Posted on 08/31/2010 10:56:15 PM PDT by Entrepreneur
If you hate public school fundraising, this should make your blood boil.
I admit it, I'm not a fan of public schools. Unfortunately, I live in an area where private schools are neither nearby, nor affordable. We did give a charter school a try, before it relocated away from here. And neither my wife, nor I are suited to homeschooling.
I've learned that speaking out and protesting results in retaliation against my kids. I've learned that even the most lauded public schools exist for the benefit of the teachers and administration, not the students or (God forbid) their parents.
Fortunately, I've only got one kid left in the public school system, who is a senior. This kid loves performing arts, including theater. The theater department is especially irritating. Kids have to audition a year in advance for a theater team, just to be able to audition for the plays the department hosts. In theory, if a kid wins an Academy Award and transfers to this school after the annual team auditions, he wouldn't be able to audition for any plays for a year.
This is the only school in the district with these rules, which I believe exist to make things easier for the teachers. The teachers don't have to work with the less talented kids who might nevertheless excel with a little coaching.
Regardless, my child had to audition to be part of the program. Once in, the teachers require the kids to sell ads in their program. My child got a commitment from local businesses to buy the requisite number of ads. We learned tonight that one business had not paid... yet.
I think they intend to pay. I don't know why they haven't paid. It could be the fact the theater department screwed up the ad the business paid for last year, but I doubt the business owner knows that. I think it's simply not at the top of the business' list of things to do.
So the money hasn't been turned in... yet. And the theater department texted the students tonight that they would be "kicked out" of the program if the money was not turned in tomorrow. Kicked out? Apparently.
I offered to pay for the following ad...
__HS Theater Teachers Suck
Why an ad critical of this bleeped up theater department? Many reasons, but the latest outrage is the self-important jerks running the department are forcing my child to sell ads or get tossed from their self-indulgent, tax funded program, designed for minimal teaching and maximum teacher gratification. They’re forcing my child to sell ads and threatening to kick my child out of the program because a business bought an ad and didn’t write a check on time? Well, this fully funded ad is what you get instead. Who, with the least bit of talent, would teach HS theater? No one. You Suck!
My wife simply wants to write the department a check. She'll prevail, like she always does, though I will do something stupid in retaliation when my child is beyond the school's reach. Years of built-up irritation demand it.
My question to Freepers is this... Is it legal for a public school to throw a kid out of an extracurricular program, which provides school credits, if the kid doesn't raise do enough fund-raising? Is there case law on this?
Thanks in advance for any responses.
I’d go with your idea. If your kid gets kicked out of the class then so what? It won’t be the end of the world.
Yep. Extracurricular activities can establish any criteria they want, so long as the same applies to all.
It is like asking if cheerleaders can be culled or band students cut for not participating in fund-raising.
In my day, we had car washes and the like to pay for our marching band travel expenses. Don't make the event, you are cut from band.
Since EXC events are not required you don't have a legal leg to stand on.
Senior prank
That was my attitude until my wife pointed out that it would inhibit the ability of my child to win a performing arts scholarship.
Except it's also a credit class.
I have a daughter that is in the arts. She has been in the pre-pro ballet training track for sometime. This is standard operating procedure for studios like hers. It varies, sometimes we are required to buy 15 tickets for a show. Sometimes we also have to buy an ad for the program. But all of this ‘fund raising’ is done for the studio, and for the ability to pay for the theater, and to put on the show. None of this is connected to a public school.
Is this an extraordinary school program that needs extra funds for costumes? Where is the money going? Usually for our studio, it is to pay for the use of the theater, and the stage crew. The public schools around here already have their own theaters. These types of requirements aren’t unheard of in the world of separate studios that do shows so the kids can get stage experience.
If it is the last year, pay up and be glad it will be the last of it.
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Still looking for the equivalent in Texas.
Of course arts are "necessary", in the abstract sense, but possible only in a dynamic economic envirenment. The trouble with "starving" artists is that the role beats real work requiring sarifice and effort, and none of the losers actually starve.
I am going to presume that a performing arts scholarship would require your child pursue a performing arts-related degree in college. If this is true, then what about the following questions:
I don't mean to sound condescending but to me the arts in general sounds like a career field where you have a very small handful of people make a lot of money, but 99.9% of everyone else ends up working high stress, low wage type work with no real financial reward for their troubles.
Is it really worth it to bend over backwards and give in when there is a good chance that there might be no real reward for the effort put in?
Here is the key word:
Extracurricular.
As in not required. As in beyond the curriculum...
In addition it is likely the activity isn’t fully taxpayer funded because its - extracurricular. It probably requires additional funding to function and without it the doors close. So if you want your child to participate in it either pony up the costs of your child’s participation yourself or sell the ads to cover the cost. Why is it you think you should get it for free?
I would consider the ‘fundraising’ as the cost for my child to participate. My sons were all in band...they sold candy bars and fruit. If you are opposed to the fundraising, perhaps you can offer to make an equivalent cash contribution. I do believe the music and arts programs very important to a well-rounded education...but if the school district doesn’t have the funds it’s got to come from somewhere or they’ll simply cut the programs.
I will say this...I never allowed them to participate in ‘general’ fundraising drives while in elementary school. I was adamantly opposed to the ‘hard sell’ assemblies held by the promoters where prizes are promised to the highest sellers.
Not when it comes to extracurricular activities.
If you want to participate you have to pull your own weight - at least to some degree...
According to the IRS, a group or club cannot require that a member participate in a fund-raiser nor require that each member raise a certain amount. In addition, the IRS stipulates that a member who does not participate in a fund-raiser would be entitled to the same benefits as those members who did participate.
So because you get credit for taking an extracurricular activity you demand it be free?
I agree completely. However, that's a separate point.
>>Except it’s also a credit class.<<
It is an OPTIONAL credit class. It isn’t like requiring getting credit or grades in History requires selling candy.
If all students do not need to participate then it is subject to whatever the district allows.
What sort of BS is that?
You think the IRS makes group/club participation rules and for that matter could enforce them?
Try that at the girl scouts, boy scouts, FFA or 4H. They are not charities.
Nope. It's just a public HS with self-important theater people. Is that redundant?
If it is the last year, pay up and be glad it will be the last of it
That's likely what will happen, though I'm just p---ed right now. I'm even more irritated that my kid when out and sold an additional ad tonight out of fear of the school, but won't collect until Thursday.
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