Hopefully this clears up some confusion about how the contract between FCPS and Booster Enterprises (contract #4400003780) relates to Boosterthons controlled instead by PTA/O-Booster contracts (it doesn't).

Attachments:

I guess now that Zuluaga is back from Korea he can sort of do some work. I wonder what got him off his butt to write this?

In any case, it does not help. The Boosterthon situation is a mess.

What is the date on this letter?

There isn't any relationship between the FCPS contract and any PTA/O Boosterthon contract. That was already pointed out several times.
Agree that if a child's parents approve the use of a video, that is their decision.
There should not be any PTA/O Boosterthon contracts. Any fundraiser involving the children is supposed to be sponsored by the school system, using their contract.

We gave Booster the boot, doing it ourselves this year. Keep it all internal within the PTA with volunteers. Keep all the money raised, no fees going to outside orgs.

Zulu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What is the date on this letter?

Less than 6 months ago.

> That was already pointed out several times.

AFIK, that was only me who pointed it out, and I hadn't yet provided confirmation.

> There should not be any PTA/O Boosterthon contracts.

There's "should" - and then there's....

Fairview parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We gave Booster the boot,

I almost certainly missed some posts, but this year's tally so far this year:

Fairview - dropped
Poplar Tree - dropped

Eagle View - PTA-sponsored
Willow Springs - PTA-sponsored
Kings Park - PTA-sponsored
Kings Glen - PTA-sponsored

Keene Mill - School-sponsored

NewHorizon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Zulu Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What is the date on this letter?
>
> Less than 6 months ago.
>
> > That was already pointed out several times.
>
> AFIK, that was only me who pointed it out, and I
> hadn't yet provided confirmation.
>
> > There should not be any PTA/O Boosterthon
> contracts.
>
> There's "should" - and then there's....
>
> Fairview parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We gave Booster the boot,
>
> I almost certainly missed some posts, but this
> year's tally so far this year:
>
> Fairview - dropped
> Poplar Tree - dropped
>
> Eagle View - PTA-sponsored
> Willow Springs - PTA-sponsored
> Kings Park - PTA-sponsored
> Kings Glen - PTA-sponsored
>
> Keene Mill - School-sponsored


I said "should" not be any parent contracts for a reason. FCPS simply cannot read their own regulations, and there are no consequences if they don't. Nobody is held accountable for not following policy.

They should be disciplined if they ignore policy.

Zulu Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NewHorizon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Zulu Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > What is the date on this letter?
> >
> > Less than 6 months ago.
> >
> > > That was already pointed out several times.
> >
> > AFIK, that was only me who pointed it out, and
> I
> > hadn't yet provided confirmation.
> >
> > > There should not be any PTA/O Boosterthon
> > contracts.
> >
> > There's "should" - and then there's....
> >
> > Fairview parent Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > We gave Booster the boot,
> >
> > I almost certainly missed some posts, but this
> > year's tally so far this year:
> >
> > Fairview - dropped
> > Poplar Tree - dropped
> >
> > Eagle View - PTA-sponsored
> > Willow Springs - PTA-sponsored
> > Kings Park - PTA-sponsored
> > Kings Glen - PTA-sponsored
> >
> > Keene Mill - School-sponsored
>
>
> I said "should" not be any parent contracts for a
> reason. FCPS simply cannot read their own
> regulations, and there are no consequences if they
> don't. Nobody is held accountable for not
> following policy.
>
> They should be disciplined if they ignore policy.

ANY principal allowing PTA/PTO to do this should not only be fired, but the cost of school resources used to execute the PTA/PTO contract should be deducted from their final pay.

They only get fired if they have sex with kids. They can steal money, waste money, break regulations, treat parents and kids like crap. They will still have a job. They will not even be disciplined. Nobody will even talk to them. Or to you.

Boosterthon is a valid alternative. Not the only fundraising method - maybe not the best - but certainly not the worst. It is very intolerant to categorically impose the anti-Boosterthon view as the only path to fundraising. Cleary people love Boosterthon. Hurts doesn't it?

For sure, the PTA/PTO officials getting free trips to Atlanta (and who knows what else) love Boosterthon. Not sure who else does-there are a lot of complaints about it, and the company is certainly no model of transparency.

I'll bet that if a close look were taken at the "moms and educators" involved in preparing the Boosterthon "lessons" there'd be a lot less love.

GmNYy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boosterthon is a valid alternative. Not the only
> fundraising method - maybe not the best - but
> certainly not the worst. It is very intolerant to
> categorically impose the anti-Boosterthon view as
> the only path to fundraising. Cleary people love
> Boosterthon. Hurts doesn't it?

