Our PTA has a school night at some local restaurant EVERY MONTH. WTF. I’ll only go to one if I like the place and feel like eating out that night, which isn’t often. We might do one or two a year. They also do the box tops thing, but I blow that off.

I just want somebody to give me a breakdown on how much per head do they need to bring in per child, and I will write a check or make installments on it. I do not appreciate the game playing.

My peeve is the school participating in some Boxtops for Education program, where they get 10 cents per boxtop emblem you bring in and the classes compete for a pizza party. I just think they probably net very little after the pizza is paid for, so why should parents even think for a moment about buying products off the list of manufacturers who participate in Boxtops, or cut out the stupid things and collect them? It’s like they want you to suspend all disbelief about finance. It seems so contrary to true education.

I just think I would die if I was a teacher and had to act all excited over every 10 cent boxtop somebody brought in or act thrilled to see everyone who attended Spirit Night and gave the school 10% of their dinner tab at the spaghetti place. That works out to $1.80 for my little family.

If I could just have the dollar amount, I might even pay for some less fortunate family’s kid just out of the pure thrill of not having to deal with these petty fundraising attempts.