Parents pass hat to avoid teacher layoffs

AUSTIN — Soccer moms and housewives at the wealthy Eanes school district aren't willing to lose more teachers to the state's so-called Robin Hood school finance system.
....
"Our parents, who are frustrated that they aren't allowed to provide the educational services for their kids with their tax dollars, are frustrated to the point that they said 'we'll just have to do it our own way,'" Wellman said. "And that is from the outside through a foundation that isn't subject to the same recapture requirements."

Through the Eanes Education Foundation, school activists are hoping that parents will contribute $100 for each of their children enrolled at an Eanes school. About 7,000 students are enrolled in the district, which includes Westlake High School.
.....
Budget writers for the district estimate it will take about $1 million to offset the shortfall and avoid about 20 layoffs. So far, they've amassed more than $300,000.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3117141

nuff sed

and also how wonderful for these parents to do this.

In the district where I live, the parents have been paying for extra curricular activities and for counseling and foreign language classes for a couple years now.

to provide education for ALL children in their state.

but I think it's great that these parents are proactive enough to try to solve a problem without waiting for the state legislature to tackle it.

What about poor schools where parents can't or won't pay the $100. Where is community spirit when taxpayers don't pay together for the good of the schools. In some circles, there is just too much praying and not enough paying going on.

My brother-in-law used to work north of Houston in a really, really poor ISD. Kids would come to school with their shirts turned inside out because they were dirty and no one had the money to wash them or buy new ones. Those families don't have any disposable income to give to schools.

Perhaps all donations from any district should also be shared in the Robin Hood plan to prevent such wealth inequitable privatization.

It just supports a two tier system.

But I have to commend parents who are supportive enough to go above and beyond, especially when it comes to money for schools.

They are just not willing to wait for the state legislature to respond. In my state, that is the only way the per pupil expenditure can be raised.

You see this shit in every well-off district in the country. These are the exact same Yahoos who cry over their high tax bills, thereby creating the very shortfall they are "heroically" ameliorating.

but I could be wrong.

Kerry carried Travis county by 14 points last year. Doggett-D is their TX rep.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/elections/2004/tx/prescounties/

so that poor students get good education, too.

In Kansas, local school districts cannot raise taxes to increase per pupil spending. That can only be done by the state legislature. Districts can raise taxes to build new schools or remodel old ones but not to provide educational programs.

they are the elite... they have a moral obligation to help the needy.

There is a court case in progress right now to change the state funding formula.

just sporadic local initiatives.

watch.