If parents are "intolerant" of hiring a for-profit company for the purpose of hyping our children into being as lucrative as possible, it isn't a bad thing.

Fairview parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We gave Booster the boot, doing it ourselves this
> year. Keep it all internal within the PTA with
> volunteers. Keep all the money raised, no fees
> going to outside orgs.

Report back and let us know how it works out. Our school raised a lot of money with Boosterthon and the PTA doesn't think it could be matched by a PTA led funrun.

Craigwilliams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fairview parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We gave Booster the boot, doing it ourselves
> this
> > year. Keep it all internal within the PTA with
> > volunteers. Keep all the money raised, no fees
> > going to outside orgs.
>
> Report back and let us know how it works out. Our
> school raised a lot of money with Boosterthon and
> the PTA doesn't think it could be matched by a PTA
> led funrun.

Did your school factor in the cost of instructional hours consumed by Boosterthon? Please go do that calculation and report back. Thanks.

Did your school check the credentials of the Boosterthon people? Did they verify their background checks? Important steps, were they taken-or not?

Thanks again.

Craigwilliams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Our school raised a lot of money with Boosterthon and
> the PTA doesn't think it could be matched by a PTA
> led funrun.

And that's what they said at Mills Run ES PTA (Cary, NC):
"One big concern the Board has is that if we don’t do Boosterthon next year, a direct donation fundraiser, or any other fundraiser, will not bring in as much money for the school as Boosterthon has."
http://millsparkpta.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/PTA-minutes-110212.docx

This year, they dropped it. See "Why aren’t we fundraising with Boosterthon this year?" at
http://millsparkpta.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Take-Stock-FAQs.pdf

Fortunately, for some PTAs, $$$$ isn't the #1 priority.
" A PTA or PTSA is not a moneymaking or money-raising organization." -Virginia PTA

Nobody factors in the cost of the missed instructional time because they assert that whoever calculated that is mixed up, yet can they come up with a better cost estimate? Hell no! They just don't want to admit it.

It is what it is. About $13 per hour per child. About $13,000 per hour for a school with 1,000 kids. That is your overhead when you do stuff during instructional time. That is what should be deducted from the paycheck of any principal who allows this.

You allow schools to do fundraisers during the school day and everything will revolve around the fundraisers. Mark my words. If there is money to be made, that will take priority. Catered luncheons, fancy dinners, travel to conferences for all. Here we go. Once you open that box there is no shutting it. Their whole goal will be to come up with new fundraising ideas. They will have to increase the admin staff to handle this.

Mt. Vernon Travel (one of their approved travel vendors) would love this. A major windfall for them.

Craigwilliams Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fairview parent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > We gave Booster the boot, doing it ourselves
> this
> > year. Keep it all internal within the PTA with
> > volunteers. Keep all the money raised, no fees
> > going to outside orgs.
>
> Report back and let us know how it works out. Our
> school raised a lot of money with Boosterthon and
> the PTA doesn't think it could be matched by a PTA
> led funrun.

Mills Park Elementary did a parent survey and they said they would support a direct donation. So the PTA is trying that instead of Boosterthon. It's not going very well and now the PTA is introducing prizes to help. Proves a point that if parents would step up PTAs wouldn't have to do product sales or fun runs, but parents won't step up. From the Mills Park website:

"There are only 4 days left (including today). Thank you to the 325 families and staff who have donated. We are at 52% of our goal!

Each family that donates by our Oct. 2nd deadline will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad mini 2! The winner will be chosen on Oct. 5th and notified by email.

Also, for our final week, we are introducing a friendly grade level competition. The class with the highest percent participation per grade will receive a visit from Millie and a special morning treat!"

Schools need Boosterthon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Craigwilliams Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Fairview parent Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > We gave Booster the boot, doing it ourselves
> > this
> > > year. Keep it all internal within the PTA
> with
> > > volunteers. Keep all the money raised, no
> fees
> > > going to outside orgs.
> >
> > Report back and let us know how it works out.
> Our
> > school raised a lot of money with Boosterthon
> and
> > the PTA doesn't think it could be matched by a
> PTA
> > led funrun.
>
> Mills Park Elementary did a parent survey and they
> said they would support a direct donation. So the
> PTA is trying that instead of Boosterthon. It's
> not going very well and now the PTA is introducing
> prizes to help. Proves a point that if parents
> would step up PTAs wouldn't have to do product
> sales or fun runs, but parents won't step up. From
> the Mills Park website:
>
> "There are only 4 days left (including today).
> Thank you to the 325 families and staff who have
> donated. We are at 52% of our goal!
>
> Each family that donates by our Oct. 2nd deadline
> will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad mini
> 2! The winner will be chosen on Oct. 5th and
> notified by email.
>
> Also, for our final week, we are introducing a
> friendly grade level competition. The class with
> the highest percent participation per grade will
> receive a visit from Millie and a special morning
> treat!"

