for parents to participate in things that they care about without being PTA members.

We were able to have great teacher appreciation events - breakfast, lunches, coffee bars, snack bars, fresh fruits, snack packs and made sure that they had a ton of classroom supplies, media center supplies, parent volunteers - every thing we needed was provided for free by parents. Majority of whom did not join the PTA or even attended one PTA meeting. You need to know your audience. Parents don't want to join the PTA. They want to help their own child's classroom, their own classroom teachers, the EC activity that their child is interested in.

Yes, some want the acknowledgement of being on Honor Roll too, and it is easy for us to get those parents involved in running those events. They just did not want to be in the PTA and I was ok with it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was President of one of these more wealthy associations and we donated a huge amount of money to the county to disperse to other schools that didn't have the same level of participation as the more successful schools. We also mentored their association on fund raising etc. It isn't that they don't have the money in those areas, it is they lack participation.

And why do you think they lack participation? People are working! People that don't make as much money have more inflexible jobs. They also tend to work in the evenings when these meetings are held (like me). They also probably can't afford a house cleaner, so they have to keep up their house themselves after work. They also probably can't afford to order take out as much either-- cooking dinner takes time. They might also not have two cars, or might have to rely on public transportation to make it to the school-- public transportation that stops running or gets scarce later in the day. It blows my mind that people don't see the connection. A lack of participation doesn't mean that parents don't care-- it's that they don't have the energy to do so after all the other work they have to do. The wealthy have easier lives in a million little ways that add up to them having more energy to participate.

And all of this goes back to life isn't fair and equal. And it never will be. But expecting a PTA leader at a wealthier school (most of whom also have jobs) to run both their PTA and yours is unrealistic. Is any of this ideal? No, of course not. But most of us (PTA leaders/volunteers) are already stretched thin to keep our own PTAs going. If we made it our mission to run our PTA and fundraise for other schools, no one would participate. Because its too much. And believe it or not, even the wealthy PTAs are being run by the same handful of people. So the participation is still lacking, even if the money isn't.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was President of one of these more wealthy associations and we donated a huge amount of money to the county to disperse to other schools that didn't have the same level of participation as the more successful schools. We also mentored their association on fund raising etc. It isn't that they don't have the money in those areas, it is they lack participation.

And why do you think they lack participation? People are working! People that don't make as much money have more inflexible jobs. They also tend to work in the evenings when these meetings are held (like me). They also probably can't afford a house cleaner, so they have to keep up their house themselves after work. They also probably can't afford to order take out as much either-- cooking dinner takes time. They might also not have two cars, or might have to rely on public transportation to make it to the school-- public transportation that stops running or gets scarce later in the day. It blows my mind that people don't see the connection. A lack of participation doesn't mean that parents don't care-- it's that they don't have the energy to do so after all the other work they have to do. The wealthy have easier lives in a million little ways that add up to them having more energy to participate.

And all of this goes back to life isn't fair and equal. And it never will be. But expecting a PTA leader at a wealthier school (most of whom also have jobs) to run both their PTA and yours is unrealistic. Is any of this ideal? No, of course not. But most of us (PTA leaders/volunteers) are already stretched thin to keep our own PTAs going. If we made it our mission to run our PTA and fundraise for other schools, no one would participate. Because its too much. And believe it or not, even the wealthy PTAs are being run by the same handful of people. So the participation is still lacking, even if the money isn't.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was President of one of these more wealthy associations and we donated a huge amount of money to the county to disperse to other schools that didn't have the same level of participation as the more successful schools. We also mentored their association on fund raising etc. It isn't that they don't have the money in those areas, it is they lack participation.

And why do you think they lack participation? People are working! People that don't make as much money have more inflexible jobs. They also tend to work in the evenings when these meetings are held (like me). They also probably can't afford a house cleaner, so they have to keep up their house themselves after work. They also probably can't afford to order take out as much either-- cooking dinner takes time. They might also not have two cars, or might have to rely on public transportation to make it to the school-- public transportation that stops running or gets scarce later in the day. It blows my mind that people don't see the connection. A lack of participation doesn't mean that parents don't care-- it's that they don't have the energy to do so after all the other work they have to do. The wealthy have easier lives in a million little ways that add up to them having more energy to participate.

+1

Some, as evidenced by the responses in the thread, clearly see the connection. They just don't think their advantages are "unfair" and maybe they aren't strictly "unfair"

That said, I don't believe any of these near million dollar foundations are just buying blackboards and chalk. People don't park that kind of money in a foundations without gaining other advantages.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our local ES PTA has a sister school that they fundraise for/provides funds to. Instead of trying to discourage parent giving PTA’s that can afford it should work with a sister school.

So does the teachers at the sister school also get $250? Or just like old books and handed down clothes ?

Do we have a system where all wealthy otas have adopted a title 1 or focus school or is it haphazardly dive?

It's equal fundraising $, not random used stuff. Like paying for a new gym at our school and the sister school, etc.

Anonymous wrote:I was President of one of these more wealthy associations and we donated a huge amount of money to the county to disperse to other schools that didn't have the same level of participation as the more successful schools. We also mentored their association on fund raising etc. It isn't that they don't have the money in those areas, it is they lack participation.

And why do you think they lack participation? People are working! People that don't make as much money have more inflexible jobs. They also tend to work in the evenings when these meetings are held (like me). They also probably can't afford a house cleaner, so they have to keep up their house themselves after work. They also probably can't afford to order take out as much either-- cooking dinner takes time. They might also not have two cars, or might have to rely on public transportation to make it to the school-- public transportation that stops running or gets scarce later in the day. It blows my mind that people don't see the connection. A lack of participation doesn't mean that parents don't care-- it's that they don't have the energy to do so after all the other work they have to do. The wealthy have easier lives in a million little ways that add up to them having more energy to participate.

Anonymous wrote:y' all need to know the difference between the "PTA" and a "foundation"

The county rules allow it.

If MoCo rules do not permit communities to hire extra teachers or paras or to spend PTA money on extra resources for enrichment or other purposes, then they should not permit the use of these foundations either, because the effect is the same.

y' all need to know the difference between the "PTA" and a "foundation"

The county rules allow it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News flash. Life isn’t fair. Sorry. It’s never going to be. And the more we push the narrative, the more the people in the middle are going to vote in their own best interest to stop their money from helping everyone poorer than them. Wake up. This isn’t where to focus your energy.

It's ridiculous. The people running these foundations and PTAs in the W feeder districts are NOT the middle. I can't tell you how many wealthy people I know who are convinced that they are middle class. I even know someone who lives in Wood Acres and considers themselves lower middle class!!

The people being hurt by this inequity aren't just the poor black and brown immigrant kids. I know plenty of white, college educated professionals who can't afford to buy a home in the "good" school districts in MCPS and send their kids to high FARMS schools. The ACTUAL middle class is hurting here.

You are demanding people act outside their own interests and the interests of their children. It won’t work. Save your passion for helping the school your child is at. Channel it into your PTA. Humans are pretty selfish and gross. This is the world we’ve created.

How is selfish and gross to want to build the best community you can for your child? Isn't more selfish to not participate in the PTA at all and just let others do the work that you could be doing?

I was President of one of these more wealthy associations and we donated a huge amount of money to the county to disperse to other schools that didn't have the same level of participation as the more successful schools. We also mentored their association on fund raising etc. It isn't that they don't have the money in those areas, it is they lack participation.

Anonymous wrote:WTF is this, too???

https://www.bccedfoundation.org/

The people who sit on the board of this organization should be embarrassed and ashamed that they are hoarding resources for their already privileged public high school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:News flash. Life isn’t fair. Sorry. It’s never going to be. And the more we push the narrative, the more the people in the middle are going to vote in their own best interest to stop their money from helping everyone poorer than them. Wake up. This isn’t where to focus your energy.

