Friday, September 30, 2011

On the other hand

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't see it listed on their PTA site. Sounds like a security and parking nightmare.

Anonymous said...

Is the system charging these venders as they do afterschool programs that aren't run by teachers?

LaLaMeeka Chadwalli said...

Me wonders if I'll get paid in the same jumbo sized dollars as in the pictures? Bet there are some Salmon P. Chase bills out there or even a good ol Woodrow Wilson that I can exchange for my gold. Pullin my fillins out right now, I am.

Anonymous said...

Is this for real?? This will be going on while students are there?? Baffling!

Anonymous said...

This is not how our schools should be used, especially when children are in the schools. Who approved this? They need to go!

Anonymous said...

Speaking of cash for gold, do any of the other high schools charge students for parking?

Lakeside is charging students for a spot in a taxpayer funded, splost embellished new parking lot!

This appears to be a continued effort to make the Valhalla Project dream of Principal Reed
a reality.

We are surprised students are not yet charged a desk rental fee, book fee, air conditioning fee...

Jim and Ben

Anonymous said...

@ANON 2:20 - Chamblee Charter High School has charged around $40 per year for student parking for several years.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 2:20pm, we thank you for your input. Glad LHS was not singled out for pay-for-parking!

Jim and Ben

Cerebration said...

Actually, when it comes down to it - this is a fundraiser. At least part of the profits go to the school. But it's a fine line. How far do we go to generate money for schools? Bake sales? Car washes? Miss Lakeside competition? A fun run? Cash for gold? Cell towers? A penny sales tax?

Cerebration said...

BTW Jim, to which fund does the parking fee go? If 100 students each pay $40 that's $4000. 200 students = $8000. Didn't Lakeside have an issue with a bookkeeper embezzling money not too long ago? Another slippery slope.

Cerebration said...

Also, the money legally can't go to the Foundation - a 501(c)3 - that would be big trouble. Anyone donating to the Foundation needs to make that personal choice and be offered a tax receipt for their donation. Charging for parking at a publicly funded lot would be extortion I do believe.

Cerebration said...

All in all - I beg to differ with those who are against this fundraiser. How can this be 'bad' and charging for parking ok? Or charging to watch a beauty contest ok? Or leasing out land to a for-profit corporation ok?

Anonymous said...

All students in DCSS are charged $40/year or $20/semester for parking.

Anonymous said...

This is bad public policy. Health organizations in Bulgaria have done studies on the brain-mashing radiation emissions from gold fillings in unsuspecting children. Sign a petition at www.getthefilloutatl.blogspot.org

Cerebration said...

I actually like this idea! I think we'll have a Cash for Gold fundraiser for the blog! Anyone want to donate grampa's teeth?

Ah - just a little Friday fun!

Anonymous said...

the school itself as a 509 a under IRS code may charge for parking and keep the money in local funds which are separate from the foundation. Nonprofit foundations may generate unrelated income and pay taxes on that income. In the past gift and food sales have been claimed successfully as unrelated income but are subject audit.

Anonymous said...

sorry i meant to say related income and not subject to tax

Anonymous said...

I've heard that this has gone on at several schools and that the persons shown on the poster are employees at a DeKalb middle school. I don't know how much or where the donation goes. From what I was told many people are upset as this does create a poor image for the schools. Will teachers be selling their blood to buy supplies soon?

Anonymous said...

I don't agree that this is ok to as a fundraiser during school hours. Basically any body could walk in off the street to sell their gold. I would be very upset if this was my school. I don't know anything about paying for parking...but I don't see these as the same types of fundraisers in the least. Again, I would be very concerned about the type of people that could be coming in to the school.

Anonymous said...

We have no direct ties to LHS but we keep our ears open to topics of interest. We thank you all for the feedback on the LHS parking fee issue.

But on to bigger and "better" things. Granting an outside entity use of the school property as a temporary place of business, whether or not funds are "donated" back to the hosting school is setting a potentially costnly precident.

If we were to petition the school to host our business on their property for a day and agree to donate a portion of our proceeds to the school, how could the school say "no" since they had granted another company use of the facilities??

Hypothetically, if we were denied such access, we may have grounds for a lawsuit!

Just something else that has lowered the already bottomed out reputation of DCSS!

Selling your gold is not like bringing in your aluminum cans for recycling!

Jim and Ben

Atlanta Media Guy said...

Can we chalk this up as one of the first moves by Dr. Atkinson? What does Dr. Atkinson know about this and when did she know about it?

