Here is my reply to the Principal's message, which I shared in the previous post. Sadly, I have not received any further reply from the Principal. I haven't had anyone else contact me, despite having contacted many other school officials, newspaper journalists, and elected officials.
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Dear Ms. Levatino,
I sent my letter en` masse in order to make sure that this point-of-view is shared with everyone. I know that you alone don’t have the power to change the current system. Now the whole school, and maybe even the school board itself, can take this opportunity to find alternative means of gathering the necessary funds and supplies for our schools. I do see that I may have made an error in who I included in my mailing. I should have also passed this on to our Governor, Representatives, and Senators. Maybe a message like mine will encourage them to put more effort into focusing on our schools’ needs. I've pasted my original email below, for anyone who hasn't had a chance to read it.
I guess I didn’t express myself properly in regards to the number of fundraisers that have been sent home. When I say “fundraisers,” I am including school picture day, class shirts, “spirit nights,” yearbooks, “donations” to the class king and queen elections, and Scholastic Books, as well as the traditional sales. If the county is approving all of these fund raising measures, then I’m glad I sent my message to the school board as well. When my daughter is bringing home a new fundraiser before the prior one has even reached it's turn in date, I consider that bombardment.
I think Ms. Prichard is a very nice woman, and I’m happy having her as my daughter’s teacher. However, Willow was in tears over the postcard fundraiser, because, again, we cannot participate. It was when she told me “They’re just going to keep asking about it,” that I knew I could no longer sit back. It might not be anyone’s intention to pressure kids or make them feel inadequate but, no matter what is intended, the pressure IS there. Most kids at this age range want to please. They aren’t mentally or emotionally mature enough to grasp the difference between homework and a fundraiser. Both are delivered to them in the same way, in the same folders they bring their homework home in. Subconsciously, to them there is no difference.
In regards to the Sonic and Pizza Hut Spirit Nights, I know that no one is saying, “You HAVE to eat there today.” The pressure is passively applied, in the form of those stickers the kids wear home. Again, kids want to please. Add to that the thought of getting to eat at a restaurant, and you’ve got a child filled with excitement and anticipation. That then puts pressure on parents, who don’t want to have to tell their children, “No.” We tell them no, because we have to. It is my duty as a parent to raise my child with clear boundaries, so that she can grow to be a responsible adult. It is also my responsibility to stand up for my child when she is faced with a situation that is beyond her ability to deal with.
Pressure is not the only issue I have with the current fundraising methods. Prizes are offered, but there is an unfair advantage for students whose families have the money or resources to help them reach the goal. It is no different than if you held a race between a tricycle and race car. A child with no chance of winning is going to have their spirits dampened, if not crushed, when faced with those odds. Disadvantaged kids are eventually going to stop trying.The way fundraisers are run, kids aren't participating because they want to get more money for the school. They participate, because they want candy and pizza parties.
If I have misinterpreted something in regards to any of the individual projects, I would love to know what I have missed. I think that is very relevant to the topic at hand. In the case of the art project fundraiser, the instructions state that we could order or not, but that the art had to be returned. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if I am mistaken. The instructions, along with the way my child interprets them, are what matters. She gets to make a special piece of art that her parents can have printed on a mug or shirt or other such object. Then they get their nice little packet to give to mommy and daddy so they can buy the art they put so much work into, on an object with more prominence and importance than just a sheet of paper. Mommy and daddy can’t afford to buy anything, however, so their art has to be returned, not even given a chance to hang on the refrigerator. In their eyes, it is no different than if it had been thrown in the trash.
I, too, wish our schools were given the kind of funding they need. The way our government ignores the needs of our educators and children is shameful. I don’t deny that schools need outside help, to make up for the government’s neglect. I am not saying all attempts to make up for the deficiencies must be abandoned. What I am saying is that alternatives need to be explored. I can think of many ways our schools could get the things they need, without having to use so many fundraisers.
Have a book drive, and set up collection boxes at local businesses, grocery stores, and the Portland Library. It may be slow going, but it would increase the chances that someone who has books they could donate would know they were needed.
2. Make a more concerted effort to collect Box Tops For Education. My daughter's 1st grade teacher, Ms. Shrull, is they only one who has made any mention of collecting them.
3. Get the kids involved in being aware of the resources they use. Make recycling a priority, and get money for those recyclables.
