Money for schools....

[telephus44]

Sorry, couldn't think of the best way to sum this up in a title.

I'm part of a local parent group that works with the school. Like PTA but not as drama ridden. We raise funds and then give them to the schools.

We ask the schools to make a list. So this year the high school wants $100 to tune the piano, or the middle school wants $500 to buy a series of books for their literary program, or whatever. Obviously we only have so much money to give out and there are some things that we don't fund.

Here's my question. This year two schools (there are 4 in the system) requested iPads or tablets for assisting special Ed kids. Totally reasonable request. The majority of the group recommended NOT to fund them "because you can get grants for that kind of stuff."

Maybe I'm biased because I have a child in special Ed, but to me that seems like a stupid reason not to fund something. I'm just curious if anyone else agreed with this.

[Deleted]

If you really CAN get grants for this, then, yes, I agree that you should save the $$$ that your group has for things that don't qualify for grants (like the piano tuning).

The problem is that it takes some work to get grants, and they aren't automatic. So you probably see it as "better" (as in more immediate and guaranteed) to just buy the Ipads yourself as a group. Did the group come to a conclusion as to who was going to write this grant? Do they have the name of a specific organization offering such grants? I'd be asking those questions instead of accepting a vague "Well, you can get a grant for that."

However, Ipads aren't the panacea that everyone seems to think they are. They are one tool in the toolbox and not necessarily the most effective one for what they cost. I would ask what the special education students are expected to DO with them. Is that cost effective? Will these kids take them home with them or use them only at school? Do they have internet access at home?

This is from a teacher whose every student has an Ipad. I frequently have to tell them to close it and put it under their desk. Every learning moment in the classroom does not require technology.

[telephus44]

No, they didn't figure out where you could get grants. Pretty much whatever we don't fund either gets funded by the school or not at all. It's not our responsibility to make sure that everything gets funded. We did choose to fund things like cost for buses for field trips, new instruments for the music program, drying racks for the arts classes, technology kits for a new computer class, water testing kits to be used for a new environmental science class, AED devices, etc.


I really just have issues with the whole since you can get it elsewhere, don't ask me attitude. If they wanted to argue that it only benefitted a small portion of students and not the general population, I can understand that. But come on, maybe they could have asked someone's cousin to tune the piano for free, too.

I'll also admit I don't know a lot about grants - I do know that you can get certified in grant writing, but that's about it - but it seems likely lately every time the school asks for something, the answer is always "just get a grant for that" like Microsoft and Exxon are passing out money like candy. If they were really that easy to get, then wouldn't schools stop asking towns/cities/civic organizations for money and just go ask for grants instead?

[midjd]

I manage a grant program, and our parameters overlap somewhat with a few other programs. We routinely get applications that are much better suited for another grant, and will almost always reject them on this basis (with a letter saying, "Thanks for your request, our reviewing committee thinks this is a good request, but X grant would be a better fit. Please visit www.site.com for more information.")

So no, I don't think it's a stupid reason not to fund it... unless you know there is 0% chance they'll receive the other grant.

[midjd]

the answer is always "just get a grant for that" like Microsoft and Exxon are passing out money like candy. If they were really that easy to get, then wouldn't schools stop asking towns/cities/civic organizations for money and just go ask for grants instead?

It's just like college scholarships - there are a lot out there, but sometimes you really have to dig for them.

And sometimes people just don't/won't apply. Every grant cycle we issue a press release that is published in all the relevant trade publications, send out a targeted email to about 400 groups, put a billboard on our website, and put a blurb in the state newsletter. And we get maybe 20 applications. The targeted email includes read receipt so we can tell that about 80% of the recipients read the email... but they still don't apply. The application is 6 pages long and not onerous. But it doesn't seem to matter.

[Deleted]

I taught Special Ed. I'm not sure about the 'grant' issue, but special education receives a lot more funding than regular eduction. Now, they can cost more too, but one of the reasons they receive more money is to purchase adaptive technology, etc. And so I too would think that there are probably more funding sources for those.

That said, i had the PTA vote to fund my spellcheckers when i taught (long before ipads).... So i'm not sure that is totally accurate. I mean, i'm not sure why i couldn't just go to the school and ask them to fund the spellcheckers, i'm not sure i even thought about it at the time ....