One thing for sure, if Mosley and/or Freeman allowed this to happen they should both be fired immediately!

One other question, has the 100 Black Men of DeKalb moved out of McNair High School yet? How much do they pay for rent at McNair

No Duh said...

It's my understanding the parking fees are handed over to the County. Not sure to whom, but the fees are neither determined by LHS nor retained by LHS. Now, exactly what DCSS does with the funds would be a matter to ask Marcus Turk.

Cerebration said...

ok - so $4000 x 20 high schools = $80,000 minimum.

Is that money 'earmarked' for anything?

Also, how far down the slippery slope is it until some school goes here:

Charter school accused of becoming adult club at night in Miami-Dade

or here -

Coconut Grove charter school owner accused of bilking taxpayers

Paula Caldarella said...

A bit of good news for ICS stakeholders...they apparently have been given the go-ahead to use the old Medlock ES building.

Cerebration said...

That is truly wonderful news!! They will be a great asset to that neighborhood!

Anonymous said...

Are you sure this isn't somebody's idea of a joke?

There is one way to find out if it is OK to have a fundraiser of this type on school property during school hours. Check the Board Policy Manual.

Anonymous said...

Dunwoody Mom and Cerebration - You are correct. Check out Monday night's agenda: https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/Meetings/ViewMeetingOrder.aspx?S=4054&MID=17931
A Letter of Intent for International Community School to lease the Medlock schoolhouse will be presented to the Board, and I expect the Board will approve without issue. That's a good, forward-thinking move for those communities.

Anonymous said...

This seems to be a real opportunity for people to be taken advantage of. In this economy, there may be a lot of desperate people there who will take any amount of money for something that may hold great sentimental value to them or may even be more valuable than what they get from the folks running this show.

It just doesn't sound right. The money they raise off others' misfortunes seems like tainted money.

Anonymous said...

My issue is that this is being held during school hours. What a horrible security problem.

There is an employee at Robert Shaw whose last name is Rice, but not the woman listed on the poster. Relation or coincidence?

Anonymous said...

Regarding the gold fundraiser. The company came to my school. The prices they pay are slightly higher than other reputable cash for gold outlets that have been properly reviewed by local TV stations as the "best" places.

These folks have a LONG list of schools they go to in DCSS and APS. They are giving 10-15% to the school and are not ripping anyone off. Instead, they are simply "making a little less" on the gold but making it up in volume and the fact that they get to sit in a safe school versus a storefront operation (IMHO).

Many schools are not opening to the public and it is not open to families. It is only open to staff members and everyone is very happy. There is no pressure to sell and you would be surprised how much stuff people are finding to cash out. Most of the items are no longer being used etc and it's a win-win.

At first I thought it was a crazy scam but the gold people are legit. It is very hard for schools to raise money due to new regulations regarding fundraising. Title I limits what can be purchased and there is a big gap in funding for certain things a school needs.

This sale has made the staff members very happy. This is a non issue and there is no reason to focus on it unless there is a law against it, which maybe there is in which case they should not do it.

Anonymous said...

Sorry don't care if the company is legit, this is not a way that our schools should be raising money. Just because other schools are doing it, doesn't make it right.

I do not feel that this is a way that our schools should be fund raising, and that if it is for fundraising that it should be on the flyer as well as what the fundraising is for. Also, teachers should be focused on teaching during the school day not selling their gold.

Kim Gokce said...

Great idea until the first delinquent or felon realizes these are easy targets. Perhaps that is why there was a gun-slinging incident as Arabia Mtn this week - parents fighting over the right to host a fine metals market or the going rate for fillings. We are far, far gone ...

Ella Smith said...

Kim, I did not hear about that. This is a sad time when things like this happen on our campuses in DeKalb County. What were these parents thinking? Apparently they were not thinking.

Anonymous said...

This is WRONG on so many levels. I thought it was absolutely prohibited to allow any private company to use public property for private gain. Why can't a company set up shop selling video games or adult movies at a school in return for donating 10% of the proceeds?

This is a slippery slope with no end in sight.

And Kim is absolutely correct that this is preying on folks in a bad economic time.

Cerebration said...

I read that article about the parent at Arabia. Sad. How can someone get so angry as to point a gun at someone else?

Parent charged with drawing gun outside Arabia Mountain High School

Cerebration said...

