Over the past two weeks I have been struck by the overwhelming response to Insideschools' poston banning parent-funded assistants from public schools. After reading through the numerous, impassioned comments, the old saying "crabs in a barrel" came to mind. It is a metaphor that I have heard commonly applied to African Americans over the years. It refers to the supposed tendency of one segment of the community to attempt to hold back another upward-bound individual or segment. The eventual result is that no one succeeds. It seems that once again parents are pitted against each other in a battle for the finest education.

One parent noted that the PTA-funded assistants have allowed some schools to continue to thrive where they may have otherwise faltered due to overcrowding. Another parent voiced concern that schools serving the working class are left out completely because they receive neither Title I funds, nor a wealth of money from parent donations. Still another parent commented that the average family in New York City cannot afford several hundred dollars in yearly school fees.<!--more-->

My first thought in hearing the news was that, if some schools have been successful in fundraising, there must be something in their model that can be replicated in other schools. Now that theDepartment of Education has changed its position (for now), I would suggest that we move towards improving all of our schools by sharing successful fundraising strategies.

My children's school,Central Park East 1, is a small school that does not have a large wealthy parent base. The primarily working and middle class parents are asked to contribute a modest school fee. We also give a small amount of money and supplies for cooking so that the children both cook and have a daily snack. The school has an annual street festival (parents donate goods and time), raises some funds via "Goodsearch" (a Yahoo search engine that donates money to chosen charities), the Box Tops program, change drives (kids bring in loose change), and other small endeavors. No, we are not raising millions, however, we are able to add some support where public monies fall short. The money raised goes to things such as providing children with with pencils, notebooks, and other school supplies and helping to fund trips.

Jennifer Freeman, our "Money Mom," has blogged about various ways in which parents can raise funds for their schools. Check out School Fundraisers: Book fairs and more; School need money? Ask local elected; Are these grants for you? or just search for all posts by "Money Mom" on the InsideSCOOP for more ideas.

We don't have to be crabs in a barrel. What has been working in your child's school? Let's pool our thoughts online.