Why am I on the PTA?

[PZMommy]

That’s ridiculous. Don’t people complain?


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Yes! They have a new principal this year, who is awful to the teachers, but seems to like parents. He seems open to having some evening meetings, but then he gets pushback from all the SAHM, who say they can’t go, and it isn’t fair to them after dedicating so much time to the PTA. Very frustrating!! This pta issue is very common in this district. Nothing happens after hours at schools here (aside from back to school night and open house which are in our teacher’s contract) because they have to pay a night custodian and someone has to be there to open the school and pay for electricity, etc. The gifted coordinator asked me to be the parent rep for the gifted program, and my kids’ teachers always pick me to chaperone field trips so I do get to have some involvement, although a very small part. It is better than nothing though.

[anonomom]

Sometimes you can get someone to commit to finding/recruiting more board members - because recruiting is temporary, people will take that on when they can’t take a larger role.

What about delegating the recruitment of help? Sounds like you have all you need to hand the job off.....

That job is on my "help wanted" list. :-)

PZMommy, I hear you about PTA being structured for SAHPs. We're really good at holding events and programs on evenings/weekends, but our board is definitely structured to require members to be SAHPs. It's another thing I'm working on, but it's very hard to get people to imagine, let alone agree, that we could structure things differently to be more welcoming.

[klwa]

I’m the only person on our board who definitely can come back next year. One is graduating out, another might need to transfer, and the third will have done her maximum years in her current board position and doesn’t want to move to a different position.

This is what you need to remind them. That just because they can do it this year, YOU are going to be stuck with EVERYTHING next year. And that's not sustainable.

[icunurse]

I can sympathize a bit. I work with our Boosters and we are a small group. I do fundraising, which is the biggest job. For years, I came to the table with new ideas, ran every event, added new events. While the other 3 board members called it in. I would take days off of work for meetings, only to have them cancelled at the last minute because they forgot, didn’t have enough people, etc. So I declared last year that I wanted out and to find a replacement. They barely made any effort and no new members joined. So now our board has me (who wants out) and two members who don’t even have kids at the school anymore. But the other members are SAHM or casual WAHM, so I think they view meetings as more social vs business. I have told them that I’m burned out and just don’t have the time with my job (I’m working more and taking in more responsibility), plus the HS asked me to join the board of their Boosters.

The other members laugh about me “never leavin”, which just ticks me off more. They make excuses for why people can’t join (we have 275 students and most have 2 parents, you’re telling me we can’t find 4?!). So I have told the group that I am doing the bare minimum this year and will definitely not be involved next year. I have taken it upon myself to post on our FB page about needing a replacement. I think they are finally getting it. Plus the 2 members that stayed on don’t want to do another year, so NOW they are searching harder for replacements. Since I’ve backed off, the other members have stepped up a little, but they continue to be so disorganized (another reason I want out). They have side meetings and then everything is either changed by the Directors because of dates or the organizer of the event can’t get it done on time. So I’m out. They know it. I’m pretty sure I’m resented for it. But what can you do...stand your ground.

Oh, and I warned them several times last year that the group was spending too much and I was frowned upon for questioning spending. Now they are saying that we need to slow down spending. This is what I’m working with.

[dogmom]

Oh, and trust me, many of the parents know the rest of the PTA is like that wint touch it with a 10 ft pole. When I saw some of the stuff our PTA put their effort into, and how complicated they made it at times, I was “Oh, heck no.” Most of the time parents who wail “what about the kids” are actually just unable to let things go. The kids don’t care. Our PTA does have evening hours and WAHP (emphasis on both parents). I can’t imagine a PTA beings so clueless not to. It’s actually very elitist. I mean, why don’t you just put a sign around the kids of dual income or single parents that say “I’m not worth as much as the next kid because my parent(s) work?

[klwa]

Oh, and trust me, many of the parents know the rest of the PTA is like that wint touch it with a 10 ft pole. When I saw some of the stuff our PTA put their effort into, and how complicated they made it at times, I was “Oh, heck no.” Most of the time parents who wail “what about the kids” are actually just unable to let things go. The kids don’t care. Our PTA does have evening hours and WAHP (emphasis on both parents). I can’t imagine a PTA beings so clueless not to. It’s actually very elitist. I mean, why don’t you just put a sign around the kids of dual income or single parents that say “I’m not worth as much as the next kid because my parent(s) work?

Oh, trust me, this has been a huge issue this year at our school. New principal, so lots of changing rules. (Actually, former assistant principal who no one liked...) DD2 started kindergarten this year. Instead of sending the teacher assignment and date the kids were to come for staggered entry, they sent a request to sign up for a time slot for testing. Fine, but the slots were all from 9-2, so there's one day I have to take off early. Then, they won't tell you until you get there for testing what day your staggered entry date is, and on that day, you have to drop the child off at 9 and pick up at 12:30. So, DH & I both have to schedule time off for two different days since we don't know which one. Then, get to the testing and they say, "Oh, your last name starts with an A? Your date is Thursday," which means they knew it the entire time, just didn't think it was important to tell anyone. I couldn't imagine what the single mom who works at Walmart was having to do to get off work all those different times in a single week! Because trust me, that's a lot of the moms at our school!