Also, I'm not sure this Cash for Gold fundraiser is all that different from the one by the Lakeside Foundation - you can get your teeth whitened by an area dentist (a Lakeside parent) and the proceeds go to the Foundation. They are still trying to raise $1.5 million for athletic upgrades outdoors. It will take all kinds of fundraisers to get to that number. I have no idea why they don't just insist on getting their fair share of SPLOST money for this. Tucker, Arabia, etc all have fabulous athletics - paid for with SPLOST. Why does Lakeside have to do fundraisers?

Cerebration said...

Another interesting AJC article to note: New Birth and Eddie Long are seeking the return of nearly $1 million in settlement rewards to the three young men who accused Long of sexual misconduct. Wow! A million dollar settlement?! Seems that points to something being up...

Eddie Long, New Birth seek to recoup settlement money

Tell me again why it's a good idea for DCSS to house a charter school in this church building?

Anonymous said...

You know the answer to that, Cere.

Because the school board only wants athletics and other traditional school activities for black students. They make the white families pay for theirs themselves out of revenge for injustices of the past.

That's just the way it is. Racism lives on, as if the civil rights movement never happened. It's always going to be unjust. That is why we gave up hope and sent our children to private schools.

Cerebration said...

I hate to think that, but then, look at the condition of the athletic fields at Cross Keys - a mainly Hispanic/Latino school. Not only that, but Cross Keys is the only high school without the promised SPLOST 3 auditorium - nor is there a plan to build one. Unless of course, there is "leftover SPLOST 3" money - as was stipulated in one particular document. Oddly, though, this need for an auditorium for CKHS goes completely away with the SPLOST 4 proposal.

Anonymous said...

Think how much cash this gold/jewelry buyer will bring with her onto campus! Is that adequate security set up for this? Thousands and thousands of dollars will change hands within this school,during school hours, for two days! Will Brinks or Guarda bring the money to the school, and then, leave at the day with all the booty?

I'm sorry, this is just not a good way to raise money in a school.

Anonymous said...

Yes it's funny how one particular mostly Hispanic elementary school did not have air conditioning in one of the wings for a whole month. Since September 1 until September 28th.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget that we are not multiracial in "certain people's" minds. If you're not African-American, you are "white", even if you're from central/south America, Asia, India, or the Middle East.

So if you're classified as "white" you pay for school features yourself or go without.

That sound you just heard was Dr. King puking in his grave.

Kim Gokce said...

Regarding the auditorium question, let's not forget Cedar Grove. There are two HSes where an auditorium is apparently not necessary. The CK field is a bit better after some TLC from the YMCA but the system leadership seems content to continue to keep status quo for CK in terms of capital. I have to believe this means they are truly planning to centralize High Achievers and merge CK into CCHS. I'm sure that will face no opposition :)

Anonymous said...

Oh Please! having total stangers inside an elementary school for two days does not compare to a business participating in a fund raiser. The dentist is not using school (public) property to make a buck. He is using his office and his staff.

Dekalbparent said...

@Cere 12:10 -

Druid Hills did not receive the auditorium package from SPLOST either, even though they were supposed to. There is an auditorium (that seats about half the school if there are no broken seats), but it was built years ago using donations. The school received none of the things included in the SPLOST auditorium package.

Just setting the record straight.

Cerebration said...

Right DeKalb. Forgot about that. Druid Hills already had a small auditorium. But weren't they given the budget allotted for auditoriums to spend any way they chose? That was my impression. Let me know if that's wrong.

And, as far as I know, Cedar Grove has officially been added to the list for an auditorium. Let me know if that's wrong as well.

Cerebration said...

Anon, I wasn't actually comparing fundraisers, just pointing out how vast the fundraising efforts have become. All the way from beauty contests to cell phone towers. The charter school in Miami that was hosting weekend clubs was the topper of the chart.

I'm just curious about why and how we've come to need so much more money to educate children. The basic cost per child in DeKalb is well over $8,000 and actually over $10,000 if you include the comprehensive budget. It just seems like enough, compared proportionately to what we used to spend and the results we used to get.

So what has changed? Expectations for how a school should look? State and federal testing mandates? State and federal educational mandates? Social demands and poverty? Everything?

Is it even possible to go back to basics?

Anonymous said...

It might be worth checking. Stone Mountain HS charges $2 for attendance at pep rallies that are held during the school day. What would Dr. Atkinson say about that?

Dekalbparent said...

Anon -

So the pep rally attendance is optional - if you don't pay $2, you don't go? What do those students do?

Those questions aside, this is the first time I have heard of making students pay for a pep rally held during the school day. Usually the students must attend whether they want to or not. This looks like if you pay, you get out of class...

