UPDATE: 1/05/11: We have just been told that in association with the Capital Plan meetings, MCCPTA sponsored an early-November catered dinner by Urban Barbecue! Perhaps some MCCPTA folks would be willing to enlighten us (1) who was invited to this exclusive event, and (2) whether membership dues were used to pay for food for this elite group, and (3) did this expenditure receive prior approval by the MCCPTA Board of Directors?
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Who paid for the pre-forum dinner of pasta, salad, and cheesecake on Tuesday night, enjoyed by all of the members of the Board of Education, select MCCPTA officers, and a few other hand-picked MCCPTA invitees?
Why wasn't this cozy dinner publicized in advance pursuant to the Open Meetings Act?
Was the Board of Directors of MCCPTA notified of this event in advance?
Who paid for the bottles of Perrier handed out to the officials on the dais at the forum?
Correction, the MCCPTA BOD was NOT invited, just the officers and certain select others. As to who paid, it came out of the MCCPTA budget.
ReplyDeleteSo parents paid for this evening dinner through their local PTA dues. Parents, is that what you expect for your PTA dues, food for MCCPTA officers?
ReplyDelete@anonymous - the post above asked if the BOD was notified, it didn't say they were invited.
Too bad MCCPTA doesn't believe in the Maryland Open Meetings Act.
MCCPTA BOD was not notified.
ReplyDelete@ anonymous
ReplyDeleteWell good. MCCPTA believes in as much budget transparency as MCPS. Nice that they are on the same page.
MCPS believes in using taxpayer funds to feed administrators and MCCPTA believes in using parents PTA dues to feed MCCPTA officers and neither entity wants to disclose these budget expenditures.
And both entities want more money!
To be clear, MCCPTA officers believe in using funds to feed themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe MCCPTA BOD was not invited to or notified of the November dinner either.
ReplyDeleteThe MCCPTA BOD is meeting Thursday night (1/6/2011) at 7:30 pm. PTA members should come and see if they discuss this.
ReplyDeleteCould this be considered theft of PTA funds? Shouldn't the MCCPTA officers immediately reimburse the council for misusing council funds to feed themselves expensive food and drinks along with a few handpicked others? Shouldn't the MCCPTA Board of Directors be dealing with this and asking that they return the funds? Will they deal with it tonight at the board meeting at Carver at 7:30 PM?
ReplyDeleteMembers do not pay dues to the council PTA for officers to treat themselves.
@ anonymous 9:56 AM
ReplyDeleteWho cares? Try and find someone who cares how MCCPTA spends its money. State PTA? Sorry, that's just more MCCPTA - last year's MCCPTA President is President-Elect. National PTA? They don't get involved in local issues. National is too busy moving into their new $9 million (?) building in Alexandria, Virginia.
Local PTAs? Try and find one that allows an open discussion about PTA budgets.
Remember MCCPTA is the training ground for future Apple Ballot supported Board of Education members. Having parents and taxpayers buying the meals of elected officials is something that elected officials expect/demand in Montgomery County. It's all part of the behind the scenes, deal making culture.
I am not the original Anonymous poster. "Facts" asserted in your blog, public as it is, should be verified before allowing blog content to go public. MCCPTA budget money was NOT spent on the dinner. Some of the costs were donated by member and some of the food was comped by the generosity of the restauranteur. Good for our officers for advocating for public education issues! Please fact-check next time; there are some who would bemoan the work of the MCCPTA organization due to personal rather than factual issues. MCCPTA does not take any part in a behind the scenes deal making culture. ~Anon2
ReplyDeleteAnon2
ReplyDeleteSorry. News flash for you. MCCPTA has a seat at the secret budget table with the Unions and MCPS staff. Even the Board of Education isn't at these meetings.
Your President IS part of the behind the scenes deal making culture. Ask her about those meetings and get back to us.
http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2010/12/budget-fact-no-board-of-education-in.html
I'm guessing whatever you say is "truth" according to Janis Sartucci. So what's the point here? ~Anon2
ReplyDeleteHey prove me wrong Anon2! Go ahead.
ReplyDeleteJerry Weast says MCCPTA is at the secret budget table. Kay Romero and Jane de Winter were both at the secret budget table.
Go ask the current MCCPTA President and get back to us. Is MCCPTA no longer participating in these secret budget discussions?
Let us know. All you see here is a link to a MCPS document that says MCCPTA is at the table. Maybe that was wrong and just PR spin?
All I did was ask the question "WHO PAID?"
ReplyDeleteI received a call from an upset MCCPTA officer who was upset that the question was even asked, and said it looked bad.
I offered to the MCCPTA officer for her to write up a statement of who paid for what, who donated what, and we would post that on the blog.
She declined. The offer still stands.
If MCCPTA wants to write a guest post about (1) who paid for the pasta dinner, who paid for the Urban Barbecue dinner, whether the Board of Directors voted on it, how the decision was made to invite certain individuals to participate, whether membership money was used, and why it is a good idea to do this kind of behind-closed-doors advocacy, we'll be happy to put it up.
Rebecca Smondrowski and transparency. Apparently she is not a fan.
ReplyDelete