If you don't join and/or volunteer in your school's PTA, please explain why

[Anonymous]

Are the fees to join Janney's PTA really over $1K? That is astounding. At our Bethesda elementary, the fees are less than $100. We have an active PTA that organizes activities similar to what the former PTA board member describes.

[Anonymous]

Our fees in Arlington were ten dollars.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Former PTA board member here. Haven't read the whole thread but I think there are some misconceptions. The PTA doesn't have anything to do with the curriculum and the teachers don't want parent input about what they teach. Period. The PTA has a very limited mission. The reason that some of you didn't see any educational volunteer opportunities at your back to school night is that the PTA doesn't control those opportunities. Individual teachers ask for volunteers to help in their classroom (can include helping kids with an assignment or photocopying or whatever help the teacher needs during the period you are there). Some teachers don't want any parents in the room (my dc once had a teacher who wouldn't accept volunteers b/c she was worried that the parents would discuss how other children were doing and gossip). Probably a valid concern. If you want to volunteer in the art room, contact the art teacher. If you have a special talent and want to do a program for the students, contact the principal, vice principal or school counselor. The money the PTA raises does go to the cultural arts presentations which teachers typically appreciate and and the students love. So it isn't all fluff. If you don't want to support the PTA, that is your right. But stop criticizing it for not being educational -- those volunteer opportunities are there -- just not through the PTA.

What would be an example of a cultural art presentation? Does anyone know if the PTA money at Janney goes to teacher "teaching and management workshops" Like trips abroad or to other US cities for "teaching or management enhancement"?

Because at Janney most families have at least 2 kids with a contribution of $1050 per family. If even half the families contribute, that's 200K+-- WTF. How many "cultural arts presentations" can you have?

No kidding! I bet if someone digs into this a bit more, you'll find exactly the type of "teacher workshops/trips/seminars" that the PP suggests. I have worked in education issues in the past and one thing you learn early on is that "teacher training" is one of the biggest boondoggles out there.

[Anonymous]

Most of the Ward 3 schools make pretty hefty requests. They also fund positions that enable a lot more one on one. All I can say is if they are fundraising this much they need to be very clear on what they are spending the money on.

[Anonymous]

Why don't I join PTA? Because we have a control freak Marie Antoinette who likes to micromanage and whose best talent is saying "no" for PTA president. None of the other moms have the balls to stand up to her. I run one
aspect of an afterschool program, and I have actually been so embarrassed by Marie Antoinette's behavior that I have apologized to others on her behalf and told people to just stop coordinating with Marie A. so we could get stuff done. She has really made me ashamed of my school community. I can't believe I'm actually grateful this is our last year at the school. I think I would be able to take it if it was just her, but she is only able to operate this way because of the bystander moms - the ones who won't challenge her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our fees in Arlington were ten dollars.

Ours in FCPS were $7 and $10. I can't imagine paying $1000 for PTA. There's no way I could afford that.

[Anonymous]

I don't volunteer 'cause those PTA ladies are crazy! Just ask you own mother, these ladies have been crazy for decades. Also, when the dads start volunteering -and being pressured into volunteering- then maybe I'll reconsider.

[Anonymous]

Janney's PTA requests contributions from all families called a "Student Support Fee". Others schools call it other names. I think it is about 600 for families with 1 child at the school, 1050 for families with 2 or more (I haven't paid yet this year, but I give as much as I can each year). Murch requests 355 per child (so 3 kids is over 1000). These are voluntary contributions and at Janney over 70 percent of families contribute some amount every year. At every PTA meeting I have ever been to families are encouraged to give what they can. Individual contribution amounts are never made public to the community and to be an actual member of the PTA the fee is 10 dollars. (At Murch it is $15)

I have found the Janney PTA to be very transparent about what they spend the money on and every PTA meeting contains a finance update by the Treasurers. Budgets are approved each spring and changes to the budget are presented to the membership (who show up) at meetings.

The PTA pays for many, many things including furniture, fixtures, text books, computer support, iPads, supplies, gardens, teacher professional development, visiting artists, assemblies, some staff salaries not covered by DCPS, enrichment programs (band, musicals, etc) and provides scholarships for kids to take after school classes at the school when families apply - these class offerings have increased over the past year to include dance, tutoring, language, yoga, art, etc. The list is endless. Take a look. There is a reason the budget is so high. The budget is created every year after DCPS provides their budget to the school and crafted in such a way that and the funds are spent to compliment what DCPS provides. The funds also provide the school the flexibility to keep buying necessary supplies when DCPS freezes the school budget - which happens almost every year. When the budget of each school is frozen, the school cannot buy paper, pens, paint, etc. Salaries are paid, but that is about it. NW schools need PTA funds to keep the school day going when the DC government can't.

Every PTA is a group of working and non-working parents who get very close - because they spend so much time together - but I have never been to a meeting where this "clique" was not begging for help from anyone who would listen.

