Nobody NEEDS to see the space shuttle!

I just finished sorting out a few bills tonight, writing some checks for things that I can't pay online and/or with credit card. You know, the "old fashioned" way ;-)

Amongst my checks was a donation to Todd's preschool. They recently merged with another church in the community, putting pressure on the space and resources they have to accommodate everyone for their activities-- the preschool, the after-school youth groups, the church itself, etc... and so, the fundraising begins.

I am reminded that in a very short time Todd will be in elementary school and coming home with boxes of chocolate he's supposed to sell. It will be easy in our household-- we'll just fork out some dough for donations, rather than force Todd to go door-to-door, pestering the neighbors. And of course, there is the question of WHAT exactly the donation is for, which plays a big role in just how enthusiastically we'll contribute :-P

Have you ever seen the George Lopez show? If not, it's an American sitcom featuring comedian George Lopez as the head of his typical Mexican-American middle class household. One episode dealt with his young son selling yet another batch of candy bars to raise money for some such deal deemed important by the school. Or maybe it was just the PTA. At any rate, when George discovered that the money was going towards a trip to Cape Canaveral, Florida, to watch the space shuttle launch, he put his foot down. As he put it, he has no problem donating money to things kids actually need for a proper education. Books, computers, etc... all fall within that realm. But a fancy field trip? When kids could learn just as much about space through books and videos? Hardly a basic necessity, and enough is enough! Worse yet, the parents that couldn't (or wouldn't) contribute were looked down upon, either as being poor or being unsupportive. The highlight of the show was George's argument with the head of the PTA, trying to convince her that while seeing it up close is neat, "nobody (actually) NEEDS to see a space shuttle launch!"

So far Todd's school needs have been pretty basic and we feel the money's going to good causes. But I still wonder what lies ahead, and what sorts of programs we'll be duped into supporting at his future schools. I am most certainly not looking forward to weeding it all out. I'm with George Lopez-- I have no problem shelling out cash or other resources to ensure Todd and the kids get a good education, but I'm a little more reserved about paying for the frills and fringe benefits that nobody really NEEDS.

Whoever thought childhood education could turn into such a political machine? I wonder how many other such "PTA heads" I'll run into myself!

Any advice or horror stories from battle-weary parents who've been there and done that?