If you're a non-contributer parent to "school extras"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because of the off-putting PTA moms. I don't want to contribute to their private club.

Well put. And after 15 years of this nonsense in private school while paying full-freight, I am just exhausted and no longer interested in the auction, the cookie sale, anything. Just please charge me $400 more at the beginning of the year. I can't work a full time job while dealing with all the incoming school emails re: fundraisers and activities. It's just too much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because of the off-putting PTA moms. I don't want to contribute to their private club.

Well put. And after 15 years of this nonsense in private school while paying full-freight, I am just exhausted and no longer interested in the auction, the cookie sale, anything. Just please charge me $400 more at the beginning of the year. I can't work a full time job while dealing with all the incoming school emails re: fundraisers and activities. It's just too much.

But you are willing to contribute monetarily, so that is contributing. Many parents are not willing to do anything from the responses here.

[Anonymous]

I always send in money for field trips and teacher gifts. Beyond that, it's hit or miss, and I don't give a flying fig what others think. I'm the sole breadearner - nurturing my career is far more important than given extras to the school. If I volunteer, it is with my professional group. If I have extra time, I will be spending it at a networking lunch or afterwork event. The magic job fairy isn't standing around waiting to hand me a new job if I lose mine, so I need to make sure I maintain my network and build my professional reputation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always send in money for field trips and teacher gifts. Beyond that, it's hit or miss, and I don't give a flying fig what others think. I'm the sole breadearner - nurturing my career is far more important than given extras to the school. If I volunteer, it is with my professional group. If I have extra time, I will be spending it at a networking lunch or afterwork event. The magic job fairy isn't standing around waiting to hand me a new job if I lose mine, so I need to make sure I maintain my network and build my professional reputation.

Your response is interesting. I don't think this thread is about dedicating all kind of time to the school, but mainly just to take an interest in your child's education. I am not the OP, but I took it as even contributin a 4 to 8 hours max for the whole school year. I am making the assumption that other parents would be doing their part as well. I don't think that taking 8 hours of your work time off in the span of 10 months is going to make or break your job situation. If that was the case, why would jobs give us weeks of vacation time. If it is the case, then you need to find another job that stands behind the vacation time it offers as a benefit to its employees. I know at my workplace, they encourage vacation time as a security measure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I always send in money for field trips and teacher gifts. Beyond that, it's hit or miss, and I don't give a flying fig what others think. I'm the sole breadearner - nurturing my career is far more important than given extras to the school. If I volunteer, it is with my professional group. If I have extra time, I will be spending it at a networking lunch or afterwork event. The magic job fairy isn't standing around waiting to hand me a new job if I lose mine, so I need to make sure I maintain my network and build my professional reputation.

You are contributing. As a pp said, there are people who don't contribute time OR money and don't give a flying fig! You at least give a fig!

[Anonymous]

More scholarly back-up on why I don't do the "PTA/back sale/raffle ticket sales/walkathons/cookie sales/wrapping paper sales" thing:

http://m.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/04/and-dont-help-your-kids-with-their-homework/358636/

[Anonymous]

"I always send in money for field trips and teacher gifts. Beyond that, it's hit or miss, and I don't give a flying fig what others think. I'm the sole breadearner - nurturing my career is far more important than given extras to the school. If I volunteer, it is with my professional group. If I have extra time, I will be spending it at a networking lunch or afterwork event. The magic job fairy isn't standing around waiting to hand me a new job if I lose mine, so I need to make sure I maintain my network and build my professional reputation.


Your response is interesting. I don't think this thread is about dedicating all kind of time to the school, but mainly just to take an interest in your child's education. I am not the OP, but I took it as even contributin a 4 to 8 hours max for the whole school year. I am making the assumption that other parents would be doing their part as well. I don't think that taking 8 hours of your work time off in the span of 10 months is going to make or break your job situation. If that was the case, why would jobs give us weeks of vacation time. If it is the case, then you need to find another job that stands behind the vacation time it offers as a benefit to its employees. I know at my workplace, they encourage vacation time as a security measure."

