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Still hoping to hear back from @KentuckyPTA on the findings reported in this story, which was published in the @courierjournal today.
In the meantime, just a few notes to add to this conversation. 1/ https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2020/10/06/jcps-pta-money-favors-predominately-white-schools-kentucky-records-show/3624570001/
In the meantime, just a few notes to add to this conversation. 1/ https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/education/2020/10/06/jcps-pta-money-favors-predominately-white-schools-kentucky-records-show/3624570001/
ONE: The scrutiny of PTA budgets is not new.
See this 2017 report from @EdProgress, which found PTAs’ revenues have almost tripled since the mid-1990s, reaching over $425 million in 2010: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2017/04/08/428484/hidden-money/
See this 2017 report from @EdProgress, which found PTAs’ revenues have almost tripled since the mid-1990s, reaching over $425 million in 2010: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/education-k-12/reports/2017/04/08/428484/hidden-money/
TWO: The disparities among PTAs, though stark in Louisville, are even greater elsewhere.
One D.C. elementary school brought in $1.39 million in a single school year! Read more in this 2017 story from @amatos12: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-parent-groups-in-northwest-dc-raise-thousands-for-schools/2017/04/12/22d42ef2-1f94-11e7-a0a7-8b2a45e3dc84_story.html
One D.C. elementary school brought in $1.39 million in a single school year! Read more in this 2017 story from @amatos12: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/study-parent-groups-in-northwest-dc-raise-thousands-for-schools/2017/04/12/22d42ef2-1f94-11e7-a0a7-8b2a45e3dc84_story.html
THREE: This information is often hidden from public view (hence the Louisville lawsuit). For its study, @EdProgress had to comb through IRS filings.
NYC stands out for requiring schools to aggregate and release fundraising data, per @ChalkbeatNY: https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2019/12/2/21113658/find-out-how-much-your-school-s-pta-raises-or-doesn-t#PTA%20chart
NYC stands out for requiring schools to aggregate and release fundraising data, per @ChalkbeatNY: https://ny.chalkbeat.org/2019/12/2/21113658/find-out-how-much-your-school-s-pta-raises-or-doesn-t#PTA%20chart
FOUR: Some have argued that non-Title I schools need to raise a lot via PTAs to account for the extra $ poor schools get that they don't ...
That argument flatly contradicts the intent of Title I. (That's a thread for another day.)
That argument flatly contradicts the intent of Title I. (That's a thread for another day.)
FIVE: No one I've interviewed has argued that PTAs shouldn't exist. They've argued in favor of more transparency.
Other ideas floated:
-pairing strong/weak PTAs from different schools
-giving baseline funding to all PTAs
Other ideas floated:
-pairing strong/weak PTAs from different schools
-giving baseline funding to all PTAs
LASTLY: As stated in my story, PTAs are far from the only groups that raise money to benefit schools. Many alumni and booster groups are involved in this, too.
More on that to come, hopefully sooner rather than later, via @courierjournal.
More on that to come, hopefully sooner rather than later, via @courierjournal.
UPDATE:
