No response to emails to PTA board members?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone else have this issue, or have advice on how to handle?

I attend PTA meetings and sometimes they'll say "if you're interested in helping with XYZ, contact this person." And then I will contact them, but I don't get a response. It has happened several times. Like I volunteered to be on a committee they were looking for members for but no response. Another time I sent an email to someone coordinating volunteers to help with a big fundraising event -- same thing. Just recently I sent an email to the person who helps coordinate weekend playdates for younger kids, and I still have not heard back.

I mentioned one of the other emails to the recipient at a PTA meeting ("hey I reached out about that committee but didn't hear back -- I wanted to make sure I had the email correct") and she said "oh yeah, I saw that but forgot to reply -- I'll get back to you soon" but then never did.

I don't want to be paranoid but... am I being frozen out? This can't possibly be that my emails are going to spam for all of these people, right? My kid has been at the school 2.5 years and I can't think of anything I've said or done that would merit that, though. I know I can be sort of socially awkward but I want to be an involved parent so I've made the effort to put myself out there. It's frustrating to be hitting a wall and I'm thinking I might just sit it out. Maybe I can volunteer with the classroom some.

It's especially strange to me because it feels like they are constantly putting out calls for volunteers.

[Anonymous]

I am a PTA member (lowest level of board member too) outside the DMV.

PTA volunteers tend to be thinly stretched. A lot of people get drafted for officer roles because nobody steps up right away. I was drafted by e-mail last year and nobody even informed me to show up at the meeting where I was supposed to be inducted. Typically the moms who get most involved are highly social but also tend to rely only on friends they know pretty well. Because it does take time to coordinate people and sometimes there's a hosting issue. A very helpful thing is to have a place to meet to plan activities that's not someone's home (school, library, restaurant).

As I write now, still no e-mail reminder meeting notice has gone out for tonight's monthly meeting at my high school. I'm anti-Facebook so that makes it difficult to keep up with the limited communications that do happen.

As a businessperson, I don't find PTAs highly-effective but they do add some value and can be a useful interface for the principal to have with some conscientious parents.

I highly, highly doubt you are being intentionally frozen out. I would say to keep trying and that your efforts will be appreciated. Consider your extra effort part of what you are volunteering. Find a PTA activity you like and own the running of it. When I look back, in retrospect over 12 years, participating/volunteering has been worth it. Both for creating a positive social environment at the elementary level and for communicating my POV on school issues with middle and high school level administrators.

If nobody else thanks you for trying, let me be that person for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a PTA member (lowest level of board member too) outside the DMV.

PTA volunteers tend to be thinly stretched. A lot of people get drafted for officer roles because nobody steps up right away. I was drafted by e-mail last year and nobody even informed me to show up at the meeting where I was supposed to be inducted. Typically the moms who get most involved are highly social but also tend to rely only on friends they know pretty well. Because it does take time to coordinate people and sometimes there's a hosting issue. A very helpful thing is to have a place to meet to plan activities that's not someone's home (school, library, restaurant).

As I write now, still no e-mail reminder meeting notice has gone out for tonight's monthly meeting at my high school. I'm anti-Facebook so that makes it difficult to keep up with the limited communications that do happen.

As a businessperson, I don't find PTAs highly-effective but they do add some value and can be a useful interface for the principal to have with some conscientious parents.

I highly, highly doubt you are being intentionally frozen out. I would say to keep trying and that your efforts will be appreciated. Consider your extra effort part of what you are volunteering. Find a PTA activity you like and own the running of it. When I look back, in retrospect over 12 years, participating/volunteering has been worth it. Both for creating a positive social environment at the elementary level and for communicating my POV on school issues with middle and high school level administrators.

If nobody else thanks you for trying, let me be that person for you.

Thank you for this. I definitely get that the PTA is a volunteer org and that people must be stretched.

But I'm still not sure how I can participate if every time I try to do so, I get no response? I think part of why I'm asking now is that I think I only have a bit more trying with no response left in me -- like just from an ego standpoint, and not wanting to invest more energy in something that feels kind of like beating my head agains the wall for no reason, I am starting to feel like it would be better to just bail. I get why it's probably easier to just turn to friends or people who can offer more (money, a place to host events, whatever). But it feels like maybe the upshot is that it doesn't make sense to keep trying.

[Anonymous]

Ask the people who requested volunteers in person if texting would be an easier way to stay in touch. And get their phone number.

Another option is to show up at an event and find a harried chairperson and ask if you can help clean up.

If you're going to write off helping the PTA you might want to mention it at a general meeting that nobody had contacted you.

Also, if PTA isn't making use of your skills, do ask your kid's classroom teacher.

Volunteerism has dropped off a lot post-pandemic.

There are not really any excuses good enough but I can confirm there is a lot of inefficiency in the system. I attribute it to a lack of SAHMs in most places. Kids and work have to be most people's priorities.

[Anonymous]

Often roles change, people quit, etc. Sometimes there is an alternate email address someone doesn’t even know about (like a personal email vs a PTA mailbox)- I don’t find PTAs to be all that well organized and there is a ton of turnover in terms of who handles what.

Or things are missed- they are volunteers and stretched for time.

I was on the board for 2 years and was still getting random emails to my personal account years later. Obviously someone forgot to change it somewhere. I was nice and forwarded them but after years- I wouldn’t blame someone for deleting.

Highly unlikely it has anything to do with you as a person.