<p>You already said you were semi -retired. No time like the present to start a school.</p>
<p>I am rich enough to be disillusioned, but not yet rich enough to be burned out. I will retire when I am burned out.</p>
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<p>You don’t think volunteering makes the school a better place for all kids? And you can only do that if you do that in a full-time capacity? So why do you think parents volunteer, then?</p>
<p>Brace yourself for some very heated responses to that comment.</p>
<p>You claimed to be semi retired and implied that you had lots of free time on your hands. Was that a fabrication? And education is not the best place for a person who is burned out-- even if it is from another line of work. How does one manage to be “rich enough to be burned out” . Burnout is an experience- a feeling - a response to, for eg, long , straining work demands. It is not related to financial resources.</p>
<p>I do not know why people volunteer, Teri. I am OK with very heated comments, though I recommend civility.</p>
<p>By the way, my reference to the top 50% was said with a grain of salt. The majority of parents on this board know that it could be 10% in school district A, and 90% in school district B. It’s never 100% either way in any district.</p>
<p>Jym, I do not want to get into a personal urinating contest with you, especially over a line from Dilbert.</p>
<p>Let’s stay on topic instead.</p>
<p>IIRC, this poster doesnt believe in volunteering and giving of his personal time. He said he would rather throw money at it (or words to that effect).</p>
<p>“I don’t think we were talking about volunteering. I think we were talking about making the school a better place for all kids.”</p>
<p>“I do not know why people volunteer”</p>
<p>It’s obvious you don’t know why people volunteer.</p>
<p>I dont know what line from Dilbert you are referring to, and I find your post #207, once again disgusting and inappropriate. If you want to be welcomed, those kinds of comments aren’t going to win you any points. Holy cow.</p>
<p>Look, I have nothing against volunteering. This is a free country, people should do what they want. But it seems that the consensus here is that parents with kids in private schools should pull the kids out and put them in the local public school and then volunteer to improve the local public school. That will be better for all kids, apparently. Is that right?</p>
<p>Jym, I think it is best that I ignore you from now on, as any discussion that I have with you will lead to a conflict which will be unpleasant for the whole community.</p>
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<p>I think parent volunteers and community volunteers do help make the school a better place.</p>
<p>I can’t even imagine how my life would be without the volunteer efforts I’ve put in at all of my kids’ schools. Some of our best friends are people we met that way (because our kids were involved in the same programs), and may not have met at all had we not gotten involved. Sure we’d have other friends, but right now, I can’t imagine a life without some of them. That’s not why I began to volunteer, but now that we’re through the school system and I see other families rising behind us (parents and children) form these bonds (through all different kinds of programs), I see that’s a priceless consequence of our involvement. And because they all live in our community (90% of them within three miles of our house in any direction), it’s easy to maintain these relationships despite the fact that all of our kids are basically out of college now, but also remain friends themselves.</p>
<p>Just to add, before someone slaps my hand, I do believe these kinds of friendships are possible with parents of kids in private schools and I have it on great authority that even private schools need volunteers. But when you don’t live in the same community and the likelihood of running into them at the local park, grocery store, hardware store, etc. after they’re all out of the school system is slim, it doesn’t come as easy to maintain.</p>
<p>Why do you say that Thumper? Is it because the school’s lack resources that they have to substitute with parent and community resources? That’s what I was earlier told on this board. I buy that, and believe that schools lacking resources need more money to hire trained professionals and not parents who are moonlighting.</p>
<p>Wow!! Today is my lucky day!!</p>
<p>Hmmm… moonlighting. Guess I can add that to my resume.</p>
<p>Teri, Private schools come in many shape or form, and the ones that do not have high tuition likely have a resource constraint as well, and need parent volunteers. That wouldn’t surprise me. </p>
<p>However, the really expensive private schools are not lacking in resources. I volunteered at some event in son’s school a few years back, and it was clear that it was for my benefit to see my son and his friends in action at school, and not because I added any special skill or covered a gap in bandwidth. </p>
<p>I am curious. You are the super moderator. Why are you worried that someone would slap your wrist for speaking out of turn, and expressing an unpopular opinion? That’s not the mark of a very welcoming board, now is it?</p>
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<p>I NEVER said that. I believe parents should volunteer their time in their kids’ schools…whether they attend PUBLIC OR PRIVATE schools. Many in our family attended private schools where the parents were very helpful and active members of the school community.</p>