Look. I know I'm cynical, but I'm just not comfortable using my credit card to pledge money to a private company that will then coerce my child to run laps around a gym while calling it a "Fun Run" in order to increase the amount of money said company 'gives' back to my child's school.
But I'm trying to keep an open mind.
Anyone out here ever heard of a company called "My Booster" or maybe "Boosterthon" (it's unclear)?
It's gobsmacking how many third party private companies are involved in public education in the US.
Why can't we just fund schools, pay teachers, and recognize scammy gimmicks for what they are???
@DrTCombs It be more effective to donate directly to the school.
@markstos I would much prefer to hand the teacher cold hard cash.
@DrTCombs
Many of us Swedes ask ourselves the same thing about our school system too. For-profit tax-funded charter schools that cities can't say no to in any way, basically.
But at least it increases segregation and reduces the chances at good lives for poors & POC.
/s
@DrTCombs
oh! and it increases kids getting driven in cars to schools, and thus increases traffic around schools etc. bad for everyone.
@Gurre yep, we're going through the same. it sucks and i hate it.
@DrTCombs when my nieces and nephews kids have school fundraising stuff, I instead ask them to ask what the teachers need for the classroom and buy that and a $25 Target gift card and ship it to the teacher. Direct action and no third party spyware.
@DrTCombs Sadly, well on their way to full privitization.
@DrTCombs Planet Money did an episode about this
@DrTCombs We do, but it is "for the kids" so we can always find ways to scam people out of more money no matter how much you give.
@DrTCombs it seems to me that too many people in countries like the US *don't actually want to pay for things*.
@DrTCombs @jay_peper Where’s the capitalism in that?
@DrTCombs Erm, no, but it stinks to high heaven. How much swag did they give the superintendent or the principal?
@geonz This question has crossed my mind.
@DrTCombs Tho' having been closer to the inside, the other huge factor is that b/c schools are horribly underfunded, nobody has resources to ... raise the money missing, so somebody doing it for you is tempting and they prob'ly sell it as "better than selling overpriced chocolate!" I want to figure out a way to teach the students creative credit card hacking.
@DrTCombs
Me:
'oh, fundraising thing, supposed to benefit thing I appreciate, huh.'
Also me:
'cuts check directly to recipient'
@cpm I would not be shocked to learn that's how this works.
Freak parents out enough and they will pay you to make it stop.
@DrTCombs I found choosebooster.com Seems like they offer school administrations the easy way to outsource fundraising. Found no clues how much they charge. They really try to project an image of good intentions. On the page about fitness fundraisers: ‘ It's a holistic approach to nurturing both the body and the mind!’
These are the people you are dealing with…
There are also requests to submit a video of my child talking about how much fun they are having and vague promises of a grand prize trip to Disney. As well as "epic character building experiences" along the way.
All I have to do is register my child, submit a headshot, enter my credit card information into a secure portal "that's just like what major banks use" use, authorize a random 3rd party to charge an undisclosed amount my said card based on how many laps they make my kid run.