Boosterthon Info
- Thread starter wilcogal1974
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Does/did the School Board know about this?
Hopefully Mark will check this thread.
He already posted on it- I bet he checks back.
I wish other school board members interacted more with parents on SoWal.com. Mark does a great job of keeping up with the "pulse" of school issues in SoWal, wisely does not "get in the gutter" with those who have a gripe (legitimate or not)- he seems to collect info from the parents who post on this board- and I hope it gives him a greater understanding of our wants and needs for our schools down here.
Until a couple of years ago the Bear Run was completely organized and put on by PTO volunteers. It was a very big effort and involved getting sponsors, tshirts, donations for laps walked, organizing volunteers, and getting prizes from community businesses. I loved volunteering on the day of the event and counting the kids as they went by. The kids had a great time and it was a fun event for everyone. My understanding is that when the moms that had handled the event in the past moved on to middle school with their kids, it was difficult to get anyone to pick it up. They then went with this professional fundraising group.
Exactly - it is sad that we have to fund raise for our own "public schools", but that is the situation we taxpayers find ourselves in. Fund raising takes tons of time and is usually done by a few dedicated, caring parents and teachers who are already overworked. So the parents who shouldn't have to fund raise in the first place (if education was a priority) turn to professionals, which can make the situation worse. The spiral appears downward.
National PTA Guidlines involving Fundraising:
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Corporations originally sought access to schools as a pass-through
to reach parents. By the mid-1980s, marketers increasingly were
aiming messages directly at children. The results were mixed.
Some companies have provided solid educational tools that schools
would otherwise not be able to provide. Still others have reached
into classrooms to market products with no residual benefit to either
the school or the children.
Since the presence of sponsors in schools is growing, not waning,
there are some things PTAs should consider. First of all, decide
what type of commercial programs are best suited to your school.
This will help your PTA judge which opportunities to undertake or
avoid. Keep in mind that other members of the school community
often invite fund-raising or sponsorship programs into schools. It’s a
good idea to establish a cooperating body of gatekeepers. Take the
lead by organizing a discussion with some PTA members, teachers,
and the school principal to set a few standards.
[FONT=Arial,Bold]to reach parents. By the mid-1980s, marketers increasingly were
aiming messages directly at children. The results were mixed.
Some companies have provided solid educational tools that schools
would otherwise not be able to provide. Still others have reached
into classrooms to market products with no residual benefit to either
the school or the children.
Since the presence of sponsors in schools is growing, not waning,
there are some things PTAs should consider. First of all, decide
what type of commercial programs are best suited to your school.
This will help your PTA judge which opportunities to undertake or
avoid. Keep in mind that other members of the school community
often invite fund-raising or sponsorship programs into schools. It’s a
good idea to establish a cooperating body of gatekeepers. Take the
lead by organizing a discussion with some PTA members, teachers,
and the school principal to set a few standards.
Questions to Consider in Developing Standards for
Fund-Raising
[/FONT]Fund-Raising
Based on guidelines created by the Consumers Union Educational
Services division of
Services division of
[FONT=Arial,Italic][FONT=Arial,Italic]Consumer Reports:
[/FONT][/FONT]
1. Does the program require children to purchase a product in
order to participate?
2. It is expected or implied that children will be required to sell to
others?*
3. If there are classroom materials, are they credible and
accurate?
4. Has the company produced the materials in partnership with a
recognized authority?
5. Are the materials complete and not deceiving or misleading by
omission?
6. Is the language and organization of material age-appropriate?
7. Is the information designed to sell products?
8. Does the text and illustrations uphold the PTA’s
nondiscrimination policies?
9. Is this a financial “win-win” situation where the PTA is
benefiting financially or otherwise from the relationship?
order to participate?
2. It is expected or implied that children will be required to sell to
others?*
3. If there are classroom materials, are they credible and
accurate?
4. Has the company produced the materials in partnership with a
recognized authority?
5. Are the materials complete and not deceiving or misleading by
omission?
6. Is the language and organization of material age-appropriate?
7. Is the information designed to sell products?
8. Does the text and illustrations uphold the PTA’s
nondiscrimination policies?
9. Is this a financial “win-win” situation where the PTA is
benefiting financially or otherwise from the relationship?
*PTA policy is very clear that children should never be
exploited or used as fund-raisers*.
Most everything I ever purchased over decades from my children's schools were inferior products and the prizes were junk and resulted in many hurt feelings. It was a good thing when this professional practice was curtailed. I did just start giving money and telling kids I'd get them a cooler prize. The best fundraiser a PTA had in one school was at the beginning of the year, a letter was sent out from the PTA just asking for money with the promise that their children would not be subjected to selling anything that year. They raised more money than they ever had and got to keep it all.
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Butler has a PTO - not a PTA. There is a big difference. As far as back ground & finger print it has been done. This morning while at the school a staff member approached me & said that she was happy Fun Run Team is here that they are motivating the kids and sending positive messages to them.
The OP of this thread never volunteered in the school when OP was an employee and has not volunteered as just a parent at all this year.
