Kristin Yount on tue 18 apr 06
Craig,
It was $10 per kid and it was a need based scholarship.
My "sliding scale" in pretty open for interpretation.
I pretty much ask people what they can afford to pay
if they ask for a scholarship if they are making less than like $500 per
month per
household member.
It is something I pulled out of my nose.
When I get the forms back and there is a family of 6 living on $1400
they get a $10 class.
She totally cringed and offered the $10.
I know it's true I saw the duct tape holding up the bumper on her
mini van. My center is near "felony flats". That is my market and that
is exactly who I want to serve
Let the people who can pay $150 for the same class at PNCA or OCAC. The
YMCA, as you may know,
won't turn anyone away due to lack of funds. As long as I have enough
people paying full price to make the class go
or in this case I had some classes that were going well(generating more
money) so I could take the "loss".
Full price is $7 a class.
I worked for a city parks facility for 6 years and we had a no parents
policy. I chose to enforce it
telling the parents that it wasn't fair to the other kids who's
parents couldn't be there so that they couldn't stay.
I never got an argument I love that one!
When in reality it is for the exact reasons that you state in your post.
It is hard to say that to some parents.
Sometimes you get that one Grandma who just wants to be in the room. She
just wants to peek out from behind
her novel and see her grandson quietly working. I am glad I can let that
happen for now.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Kristin
.
Kristin, $5/child for a five week class is ridiculously low. I'm not
going to pull any punches here, it is so low that it is an insult to
those of us in the professional clay community who attempt to make a
portion of our living by teaching clay. Unless of course if your program
is an outreach type of program to children of parents who are poor that
just don't have money to pay. If that is what the program is about then
I tip my hat to you and the other wonderful folks who are volunteering
the time and money to support the underprivleged. As has been mentioned,
however, if these are folks who are even approaching the middle class,
then you are doing a disservice to yourself, other professionals in the
clay community, the parents and students as well. This establishes the
default mentality of "clay is cheap" which is all to prevalent. At that
rate the parents aren't even haveing to pay what they would a high
school student to baby sit. This is not good.
As to the parents hanging about. Don't let them do it unless the
class has specifically been set up as a parent/child sort of activity.
If this is the case the parents will need to pay for their tuition as
well, full price!
As LP mentioned, most children will act differently when their
parent is around. This is not limited to the clay experience. Many years
ago, when I was training for my WSI (Water Safety Istructor)
Certification at the local Ymca, the old trainer told us that it is a
really good idea to discourage parents from being around during swim
lesson instruction time. Without the parent about the authority figure
becomes the instructor which is the way it needs to be. I followed the
advice closely. It may be old school now, really havn't kept up with
things, but it worked well at the time.
Hope this helps
Craig Dunn Clark
Craig Clark on wed 19 apr 06
Kristin, as I said, my heart and mind go out to folks such as yourself
who are helping those who have a tuff time. The most I do anymore is
the annual Empty Bowls fund raiser here in town and the occassional pot
to other charitable events. But nothing like being there, as you put it,
near "felony flats" and helpin out folks who might never have gotten a
decent break in their lives..
peace
Craig Dunn Clark
619 East 11 1/2 St
Houston, Texas 77008
(713)861-2083
mudman@hal-pc.org
Kristin Yount wrote:
> Craig,
>
> It was $10 per kid and it was a need based scholarship.
> My "sliding scale" in pretty open for interpretation.
> I pretty much ask people what they can afford to pay
> if they ask for a scholarship if they are making less than like $500 per
> month per
> household member.
> It is something I pulled out of my nose.
> When I get the forms back and there is a family of 6 living on $1400
> they get a $10 class.
>
> She totally cringed and offered the $10.
> I know it's true I saw the duct tape holding up the bumper on her
> mini van. My center is near "felony flats". That is my market and that
> is exactly who I want to serve
> Let the people who can pay $150 for the same class at PNCA or OCAC. The
> YMCA, as you may know,
> won't turn anyone away due to lack of funds. As long as I have enough
> people paying full price to make the class go
> or in this case I had some classes that were going well(generating more
> money) so I could take the "loss".
> Full price is $7 a class.
>
>
> I worked for a city parks facility for 6 years and we had a no parents
> policy. I chose to enforce it
> telling the parents that it wasn't fair to the other kids who's
> parents couldn't be there so that they couldn't stay.
> I never got an argument I love that one!
> When in reality it is for the exact reasons that you state in your post.
> It is hard to say that to some parents.
> Sometimes you get that one Grandma who just wants to be in the room. She
> just wants to peek out from behind
> her novel and see her grandson quietly working. I am glad I can let that
> happen for now.
>
>
> Thanks for your thoughts!
> Kristin
>
>
> .
>
>
> Kristin, $5/child for a five week class is ridiculously low. I'm not
> going to pull any punches here, it is so low that it is an insult to
> those of us in the professional clay community who attempt to make a
> portion of our living by teaching clay. Unless of course if your program
> is an outreach type of program to children of parents who are poor that
> just don't have money to pay. If that is what the program is about then
> I tip my hat to you and the other wonderful folks who are volunteering
> the time and money to support the underprivleged. As has been mentioned,
> however, if these are folks who are even approaching the middle class,
> then you are doing a disservice to yourself, other professionals in the
> clay community, the parents and students as well. This establishes the
> default mentality of "clay is cheap" which is all to prevalent. At that
> rate the parents aren't even haveing to pay what they would a high
> school student to baby sit. This is not good.
> As to the parents hanging about. Don't let them do it unless the
> class has specifically been set up as a parent/child sort of activity.
> If this is the case the parents will need to pay for their tuition as
> well, full price!
> As LP mentioned, most children will act differently when their
> parent is around. This is not limited to the clay experience. Many years
> ago, when I was training for my WSI (Water Safety Istructor)
> Certification at the local Ymca, the old trainer told us that it is a
> really good idea to discourage parents from being around during swim
> lesson instruction time. Without the parent about the authority figure
> becomes the instructor which is the way it needs to be. I followed the
> advice closely. It may be old school now, really havn't kept up with
> things, but it worked well at the time.
> Hope this helps
> Craig Dunn Clark
>
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marianne kuiper milks on fri 21 apr 06
Kristin and Craig,
I have to tell you this wonderful story. It has been over 20 years so I may screw up some of the facts...
I was a member of the National Guild of Community Centers for the Arts in the 80's as the director of our local art/music/theatre center. One year the annual conference was in Chicago (86?). One of the (hosting?) outstanding programs was from the North Shore..whatever art/music school. Names are hanging on to the tip of my brain. Anyway: this is/was a dirt-poor area. The quality of the music was AMAZING. Nobody paid a penny tuition. The tuition consisted of services provided by parents/guardians. Everyone had to participate.
A physician- surgeon, I believe- wanted her daughter to take music lessons there due to the excellent reputation and asked to pay. She was told that she could not: it was service generated. She was exasperated and offered to pay "whatever', The rule was the same: no exceptions. She ended up coming in one morning a week at something like 5 am to wash the floors.
It's just another way to be "fair" and equal - provided you have outside funding, of course. Teachers have to be paid and materials have to be available.
Isn't it a great story? A fabulous 'cellist named Wendy Warner came from there as well. The director's name was...Novak? Great man with a grand vision.
Marianne Kuiper Milks
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