West Johnston Band Parents

OK, i'll give you that one:lol: My vote always goes to the kids that try to do something positive in their lives. No they're not all perfect, but at least you know where they are a lot of the time.

 

:lol:...Too funny, bandmom! A parent from Triple S told me their's was $450.00. Anyway, we have a great band that we all can be proud of....and BPA committees that work really, really hard. Some work very hard at making flags, and for that they should be proud! Others work hard at strong-arming parents into paying money they may not be able to afford, and for that they should be ashamed.

It's not the money that bothers me, it's the way they go about getting it that does...

 

Although I appreciate the desire to use tax dollars to improve the academic experience of all children, I also support the idea of enriching childrens lives...broadening their perspectives....and introducing them to the concept that there is more to the world than what is in their own backyard.

I teach EC in Johnston County...my students are severely developmentally delayed...but I truly appreciate that my tax dollars go to fund their trips to museums, fire departments, and McDonalds....the world is an amazing place and all children.. band geeks, jocks, preps, goths, children who at the age of 10 see the world through the eyes of a 1 year old, etc etc etc....can enrich their problem solving skills, social awareness, etc through these life experiences...

 

Stinger....you're right...the approach taken by some members of this and other band parent programs that I have been involved in is not always the most sensitive, empathetic, or for that matter, appropriate. However, sadly enough, people like this don't limit themselves to BPA activities...they are everywhere...they work at the DMV, they zip in front of us in parking lots to get the best space, they teach our children, they are everywhere.....I constantly have to remind myself and try to raise my children to believe that somehow by being a better person....by smiling and rising above the situation.....by knowing deep inside, as if I have some secret that they just don't know....I can make the experience a good one....I can undo some of the bad by focusing on the good...

 

yes I understand that the socio-economic experiment that can only be achieved by the public school bureaucracy......tarnish the thought that their is more cost effective way to a better education.

 

Huh? Yesterday you applauded the BPA arm-buster tactics, and now you're saying we should just look past it? You say that these kinds of people exist everywhere? They teach our children? Hmmm...I don't remember my kid ever getting a threatening phone call from a teacher about her homework. They work at the DMV? Funny, I don't recall ever seeing two DMV workers throwing punches in the parking lot of their office. No dee, people like some of those in the BPA are not everywhere.

 

Well - come on, lets compare apples to apples.........nuf said


[/quote] It's not the money that bothers me, it's the way they go about getting it that does...[/quote]

I agree that phone calls and threats should not have to be made. But it is appalling (given you have experienced this situation) that you would come on this public forum and encourage others NOT to pay or even attempt to meet their fair share.

Do you have suggestions as to better ways to get parents to participate and help the BPA meet its financial responsibilities for the program?

 

It's impossible to imagine our children growing up and resolving their problems in a peaceful mature manner when I have gone out of my way to post non-confrontational discussion, and the response provided is so negative and disrespectful. How can our children learn if we cannot set the example?

I have read these boards for months and wanted to be a part of the community and contribute...but as with so many other discussions here, it is seemingly impossible to maintain a positive exchange of ideas without a negative, defensive tone.

Whether it is church, band, or a variety of other community oriented topics, I see a pefectly good opportunity for people here to build relationships...but instead choose to bring discord. Back into lurking mode for me Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

yeah, cut the expenses... do the kids at Triple S not get the same "rich" experience that they do at West?

 

Honestly I don't know that much about their program or their director, so I can't comment on that. But I do think they're about 1/2 the size of our band (200 kids) so if their 'fee' is 450.00, then we're not that far off on our expenses compared to theirs.

 

I never said they shouldn't, I said they didn't have to. Over the past four years, I personally know of three students who left the band because their parents couldn't afford the fee that the BPA wants you to pay. Two got harrassing phone calls from BPA members and one had their child approached at Band Camp by a member of some BPA committee.

I am not suirprised that a member of the BPA doesn't want the truth to be told. You've come on a public forum and told everyone what it is about my behavior you find appaling. Shall I go on the same forum and tell everyone the BPA behavior that I find appaling?...

 

And yet, you did anyway. :lol:

 

Doesn't matter what size the band is...if the expenses are the same per member,, then the fee would be the same.

Their expenses at SSS are much lower if they have half the students and are charging less than half the fee that WJHS does. For the total gross expenses to be the same, then SSS would need to be charging approximately twice as much as WJ does, if they have half the members but want the same dollar amount.

 

For some of the expenses that is how it works. But if West needs twice as many buses, meals, hotel rooms, instruments, uniforms etc, those fees do not decrease.

 

Where did I comment about their program or director? I was comparing SSS to West as in size.

 

:lol: C'mon now, I've heard women say that size doesnt matter!:lol:

P.S. They've never said that to me, of course...

 

Do the math. If they need twice as many buses, meals, etc., because they have twice as many students, then the cost per student is the same.

If SSS has 200 students at $450 per student, that totals $90,000. If WJHS has twice the expense, that would be $180,000, and twice the students, divide 180,000 by 400 and you get $450 per student. If they are charging 950 per student, the total is $380,000, more than twice as much per student.

 

But with some things you can't divide like that, such as buses, you can only get 'x' amount of students on a bus. So if you have to have more buses, the cost does not go down. You can only put 4 kids in a hotel room, when you add students, you have to have more rooms.

One of the biggest expenses are the additional instruments! Never knew instruments cost so much...I'm in the wrong business! :lol:

 

Now it seems to me I remember my kid fleecing me for EXTRA money on top of the Fair Share because they needed to pay for their own meals while on these trips. And speaking of hotel rooms, I can remember at least three times my daughter stayed at churches or gyms for no expense. And of course, there was the huge fund-raising campaign for the Presidential Inauguration. I admit that that was a once in a lifetime experience for these kids, but something always bugged me about the EXTRA money that we had to put in on top of the Fair Share...

 

why does that little part of my conscience tell me that perhaps Triple S does not travel in the same style that West does.....hmmmm