The Bear Run money did stay in the school, but it also taxed the local businesses as there were a lot of donations made by places that could not afford to keep giving like they did every year. Some businesses contacted the Superintendent and the Principal & asked that our school quit asking for donations.
Some of the parents that organized Bear Run simply can't do everything. Organizing a fundraiser like this is a lot of work, and the people complaining have not volunteered to be in charge of any fundraisers in the school so they have no idea what goes into it.
Plus the parents that are there volunteering do work. We are not a bunch of moms with nothing to do. We are the working parents that want to help the direction of the school so we are there in what little free time we have.
The fundraising that is done throughout the school year supplements the School Districts budget. Our fundraising money has purchased the following in the last 3 years: Active Boards for grades 3-5, Activexpressions, Easy Tech, Safari Montage, volleyballs, playground maintenance & repairs, wireless access points, in the process of purchasing projectors for all classes that don't have them... This years fundraising money will go toward the same things: technology improvements, playground upkeep, Licensing fees for Easy Tech & Safari. Every year there are always some kind of budget cuts and there will be the back up money for needs that arise that the District just can't pay for.
funny how no one complained when cookie dough was being sold and that company took 60% of your money and they did nothing. PTO has to get approval from Superintendent & Principal, scheduling, set up, clean up, call parents to come get their cookie dough/wrapping paper because they forgot or don’t feel like it, we have to call on NSF checks, count everything, place orders, correct orders, make sure all prizes are accounted for, send info home, etc… Boosterthon Team does all of the work and keeps 48%. And they aren’t asking us to go to the community and ask for donations or money. They are asking that kids contact relatives from out of state to ask for donations – this can be in the amount of $1 flat to whatever, or nothing.
Prizes were given with cookie dough sales as well and no one complained... hmm... maybe we should keep selling the junk food & not promote health, wellness and good character traits...
If the OP, or any other parent at Butler would like to organize the Bear Run next year then we would love that. Step up & do it - but don't complain until you've been on this side.
The few that do volunteer on a regular basis can't do everything. And we certainly don't like to volunteer and then get pushed around by parents who don't do anything but complain. The pushing is what makes good volunteers stop helping...
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The OP of this thread never volunteered in the school when OP was an employee and has not volunteered as just a parent at all this year.
The Bear Run money did stay in the school, but it also taxed the local businesses as there were a lot of donations made by places that could not afford to keep giving like they did every year. Some businesses contacted the Superintendent and the Principal & asked that our school quit asking for donations.
Some of the parents that organized Bear Run simply can't do everything. Organizing a fundraiser like this is a lot of work, and the people complaining have not volunteered to be in charge of any fundraisers in the school so they have no idea what goes into it.
Plus the parents that are there volunteering do work. We are not a bunch of moms with nothing to do. We are the working parents that want to help the direction of the school so we are there in what little free time we have.
The fundraising that is done throughout the school year supplements the School Districts budget. Our fundraising money has purchased the following in the last 3 years: Active Boards for grades 3-5, Activexpressions, Easy Tech, Safari Montage, volleyballs, playground maintenance & repairs, wireless access points, in the process of purchasing projectors for all classes that don't have them... This years fundraising money will go toward the same things: technology improvements, playground upkeep, Licensing fees for Easy Tech & Safari. Every year there are always some kind of budget cuts and there will be the back up money for needs that arise that the District just can't pay for.
funny how no one complained when cookie dough was being sold and that company took 60% of your money and they did nothing. PTO has to get approval from Superintendent & Principal, scheduling, set up, clean up, call parents to come get their cookie dough/wrapping paper because they forgot or don’t feel like it, we have to call on NSF checks, count everything, place orders, correct orders, make sure all prizes are accounted for, send info home, etc… Boosterthon Team does all of the work and keeps 48%. And they aren’t asking us to go to the community and ask for donations or money. They are asking that kids contact relatives from out of state to ask for donations – this can be in the amount of $1 flat to whatever, or nothing.
Prizes were given with cookie dough sales as well and no one complained... hmm... maybe we should keep selling the junk food & not promote health, wellness and good character traits...
If the OP, or any other parent at Butler would like to organize the Bear Run next year then we would love that. Step up & do it - but don't complain until you've been on this side.
The few that do volunteer on a regular basis can't do everything. And we certainly don't like to volunteer and then get pushed around by parents who don't do anything but complain. The pushing is what makes good volunteers stop helping...
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Fun Run is not require the kids to sell anything, or get pledges. Every child participates whether they get pledges or not. Every child will get a t-shirt, every child is praised for doing a great job.
Fun Run did not ask kids to go home & ask people to pledge $10 per lap. (who ever it was that had a child who did that - you have a future business owner on your hands). They asked the kids to get pledges by calling relatives or friends out of state & ask for pledges by themselves, if they can. Fun Run is asking that kids take some responsibility in raising money for good things at their school.
I would love to do this, but the thinking (and it's kind of obvious now) that if people do get something for the money they are donating then they won't donate....