4. Conserve copy paper. The majority of the homework pages my daughter brings home are blank on one side. Assignments from different lessons or subjects could co-exist on the same paper.
5. Reach out to more businesses, in an attempt to find people who can donate time or supplies. Maybe the school website could have a wish list that people could check on from time to time. Then, if someone has something the school needs, like an unused copier, you wouldn’t have to lease one every year. Or maybe local contractors would be willing to build new playground equipment if needed. Maybe a bouncy castle service might be willing to donate the use of one or two, in exchange for being able to display their name and contact info.
6. There are many websites that offer assistance to schools, in the form of discounts or donations. Here are a few I found just doing a quick Google search.
7. Ask students and parents to come up with suggestions that don’t involve fundraiser sales. Someone may come up with something no one else would think of. The possibilities are vast.
Finally, I would like to address this:
How you discuss fundraisers with your child is most certainly your parental decision. How you address fundraising will determine how your child handles it. You as well as all other families are in no way pressured to participate. It is all voluntary. We don’t set children up for disappointment. We are encouraging and positive. We are kind and considerate. I am sorry that your child is made to feel inadequate about fundraising but rest assured that does not come from school.
I discuss fundraising with my child with honesty. I tell her that while I wish we could help, and I know how much she wants those prizes, or to go out to eat, we can’t. In order to participate, we would have to take money away from other needs, like groceries, or a house to live in. What other way do you suggest I handle it? Am I supposed to lie to her? What kind of message does that teach my child?
In a way, it sounds like you are saying that if my child feels inadequate, my husband and I are at fault, for not having enough income to cover more than the necessities. My husband and I don’t live an extravagant lifestyle. We are striving to live within a budget that allows us to pay for our bills without defaulting or declaring bankruptcy. We are paying off debts we incurred when my husband lost his job and was unemployed for 6 months. We are paying off student loans, so that my husband could have a job that could support his family. We make sure our kids have a home to live in, water, electricity, clean clothes and shoes, and healthy food. We make do with one car, set the thermostat at 80 in the summer, and 60 in the winter. I go without new shoes or clothes, so that my kids can have clothes that fit and are in good repair. We hardly ever eat at restaurants, so that we can afford to buy milk, and fresh fruit and vegetables. We went on the first vacation we’ve had in years, because it was my father’s dying wish, and his life insurance was able to pay for it. We are doing our best to be responsible adults and set a good example for our children. We are not the ones telling our kids they can have a prize, if they can get someone to pay for whatever product is being used to raise funds. We teach our kids to be resourceful, and find ways to get what they want without spending money. If they do want something that costs money, we teach them to be wise about their purchases.
For students with families in situations similar to ours, your encouragement is a pressure to do something that they are unable to do. If you are positive, you are giving children like mine false hopes. I offer solutions that would teach kids valuable lessons, while helping their school, which you seem to have overlooked. I am not saying you should stop all fundraisers all together. That would be unreasonable, and prohibit schools from paying for much needed resources. However, there is no reason why alternative measures couldn’t be explored, to try to defray costs. Then students wouldn’t have to be relied upon so heavily.
I am very sympathetic to the situation our schools are in. I hope you could extend the same courtesy to families like mine. Many parents I know choose not to say anything, because we know that our schools are struggling and desperately need funds. Someone needs to stand up for us, though. Even if I am the only one who raises their voice, I hope my words can help bring some balance and perspective to a situation that is difficult for everyone.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nicole Gessner
I do not want to see this swept under the rug. There is no reason for the schools to continue on as they have. I have offered reasonable suggestions that would not only reduce the burden on parents, but would also turn a necessary part of keeping our schools running into an educational, character building experience for children. The current method does nothing but teach kids that money is all that is important and to look out for #1 if you want to win a prize. The current method does nothing to help parents make our schools better, if the parents are unable to help in that way. We DO want to help our schools, and we want to teach our kids to be responsible members of their community, and respectful of their classmates and educators. If Ms Levatino is sincere in her desire to provide for her students, and get parents involved in their children's education, then she should take my message to heart. If she refuses to even consider that what I have to say has any validity, then I will continue to contact anyone else who has the power and position to assist me in my attempt to make things better for our schools, our teachers, and us parents.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nicole R. Gessner
112 Hillcreek Ct.
Portland, TN, 37148
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