While not as popular as cutting out layers of useless administration, Boosterthon is on the list of things to be eliminated from the FCPS budget:
Attachments:

Where do you find that page? I looked but I must be a dumbass

Notice the conflicts between the contract and the two existing regulations. The 5810 was totally updated just last year.
Attachments:

Eliminating Boosterthon would not save FCPS a single penny. Notice how the proposal was written at a 6th grade grammar level and did not enumerate the actual savings.

https://fcps.uservoice.com/forums/302115-what-are-your-ideas-for-balancing-the-potential-1

Assume $13/hour for an hour of instructional time.

Assume 500 students in a school.

Assume 2 hours for Boosterthon.

Boosterthon consumes $13000 of instructional time at that school.

This is pretty clear, and then we have all of the other Boosterthon issues such as the $2000 fee, so the immediate cost of Boosterthon is $15000 at that school.

It adds up, people, it adds up.

Megan the Math Teacher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Assume $13/hour for an hour of instructional
> time.
>
> Assume 500 students in a school.
>
> Assume 2 hours for Boosterthon.
>
> Boosterthon consumes $13000 of instructional time
> at that school.
>
> This is pretty clear, and then we have all of the
> other Boosterthon issues such as the $2000 fee, so
> the immediate cost of Boosterthon is $15000 at
> that school.
>
> It adds up, people, it adds up.

Hi Megan the Math Teacher. Your math is good, but you are using false logic - a red herring, a slight of hand - a gimmick.

What we would like you to delineate is: how much money of that $15000 will NOT be spent by the school if Boosterthon is eliminated?

Guess what? The answer is: ALL of that $15000 will still be spent on "instructional time." The only difference is what the instructional time is used for.

You can argue about that all you want - but don't try to pretend eliminating Boosterthon will save any money.

b3Uhy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> https://fcps.uservoice.com/forums/302115-what-are-
> your-ideas-for-balancing-the-potential-1


This should be on page one of the Fcps website.

nonsequiter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Megan the Math Teacher Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Assume $13/hour for an hour of instructional
> > time.
> >
> > Assume 500 students in a school.
> >
> > Assume 2 hours for Boosterthon.
> >
> > Boosterthon consumes $13000 of instructional
> time
> > at that school.
> >
> > This is pretty clear, and then we have all of
> the
> > other Boosterthon issues such as the $2000 fee,
> so
> > the immediate cost of Boosterthon is $15000 at
> > that school.
> >
> > It adds up, people, it adds up.
>
> Hi Megan the Math Teacher. Your math is good, but
> you are using false logic - a red herring, a
> slight of hand - a gimmick.
>
> What we would like you to delineate is: how much
> money of that $15000 will NOT be spent by the
> school if Boosterthon is eliminated?
>
> Guess what? The answer is: ALL of that $15000
> will still be spent on "instructional time." The
> only difference is what the instructional time is
> used for.
>
> You can argue about that all you want - but don't
> try to pretend eliminating Boosterthon will save
> any money.


Megan's logic is fine, and your Latin is bad.

If the instructional hours are being used for fundraising, then they're not being used for instruction, are they?

It would seem Boosterthon's little scam is to cloak the fundraising in "character and leadership lessons." Here's where the scam falls apart. First of all, it has been discussed TO DEATH that the Boosterthon people are not credentialed teachers. Second, the lessons have most likely, NOT been "approved" by FCPS. Third, if FCPS feels the need for "more and better" "character and leadership lessons" they ought to contract for them from a reputable source for such, which Boosterthon is not-it is a fundraising company. Please show me how handing out prizes and talking to kids about getting pledges is instructional in nature.

Finally, and this still assumes that Boosterthon is "instructional" in nature, ALL of this should be through FCPS and NONE of it through PTA/PTO.

Character and leadership are taught at home and in the natural classroom and school and other activity environments. You don't need anything extra for that.

fdoihb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Character and leadership are taught at home and in
> the natural classroom and school and other
> activity environments. You don't need anything
> extra for that.

+1,000

A great argument AGAINST Boosterthon

Another Brick In The Wall Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> fdoihb Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Character and leadership are taught at home and
> in
> > the natural classroom and school and other
> > activity environments. You don't need anything
> > extra for that.
>
> +1,000
>
> A great argument AGAINST Boosterthon

Thank you.
My God they make this so difficult.

someone failed Latin… Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> If the instructional hours are being used for
> fundraising, then they're not being used for
> instruction, are they?

What does that have to do with saving FCPS any money? Will they OR will they not still spend that 15K? Answer: yes, that money will be spent.

> It would seem Boosterthon's little scam is to
> cloak the fundraising in "character and leadership
> lessons." Here's where the scam falls apart. First
> of all, it has been discussed TO DEATH that the
> Boosterthon people are not credentialed teachers.
> Second, the lessons have most likely, NOT been
> "approved" by FCPS. Third, if FCPS feels the need
> for "more and better" "character and leadership
> lessons" they ought to contract for them from a
> reputable source for such, which Boosterthon is
> not-it is a fundraising company. Please show me
> how handing out prizes and talking to kids about
> getting pledges is instructional in nature.
>
> Finally, and this still assumes that Boosterthon
> is "instructional" in nature, ALL of this should
> be through FCPS and NONE of it through PTA/PTO.

All this could be true - but your diversionary hand waving aside, the fact remains that eliminating Boosterthon would not "save" FCPS a single penny.

At this phase, it is not the point whether Boosterthon costs the schools money or not. The point is whether it is a good idea.

For me, the simple fact that the Boosterthon people sit with the kids and ask them questions is the deal killer for me. If they are hired, rightly or wrongly, to do this fun run, let them do that. But what makes it necessary to sit with the kids and ask questions? Let the Boosterthon people sit in an office or go somewhere offsite for lunch. They don't need to do this.

There are other things about it I don't like but unless and until there's a so-called "Chinese wall" between the kids and these people I am against it and I'd be hard pressed to up and change my mind.

Ewwww.

That's creepy, sitting with the kids, trying to act interested in them while all the time going at them to get more pledges.

IF Boosterthon comes to my kids' school I am going to insist on a reasonable opt out procedure OR I will take them out for the duration of Boosterthon. Since the school has no problem using up instructional hours for this, they can figure out a way to make up the kids' lost time in school. I don't want to worry about them being leaned on at lunch or recess by these people. In fact it makes me just a little sick.

Funny I don't see dance parties in any of the Boosterthon contracts posted here. How much do they cost? What music do they use? What lessons do they teach?

Fairview has given Boosterthon the boot, doing it all in-house this year. Same idea, just not paying a third party to handle it, instead relying on teachers and parent volunteers.