I'm very curious if these tactics work or if they alienate people. I can see suggesting more in Palo Alto than in a poor rural area, but that's a lot of money. I bet wording makes a difference. It's one thing to suggest and then say we welcome any donation no matter how small, but it's another thing to just give the suggested amount without clarifying we still love you if you give less! (You get the idea.

One idea that worked well when I was on a committee for my alma matter is there were clubs based on donation. Anyone gets recognized if they even give a dollar, but $50 moved you up a level...then $100 and so forth. Those who give over $1000 get their name in bigger print and their "club name" is fancier. There is an email and a mailer that goes out thanking people and listing their names under clubs. It meant a lot to people and if there was a mistake people let us know.

We also had check boxes for where you wanted money to go from general (anywhere) to scholarships to building renovations.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our suggeste donation is $150 per child in Bethesda. On the West coast our public school PTA asked for $450 per kid because of the dearth of funding

wAS THE $450 PER CHILD in a place like Palo Alto or Bel Air?

Yes, it was a place just like that.

Ha.. $450? Places like Palo Alto ask for $1000/child. This is annually, btw.

http://papie.org/f-a-q/

"We suggest a donation amount of $1,000 per child. "

We laughed (in a good way) when our PTA asked for $15/child.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our suggeste donation is $150 per child in Bethesda. On the West coast our public school PTA asked for $450 per kid because of the dearth of funding

wAS THE $450 PER CHILD in a place like Palo Alto or Bel Air?

Yes, it was a place just like that.

Ours is $10 to join with suggested donation of $600 per kid. Not in DC area.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)

Is this true? I heard that PTA donations could not fund additional classroom teachers. We have a co-teacher in my son's DCPS first grade class but she is a DCPS employee I believe.

The coteacher could be for special needs.

Anonymous wrote:Our PTA allows parents to donate all year long, so if you can't afford it right away, you can just donate later. The only thing though is that then those funds don't get used till later in the year or the next year.

I would assume every PTA "allows" parents to donate all year long. No?

Our PTA allows parents to donate all year long, so if you can't afford it right away, you can just donate later. The only thing though is that then those funds don't get used till later in the year or the next year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)

Is this true? I heard that PTA donations could not fund additional classroom teachers. We have a co-teacher in my son's DCPS first grade class but she is a DCPS employee I believe.

The Mann aides are DCPS employees I believe. They use PTA funds for the though.

Right- that's how it works. Lafayette's teachers are as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)

Is this true? I heard that PTA donations could not fund additional classroom teachers. We have a co-teacher in my son's DCPS first grade class but she is a DCPS employee I believe.

The Mann aides are DCPS employees I believe. They use PTA funds for the though.

Is true in DC. Not true in MCPS.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)

Is this true? I heard that PTA donations could not fund additional classroom teachers. We have a co-teacher in my son's DCPS first grade class but she is a DCPS employee I believe.

Lafayette HSA pays for some teachers- though not aides.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)

Is this true? I heard that PTA donations could not fund additional classroom teachers. We have a co-teacher in my son's DCPS first grade class but she is a DCPS employee I believe.

Anonymous wrote:Put it this way. Privates cost $30k+ and most donate $$ on top of that. If you have enough to contribute without it really affecting you and it will help the school to provide activities or specials for the kids, then it seems like a bargain to me. But maybe find out what the money is used for first?

I think finding out EXACTLY what the money is used for is a great idea. I hear you about private schools, but your PTA money is not buying you smaller class sizes, more 1-1 attention as needed, etc. Yes, it's much less money, but some PTAs are awesome with the money and getting input from not only admin but PARENTS and others aren't and the money might not benefit many kids.

In a perfect world (where it didn't require more time and work from PTA officers) I would prefer to give that donation toward something specific like buying school supplies and winter coats for kids in the school who can't afford them or adding a shade structure on the playground which is in direct sunlight or buying things off a favorite teacher's wish list..

Zero. What to know why? In Maryland we spent $6.1 Billion, yes billion with a 'B', for K-12 in FY 2016. And I have the great pleasure of getting an 8.7% property tax next year.
If the schools do not have enough money for supplies, teachers etc., it's not due to lack of funding, but a complete lack of accountability and budgeting.
PTA fundraising has turned into a slush fund for wealthy schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Am on the PTA and we ask for $150 per kid, too. DCPS. It's a fundraising effort for the PTA which supports the school. It's a suggested amount though, it is not mandatory. Give what you want.

Maybe also think about whether what the PTA does is valuable to you at your school. Our PTA funds lots of supplies/basics at the school, so that the principal can use her DCPS budget on staff salaries. I think that is valuable, so I support the PTA.

Can the PTA supplement salaries? I asked about this years ago and was told no. It would be great if they could give teaching awards just to the really good teachers. I would donate specifically toward that if it was for a teacher we thought was great.

Yes in DCPS. Mann has an aide in all classes above K because of PTA donations (and the request is $1500 per child for the PTA).
(for PK and K, DCPS already provides for an aide, so the PTA doesn't have to fund that.)