I've made it VERY CLEAR to my school's principal that Boosterthon, if it comes, must come with an opt out mechanism allowing opted out kids to continue their education with no interruption; in other words, take the non opted out kids elsewhere for Boosterthon.

If they can't or won't do this, I fully expect the school to cover the cost of tutoring, as my kids WON'T BE IN SCHOOL DURING THE TRAVESTY OF BOOSTERTHON.

how did that turn out for you

that may be the stupidest thing i have every heard. Sounds like you are an absent parent

What do these PTAs need so badly that they'd allow this interruption to highly scrutinized and implemented curriculum by some of the best yet beaten down educators? The hype building-wide and the lust for poor quality prizes make students rabid and hard to manage both at school and at home during these 10 days. If you can't pay for what you need, maybe you don't need it, PTA? Work with what you have and keep focused on uninterrupted instructional time? Run around with college kids and pop music somewhere else and another place. We won't have it at my kids' elementary school. Too many lawsuits flying around associated with FCPSs and this company. Besides, this looks shady and actionable to me: Connie Goodman is a retiring principal who quits caring several years before leaving. She allows this mess in her school. New and young PTA pres loves it because of the money that pours in. It's a trick though, the instructional time is compromised, teachers have no idea what's going on nor the schedule but they maintain best they can for TEN days, and the building is high jacked by college kids ramping up the students. Then it makes parents mad when they find out they are paying because they didn't know Boosterthon fixes the run so everyone finishes all the laps. Goodman retires and Richardson enters with young PTA president in place and he is blindsided by this ridiculous mess. She has the nerve to accept an all expenses paid trip to Atlants on them and to talk about Boosterthon in FCPS. Then Richardson hires her to work at White Oaks? Rookie mistakes and actionable. Now stop it.

An excellent critique of Boosterthon can be found here:

http://prettynerdymommy.blogspot.com/2012/10/but-what-about-children.html

There is a special place in hell for those who abuse and exploit children.

Boosterthon Critic Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> An excellent critique of Boosterthon can be found
> here:
>
> http://prettynerdymommy.blogspot.com/2012/10/but-w
> hat-about-children.html
>
> There is a special place in hell for those who
> abuse and exploit children.


Did you catch the Soviot and Romeny?

Not only will Chris Carneal go to hell, he will receive special torment there.

I Wrote:

> Hopefully this clears up some confusion abouthow the contract between
> FCPS and Booster Enterprises... relates to Boosterthons controlled instead
> by PTA/O-Booster contracts (it doesn't).

So then if the FCPS-Booster contract doesn't apply to PTA/O Boosterthons, is a PTA/O Boosterthon on an FCPS campus during normal school hours still a school-sponsored event?

I read the response I received from the FCPS Community Use of Facilities Coordinator to say that this is a scenario that shouldn't happen.

"The current version of 1370 states that principals should ensure that fundraising activities do not interfere with the instructional day. If a fundraiser does occur during the school day, it would be considered a school sponsored activity. The PTA/PTO can support the activity, but it should be sponsored by the school.

FCPS responds to the question of what it costs to support fully-staffed schools during Boosterthons.

From the reply attached, it seems highly unlikely that FCPS would ever see the discontinuance of Boosterthons as a budget-saving measure as was suggested at:
https://fcps.uservoice.com/forums/302115-what-are-your-ideas-for-balancing-the-potential-1/suggestions/8911870-dscontinue-boosterthon-until-it-has-been-analyzed
Attachments:

Where is this, it is not on the link you provide.

Did you write to them, and did they respond? I have written them about the same thing, and they have not responded.

Any info much appreciated…

Let's just hope Kurzenhauser gets elected, he'll stomp Boosterthon!

The attachment is what I scanned in from a hard copy of a response FCPS sent to me. Private-message me if you'd like more info.

