Is this typical for PTAs in HS?

[Anonymous]

The PTA at my DC's HS (down county, MCPS) is recruiting volunteers to come to the school at 7am to welcome students and teachers back for the second semester. The message asks parents to "please consider making a sign, or bringing small treats to hand out." I am all about my kids, but I can't imagine a more pointless exercise than standing outside a high school at 7am in January to congratulate teenagers for walking in the doors. My kids would probably just laugh but I imagine most teenagers would be horrified to have their parents do this.

Is this normal for MCPS high schools? Doesn't everyone have better things to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PTA at my DC's HS (down county, MCPS) is recruiting volunteers to come to the school at 7am to welcome students and teachers back for the second semester. The message asks parents to "please consider making a sign, or bringing small treats to hand out." I am all about my kids, but I can't imagine a more pointless exercise than standing outside a high school at 7am in January to congratulate teenagers for walking in the doors. My kids would probably just laugh but I imagine most teenagers would be horrified to have their parents do this.

Is this normal for MCPS high schools? Doesn't everyone have better things to do?

The bolded. Think of it as teacher appreciation.

Is your school one of the ones that has had some awful things happen in the past month like gun incidents or overdoses? Maybe it is an effort to make people more comfortable and counteract the negativity?

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't do it. But it is a nice sentiment.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand posts like this. There is no harm in this activity and it shows support and appreciation for the faculty and students (you know, what the PTA is supposed to do). Don’t do it if it doesn’t work for you.

[Anonymous]

I agree, it's silly so I wouldn't participate.

[Anonymous]

Not Walter Johnson.

All the “appreciation” activities, food related or not, are generally performative and underappreciated. I spent many years in a PTA and many teachers were on various diets, didn’t eat the goodies and couldn’t have cared less about the various non-food encouragements. Especially after the start of Covid: germ concerns with home baked goods and severe burn out that isn’t placated by smiles and posters.

[Anonymous]

This is dumb. While some teachers might appreciate the sentiment, most will feel like it's a barrier to getting to their desk as quickly as possible to do their work and an awkward situation where they have to feign excitement.

Teachers would get much more mileage out of:
- encouraging parents and kids to write a meaningful note to a teacher who has inspired or helped them
- a $5 Starbucks giftcard

I am a teacher.

[Anonymous]

My HS kid, like most, would not want me standing outside her school cheering (holding a sign, no less). It’s like whoever planned this doesn’t have kids.

[Anonymous]

I am more worried about the book-banning creeps.

[Anonymous]

I don't know. Some might like it, some might not. I remember kids being excited at my kid's DCC high school to have the band and cheerleaders welcoming people on back to school night and that was well-received.

I think the idea and intent is good, but maybe a few tweaks could make it less cringeworthy. I think they can hand out some goodies instead of just the signs. And maybe not having the parents do it but hiring someone relevant or interesting. Or having the "fun teachers" take the lead with this rather than the parents. But I like the idea. Kids need to see and know that the school community, which includes parents, is cheering them on and that the start of a new marking period is a restart opportunity to grow, improve and succeed.

[Anonymous]

I think it's a fun thing to do and they are just trying to get parent involvement and be creative. However, I wouldn't go at 7 AM.

[Anonymous]

As a teacher and parent, this is so pointless. Kids won’t care and neither will the staff. How about we actually do something to help the kids improve their horrible Math comprehension and skills?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher and parent, this is so pointless. Kids won’t care and neither will the staff. How about we actually do something to help the kids improve their horrible Math comprehension and skills?

This is clearly an activity meant for morale and school spirit. I think we can boost academics and also support emotional and school appreciation as well. It's not an either or scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a teacher and parent, this is so pointless. Kids won’t care and neither will the staff. How about we actually do something to help the kids improve their horrible Math comprehension and skills?

This is clearly an activity meant for morale and school spirit. I think we can boost academics and also support emotional and school appreciation as well. It's not an either or scenario.

Parents/PTA cannot do anything about the teacher's ability, curriculum, and how they teach and reach kids in their classes. Parents can only supplement outside of school to help with that.

[Anonymous]

Our kids are at the same school, OP. And I think it’s shitty that you’re making fun of this on a public forum. It might not be for you, or for everyone - I’m not participating, and I don’t know who is. But I appreciate the fact that some parents are making an effort (and they do much more than this event, as you know.)

[Anonymous]

Free coffee/breakfast items for teachers would be nice.
Students are like sleep walking zombies at 7 am so I don’t think they would care about signs.
I bet a cluster of parents cheering them on would just annoy them.

HS teacher