Do you have any clue how elitist you sound?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I always send in money for field trips and teacher gifts. Beyond that, it's hit or miss, and I don't give a flying fig what others think. I'm the sole breadearner - nurturing my career is far more important than given extras to the school. If I volunteer, it is with my professional group. If I have extra time, I will be spending it at a networking lunch or afterwork event. The magic job fairy isn't standing around waiting to hand me a new job if I lose mine, so I need to make sure I maintain my network and build my professional reputation.


Your response is interesting. I don't think this thread is about dedicating all kind of time to the school, but mainly just to take an interest in your child's education. I am not the OP, but I took it as even contributin a 4 to 8 hours max for the whole school year. I am making the assumption that other parents would be doing their part as well. I don't think that taking 8 hours of your work time off in the span of 10 months is going to make or break your job situation. If that was the case, why would jobs give us weeks of vacation time. If it is the case, then you need to find another job that stands behind the vacation time it offers as a benefit to its employees. I know at my workplace, they encourage vacation time as a security measure."

Do you have any clue how elitist you sound?

I didn't take the PP's posting as elitist. Makes sense to me. This forum is all about taking things to the extreme....all or nothing...haha.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because of the off-putting PTA moms. I don't want to contribute to their private club.

i am with you on this!

[Anonymous]

most people can see right through the pta cheerleaders are just buying off the administration. so, no we do not care that you are annoyed that we will not fund your special interest campaign.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you're one of the parents who never brings in money for collections, or silent auction items, or you never volunteer for anything like selling raffle tickets, PTA, etc. can you explain why and if it embarrasses you at all? This is anonymous, so no accusations, I just really want to know. What are your justifications? Do you think it impacts your child at all? Do you find yourself avoiding other parents? Or seeking out like-minded ones? Really just looking for honest answers and not ugliness. TIA!

Some people choose not to give and let the whole PTA commitee know about it. Some people like to give under the radar. Don't feel like you need to be in on everything.

[Anonymous]

I just send money, and nobody has complained.Take charge of his education? I do! We do extra homework at home.not sure how baking cookies helps to "take charge of his education".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Because of the off-putting PTA moms. I don't want to contribute to their private club.

Well put. And after 15 years of this nonsense in private school while paying full-freight, I am just exhausted and no longer interested in the auction, the cookie sale, anything. Just please charge me $400 more at the beginning of the year. I can't work a full time job while dealing with all the incoming school emails re: fundraisers and activities. It's just too much.

But you are willing to contribute monetarily, so that is contributing. Many parents are not willing to do anything from the responses here.

Look again. How many people have said on this thread that they do "nothing". Just about all of them have mentioned something, like paying for field trips, and sending in a few checks for the non-BS stuff. I think OPs original premise isn't as solid - s/he seems to think that s/he really has access to what other people are doing, and that doesn't seem to be right.

[Anonymous]

Well I do contribute $ so I'm probably not your target audience. But I almost never go to the events or volunteer because I find it all unspeakably boring and annoying. If someone hands me a sleeve of raffle tickets, I just give them the $ OOP. I don't even bother to fill the cards out because it's a hassle.

[Anonymous]

I don't care who contributes or helps out, but I am glad many of the joyless automatons in this thread aren't the ones running the school or the PTA or volunteering.

A 45 minute party every 6 weeks (on average) is not going to cause an overload of homework and a dent in education. This is such a slippery slope fallacy it is unbelievable.

What these events do do is give these kids a much needed mental break. School should not be a gulag for young ones, sorry.Most of the kids I know look forward to 100 day or Dr Seuss week or the holiday party or Colonial Day so that they can get a break from routine and try different activities.

They need this break, and frankly, given the high stakes track of education these days, they deserve it.