![]() ![]() “But we don’t want to deny our kids what we are able to provide for them.” “I would love for every school in Arlington to have a science aide,” said Carter, who has a third-grader at Nottingham. The Nottingham PTA has discussed partnering with a less affluent PTA in the county to help them pay for teaching aides, said PTA President Barrett, but is adamantly opposed to prohibiting PTAs from funding personnel. Hynes would like to see the same language added to the provision on grants and gifts for hiring personnel, but doubts the majority of the board would favor changing the guidelines for hiring because it could mean the elimination of aides. In deciding if the school system will accept outside funding for building and ground improvements, School Board members consider whether it would “foster or exacerbate inequity among schools, including exploration of whether other schools would want a similar feature,” according to school policy documents. “If we think this is necessary to deliver our curriculum we should pay for it,” she added. If one school hires additional support, such as a math or science aide, the School Board should explore whether this is needed in other schools across the county, said School Board Vice Chair Mary Hynes. SOME SCHOOL OFFICIALS believe the funding of teaching positions by PTAs has the potential to create inequities between schools, because more affluent communities in north Arlington are using their fundraising prowess to provide their children with additional resources that other PTAs cannot afford. Sandy Barrett, president of the Nottingham PTA said she considered Carter an “enrichment aide” rather than school personnel and therefore did not believe her hiring was in conflict with the state PTA’s position. Members of the Nottingham PTA defended the decision to pay for outside aides like Carter. ![]() All grants or donations to the school system involving the hiring of personnel must be approved by the superintendent and the School Board. The School Board renewed the Nottingham science aide, and two other PTA-funded teaching aide positions, at a meeting last week by a four to one vote. Ramona Morrow, president of Virginia PTA, said the mission of the PTA is to advocate for issues regarding education and children’s health and safety, and “strongly advises against” local units funding school personnel. This practice also goes against the Virginia PTA’s position that while local branches are free to purchase materials for use in schools, it should not be involved in funding the hiring of teachers or personnel. “That is the job of the school system, not the PTAs.” “PTAs are not supposed to be hiring people,” said Anne Reynolds, president of the County Council of PTAs. This has angered some school and PTA officials who worry that allowing local PTAs to fund teachers will create inequalities in the county’s schools, since less affluent PTAs may not be able to afford hiring additional personnel. Yet Carter is paid not by the Arlington school system, but through funds raised by the Nottingham Parent Teacher Association. With second-graders she has used Play-doh and lights to demonstrate how the earth orbits the sun. When Nottingham first-graders were studying fish, Carter took four of the aquatic creatures to the school to show students how their body structure enables them to swim. For nine hours every week veterinarian Julia Carter works as a science teaching aide at Nottingham Elementary School, bringing in hands-on projects to supplement what the students learn in their regular classes. ![]()
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