It's ridiculous. The people running these foundations and PTAs in the W feeder districts are NOT the middle. I can't tell you how many wealthy people I know who are convinced that they are middle class. I even know someone who lives in Wood Acres and considers themselves lower middle class!!

The people being hurt by this inequity aren't just the poor black and brown immigrant kids. I know plenty of white, college educated professionals who can't afford to buy a home in the "good" school districts in MCPS and send their kids to high FARMS schools. The ACTUAL middle class is hurting here.

You are demanding people act outside their own interests and the interests of their children. It won’t work. Save your passion for helping the school your child is at. Channel it into your PTA. Humans are pretty selfish and gross. This is the world we’ve created.

Anonymous wrote:News flash. Life isn’t fair. Sorry. It’s never going to be. And the more we push the narrative, the more the people in the middle are going to vote in their own best interest to stop their money from helping everyone poorer than them. Wake up. This isn’t where to focus your energy.

It's ridiculous. The people running these foundations and PTAs in the W feeder districts are NOT the middle. I can't tell you how many wealthy people I know who are convinced that they are middle class. I even know someone who lives in Wood Acres and considers themselves lower middle class!!

The people being hurt by this inequity aren't just the poor black and brown immigrant kids. I know plenty of white, college educated professionals who can't afford to buy a home in the "good" school districts in MCPS and send their kids to high FARMS schools. The ACTUAL middle class is hurting here.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How is this legal????
https://www.whitmanfoundation.org/

This makes me furious. These are PUBLIC schools! My elementary, middle, and high schools in MCPS don't have access to these resources. I mean, I knew the deck was stacked against us, but not by this much.

We are also hardworking. We are also taxpayers. But our families don't come from money, so we can't afford to buy into these districts that are dominated by $1million+ SFHs.

The extent of which the wealthy think they 100% deserve what they have makes me furious. They only see that they're giving their children the best-- not that in by doing so they're depriving other children of opportunities.

What happened to our sense of community? Everyone is just out for what they can grab for themselves.

But, how are they depriving other kids of opportunities? They are not providing those opportunities, but they are not actually putting up roadblocks to others accessing them. There will always been people with easier access to things than you. That is just life. But we are not talking about things that are fundamentally scarce. School supplies are plentiful and available as are career day events or Halloween parties if you bother to plan them. Limiting someone else’s ability to have these things makes no sense because they are not in limited supply.

“The law, in its majestic equality, forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal loaves of bread”.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t think teachers should pay anything out-of-pocket for supplies or class materials. I think it’s a shame that the county doesn’t provide a stipend for every single classroom teacher.

However I don’t think PTA should be limited or capped If they want to reimburse teachers for bells and whistles. Our school pta adopted A less fortunate school and we fund raise and give them supplies. It’s telling that the original author only cares about this now that her school does not have the resources or strong pta.

Our Principal told us that MCPS DOES pay for all supplies and class materials that are part of the curriculum. It's all the extra after-school or special programs that they don't. That's where the inequity comes in. Don't be fooled in thinking that the experience at all schools is the same. I would be okay with this fact if any MCPS kid is allowed to attend any school but they can't, and the reality is school boundaries are highly segregated by SES.

If you walked into a classroom that just had the basic supplies, no classroom library, nothing else I'm sure you would be pissed off. There's always some smart-ass who claims they are okay with the bare minimum but most are not

Engaged and resourceful teachers create good classroom environments. It is fully independent of socio-economic status.

Yeah, but engaged and resourceful teachers aren't going to stay in schools that don't have adequate supplies. A teacher friend in PG county was given a broken office chair for her desk. They replaced one of the wheels with a tennis ball. You can't tell me stuff like that isn't demoralizing and makes teachers want to leave.