Anonymous said...

Wow...pay for a pep rally?? How many do they have? Our middle and high school only have 1 per semester and everyone goes - no fees and limited time away form instruction.

Anonymous said...

We are individually and collectively outraged at the idea of students being charged a fee to attend a pep rally!

We believe the word best describing this practice is extortion or perhaps payola (pay to play) either and both are illegal.

We would like to find out who in their wisdom decided to adopt such a plan and further more, find out those supervisors who approved it.

The more we think about this, the more angry we are getting. Being
"forced to pay" to support a school team whether it be the football team, academic bowl team or debate team, is just plain WRONG on so many levels we are having a difficult time wrapping our twisted heads around this one.

Can we be the only people out here who are outraged beyond words??

Jim and Ben

Anonymous said...

How much to watch the chess team?

Anonymous said...

There's no fee to watch the chess team tournament but it will cost you and your student $2 to attend the pre-chess tournament pep rally.

Do you think they will have the marching band and cheerleaders in attendance? Will they have a big paper banner for the starting chess team to crash and rip through?

In all seriousness though, the same support should be shown for the academic based teams as is shown for the sports teams but who are we kidding? No in this world and certainly not in the world of the DCSS!!

Anon said...

I heard that a few years back (10-15) at one of the south-side high schools charging money for dances, they gave a fraction of the collected cash to the kids and the rest of the cash "disappeared" amond "others" -- so who is really watching the cash?

Anonymous said...

Isn't Robert Shaw where Mrs. Tyson's children are in school?

Anonymous said...

When I was growing up, pep rallies were mandatory. Everyone went. No charge.

As far as dances go, they were sponsored by student groups (student government, sophomore class, senior class, etc.). The money collected was used to pay for the d.j., the janitor (if on a Saturday night), and the security officers, and then the group kept whatever was left over. I don't have a problem with dances being run like this, but I do have a problem if the school itself is getting the money and it's not going back to the kids. There is too much funny stuff going on with money in DCSS.

Anonymous said...

The school Cash for Gold Events are NOT open to the public, NOT open to parents, only teachers and staff members receive invitations to the event. The teachers participate only during their breaks, lunch, or after school. The event does NOT interfere with the school day. The students never see, hear or know the event in going on, very discreet. If the teachers accept the free estimate they are paid on the spot either by cash or check whichever they choose. At the end of the day the school receives a donation check made out to the school and is deposited by the bookkeeper. There is absolutely no pressure for someone to sell any item or participate in the event. It is very similar to companies who come into the schools to sign up the teachers for health plans, investment plans, book sales, etc... The gold events are also spread over a couple days so teachers and staff members can shop the prices from local vendors and are encouraged to do so. You can say the events are very similar to a ring company invited into a school to sell class rings at the end of the year (which happens at every school in the city) only reverse and with no students just teachers.
I hope this information helps.

Anonymous said...

-Anonymous

-A quote from Mark Twain: "you can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus"

As a teacher that has participated in one of these events I am offended by
this quick to judge mentality. Have you ever taken a moment to truly think about this? If you had you would realize that as a teacher that I am also a
Parent first. I hope they do this in my child's school or the sake of the teachers and the school. The majority of you have let your imaginations go wild and your time could be used more constructively than trying to sabotage a good thing that is a win/win for the teachers and the schools.

We are not being taken advantage of, in fact we feel blessed that these people are willing to give us money for our single earrings, broken chains, etc. I personally used my money to pay for my son's new braces.

This also is a benefit to the local community as most of us spent our earnings at local businesses.

You are sadly wrong as this is not an advertised event to the public. The company has been doing this for three years now and their donation provided
us with the funds to provide better learning tools for your children.

In my 13 years of teaching I have never witnessed an event in which so many teachers were so happy for weeks following it.
Why would you want to ruin
something that is a win/win for the teachers and the schools?

Kim Gokce said...

Anon 3:21pm should there be any other standard for fundraising partnerships besides the commercial conduct be legal? "As long as it is legal commerce and makes everyone money" seems a little low of a bar.

Kim Gokce said...

I have no problem with 'Spirit Night' type activities and would praise any company that directed a portion of their business back to a local public school. My beef in this case is that the facility is being used for conducting the enterprise.

I remember a case where strippers were contributing to their local school ... I had no problem with that but the system was forced (politically) to return the funds. It was legally earned, personal wealth that was legally donated to public schools.