NewHorizon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I Wrote:
>
> > Hopefully this clears up some confusion abouthow
> the contract between
> > FCPS and Booster Enterprises... relates to
> Boosterthons controlled instead
> > by PTA/O-Booster contracts (it doesn't).
>
> So then if the FCPS-Booster contract doesn't apply
> to PTA/O Boosterthons, is a PTA/O Boosterthon on
> an FCPS campus during normal school hours still a
> school-sponsored event?
>
> I read the response I received from the FCPS
> Community Use of Facilities Coordinator to say
> that this is a scenario that shouldn't happen.
>
> "The current
> version of 1370 states that principals should
> ensure that fundraising activities do not
> interfere with the instructional day. If a
> fundraiser does occur during the school day, it
> would be considered a school sponsored activity.
> The PTA/PTO can support the activity, but it
> should be sponsored by the school.


They had to be told the stuff in green. By a citizen.

OK they haven't calculated the costs, because they say teachers are not idle while actively supervising this non-instructional activity, so it is not a problem???????

And they barely have time to teach kids to sign their name.

They are so mixed up.

lkjughd Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK they haven't calculated the costs, because they
> say teachers are not idle while actively
> supervising this non-instructional activity, so it
> is not a problem???????

It's not unusual for teachers/staff to supervise "non-instructional activity" at various times during normal school hours. No school is 100% bell-to-bell instruction, of course.

But supervising a third-party (PTA/O) fundraiser without perceiving this as something supported financially by tax payers is where the "mix up" (to put it mildly) lies.

Seems like a reasonable reply. Your argument all along was and is specious.

DepTK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seems like a reasonable reply. Your argument all
> along was and is specious.


Specious?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=specious

superficially plausible, but actually wrong.

fcpsgrad Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> http://lmgtfy.com/?q=specious
>
> superficially plausible, but actually
> wrong.


Smart ass. Cute.

And what about the children? Without the FCPS-Booster contract in force for a PTA Boosterthon, what agreements are in place between FCPS and Booster to ensure their physical safety?

FCPS's answer? There are none - we just let the principals and PTAs know about the noncontrolling(!) FCPS contract, hope that PTAs do something, and call it a day.

This is a lawsuit just waiting to happen - defended at taxpayer expense.

No matter which side of the Boosterthon issue you're on, surely it's appropriate to ensure our children's safety (and conserve our tax dollars) better than this...?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/2015 02:19PM by NewHorizon.
Attachments:

When Garza goes, no one will care what Lockard thinks.

NewHorizon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GmNYy Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Boosterthon is a valid alternative. Not the
> only
> > fundraising method - maybe not the best - but
> > certainly not the worst. It is very intolerant
> to
> > categorically impose the anti-Boosterthon view
> as
> > the only path to fundraising. Cleary people
> love
> > Boosterthon. Hurts doesn't it?
>
> If parents are "intolerant" of hiring a for-profit
> company for the purpose of hyping our children
> into being as lucrative as possible, it isn't a
> bad thing.

You mean like Innisbrook, Sally Foster, and World's Finest Chocolate?

NewHorizon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> lkjughd Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > OK they haven't calculated the costs, because
> they
> > say teachers are not idle while actively
> > supervising this non-instructional activity, so
> it
> > is not a problem???????
>
> It's not unusual for teachers/staff to supervise
> "non-instructional activity" at various times
> during normal school hours. No school is 100%
> bell-to-bell instruction, of course.
>
> But supervising a third-party (PTA/O) fundraiser
> without perceiving this as something supported
> financially by tax payers is where the "mix up"
> (to put it mildly) lies.


Keep on it, New Horizon. The new fundraising regulation draft says anything during the school day has to be school-sponsored. Meaning, on an FCPS contract. And why are we using taxpayer-funded instructional time to raise money? Those kids should be in class. That is what we pay for.

Meals Tax Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> NewHorizon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > If parents are "intolerant" of hiring a
> for-profit
> > company for the purpose of hyping our children
> > into being as lucrative as possible, it isn't a
> > bad thing.
>
> You mean like Innisbrook, Sally Foster, and
> World's Finest Chocolate?

You mean no parent in their right mind should have any objection to any of this: https://youtu.be/_XS6JbtdG74 ?

This may very well be a good reason to get rid of PTA and fundraisers altogether. Plus, how is this even compliant with ONE FAIRFAX?

354675468 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Meaning, on an FCPS contract.

Not anywhere close to ideal, of course, but a small improvement because the FCPS-Booster contract is more stringent than Booster's boilerplate contract which PTAs and PTOs typically just up and sign.

FCPS-Booster contract: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/cregister/ContractDetails.aspx?contractNumber=4400003780 - with amendment 2 adding more controls.

... And a fairly typical contract between Booster and schools/PTAs/PTOs was posted in its entirety to this Facebook page a while back: http://bit.ly/2dHGU2j



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2017 08:11PM by NewHorizon.