[Anonymous]

Hmmm, yet DCPS spends more per child than almost any jurisdiction in the country.

[Anonymous]

I have been heavily involved in the Parent-Teacher organization at my child's preschool for the past two years, serving as a committee chair for the past year and as a room parent for the past two. I have decided to limit my participation in this, her final year, and here's why.

I am not a joiner by nature, but really wanted to be involved in my child's school because I think it's important. I found our school's equivalent of a PTA to be very exclusive. It welcomed new members, but made them feel like an outsider by never explaining anything to newcomers. I asked a lot of questions and eventually became comfortable, so took on additional duties. However, the school and the PTA make it difficult to volunteer. Information is always kept within PTA channels, whether intentional or not, so parents who do not participate were rarely informed. When volunteer opportunities did arise, notices went out so late that unless you dropped everything and scrambled, or were part of the PTA, so were already in the know and had it on your calendar, the notification was just not adequate. There was never enough transparency. Only the PTA chair seemed to know the finances and how the money was being spent. And perhaps the most egregious was that the PTA was not the collaboration it was billed to be. Parents donated their time and their money to the school, but the administration was dismissive of parents' concerns when they were brought to the PTA table.

While I will continue to participate in outreach activities such as food drives (I feel these are worthwhile activities) and some fundraising events such as restaurant nights (anything to get out of cooking dinner!), provided there is ample notice, I do not plan to volunteer anywhere close to the amount of time I have in the past. Yes, I work full time and have a lengthy commute. I'm a wife, a mother, a homeowner. And I deal with some significant health issues. Even with all of that on my plate, I was still willing to help out. But the dismissive attitude of the school really turned me off. Why do I want to spend what little free time and energy I have raising funds for staff bonuses and teacher appreciation events (where the majority of our raised funds go) when the school is dismissive to parents' concerns. No, thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hmmm, yet DCPS spends more per child than almost any jurisdiction in the country.

No joke!

That should be the topic of a whole new topic of discussion!! One I would certainly like to hear more about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, it started off poorly at my very first PTA-sponsored orientation, the PTA president went on at length about the pickup procedures after school. I raised my hand and asked about how it worked for pickup from extended day, and she looked at me blankly and said she had no idea and that I should "find some parent from extended day and ask them." Ok, way to alienate me and the roughly 25% of parents in the school who use extended day. And of course all the fliers and information they put out are by the front door, and they ignored my request to put a second set of fliers by the back door, where we pick our kids up.

Then, they send all these begging emails asking for help for this that or the other, so I sign up, bust my ass to get there on time after work, and then show up and no one seems to know what is going on, who is in charge, what I'm supposed to be doing etc, and then someone wanders over sort of vaguely and says "I guess we don't really need you." This has happened to me at least 3-4 times.

Finally, I've volunteered 4 times to be a room parent (a task assigned out by the PTA) and have always been passed over while the same moms do it year after year -- they are all the "PTA moms." So I guess it is the combination of lack of thought for WOH parents, incompetence/wasting my time, and general cliquishness that puts me off.

I still join every year and try to volunteer for a few events, but the latter is mostly to make my kids happy. They like to see me work a booth at the fair...

Wonder how the PTA mom's feel about this and if it's an eye opener......

[Anonymous]

I deal with super uber Type As at work. In my free time, I limit time with assholes.

[Anonymous]

I have a PTA gripe that hasn't been mentioned yet. At my DD/DS school, kids of the 'PTA' parents get the best teachers. I'm kind of a math geek, so I did an analysis of the likelihood that kids of parents on the PTA leadership (about 30 families) could have all managed to get 2 particular teachers purely by chance. The probabilty of this happening if each child had an equal chance of getting these teachers was under 10%.

I wish they would post a price list for the 'good' teachers. Something like 1 year as head of a time-consuming commitee gets you 2 teacher picks, PTA head gets you a lifetime of picks, etc.

The outcome is that kids from families that are struggling financially and don't have enough time to volunteer have a smaller chance at getting the good teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a PTA gripe that hasn't been mentioned yet. At my DD/DS school, kids of the 'PTA' parents get the best teachers. I'm kind of a math geek, so I did an analysis of the likelihood that kids of parents on the PTA leadership (about 30 families) could have all managed to get 2 particular teachers purely by chance. The probabilty of this happening if each child had an equal chance of getting these teachers was under 10%.

I wish they would post a price list for the 'good' teachers. Something like 1 year as head of a time-consuming commitee gets you 2 teacher picks, PTA head gets you a lifetime of picks, etc.

The outcome is that kids from families that are struggling financially and don't have enough time to volunteer have a smaller chance at getting the good teachers.

Back in the day I would have agreed with you. Then I quit work, stayed an home and was swiftly exalted to the PTO exec board (Treasurer) and I got to see first hand the number of hours the Pres/VP work for the PTO. I never complained again that they get 2 spots of teacher picks for their kids.