Are you happy with your PTA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Ditto, Queen Bees who peaked in high school and never want it to end.

These type of stereotypes and comments are so maddening to me as I spend a lot of my time on activities for the entire school community. YOUR family benefits because of the VOLUNTEER work I do.

[Anonymous]

Another former PTSA president here -

It takes a HUGE amount of work to build community, which is a big part of the job as I see it. Because PTAs are volunteer-run they do take on the character of whoever bravely steps up to the job. Some presidents cover the principals derrieres - which is not the job I believe they should be doing. Some do the easy thing and ask their friends to help run things which ends up alienating the other parents.

So if you're not happy with your PTA, step up and do the hard work of making it inclusive. Chiming in here anonymously is worthless to your school.

[Anonymous]

I am so tired of hearing that everyone should be grateful because you volunteer. This is so PTA. I volunteer too in many different ways, both at school and outside of school, but I don't tell anyone to thank me or be grateful. Even volunteer positions come with the responsibility. If you decide to be a PTA president don't tell others not to bother you because you VOLUNTEER. It is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am so tired of hearing that everyone should be grateful because you volunteer. This is so PTA. I volunteer too in many different ways, both at school and outside of school, but I don't tell anyone to thank me or be grateful. Even volunteer positions come with the responsibility. If you decide to be a PTA president don't tell others not to bother you because you VOLUNTEER. It is irrelevant.

NP here. If you volunteer a lot, then yes, people should thank you and be grateful--of course, why not? It is common graciousness to thank other who volunteer. You should be thanked, and so should the PTA parents. If you don't like the volunteer work of others, I am certain you can volunteer to help them out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am so tired of hearing that everyone should be grateful because you volunteer. This is so PTA. I volunteer too in many different ways, both at school and outside of school, but I don't tell anyone to thank me or be grateful. Even volunteer positions come with the responsibility. If you decide to be a PTA president don't tell others not to bother you because you VOLUNTEER. It is irrelevant.

Huh? And here I thought it was "so basic good manners. "

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I am so tired of hearing that everyone should be grateful because you volunteer. This is so PTA. I volunteer too in many different ways, both at school and outside of school, but I don't tell anyone to thank me or be grateful. Even volunteer positions come with the responsibility. If you decide to be a PTA president don't tell others not to bother you because you VOLUNTEER. It is irrelevant.

I agree with this. I have decided that the best fit for my personality and availability is to take on projects directly for the class. If they are in-person projects I choose the ones that are limited in duration; otherwise, I pick a job like communications room parent that I can do late at night, via email, etc.

I would not expect this contribution to be denigrated by other parents in the school -- it amounts to a lot of time and effort. There are some parents who can't volunteer at all -- that's just the way it is. People should back off saying what others should do.

[Anonymous]

as the saying goes, put up or shut up. . . don't complain unless i'm willing to do the job yourself.

[Anonymous]

I'm not asking for your thanks for my volunteer work--I'm just asking that you don't wrongly stereotype me because I enjoy helping out at my children's school. This is definitely a case for which if you don't have something nice to say, just don't say it! And, yes, I ask my friends to help out on projects but would more than WELCOME other (non friends) to help, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - If you are unhappy with your PTA, then you should step up and run the PTA, or at least, join the PTA Board b/c then you can help influence things. At our school, there are always open positions on the PTA.

The PTA is comprised of volunteers and I think they give their time and energy to make the school a better place for the students and teachers.

Mine is run by a bucnh of SAHM bitches who are looking to fill up a LOT of free time with their gal pals and will do anything to avoid going back to work, ever.

Then step up to the plate yourself. Or, perhaps, you'd like to exempt your child from all the activities and benefits the PTA creates at your school -- holiday parties, library books, after-school programs, arts assemblies . .. .

I'm a long-time PTA/PA volunteer in public and private schools (my oldest kid is now in college), and have enjoyed working with SAHPs and WOHPs on a range of projects. Anyone who wants to roll up their sleeves and work is always welcome. It's the freeloading complainers like you who should either put up or shut up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP - If you are unhappy with your PTA, then you should step up and run the PTA, or at least, join the PTA Board b/c then you can help influence things. At our school, there are always open positions on the PTA.

The PTA is comprised of volunteers and I think they give their time and energy to make the school a better place for the students and teachers.

I agree with this. Also, you may be overestimating what PTAs can do. They're not MCPS employees. If principals are not open to any suggestions, then it's impossible to make certain changes. That doesn't mean the PTA is in agreement with everything the principal is doing (or not doing).

Actually a lot of PTA officers are MCPS employees. Start by looking at Oakland Terrace and Glen Haven.

[Anonymous]

Why do PTAs in Bethesda tell their members when Weast proposes to put a cell tower on their playgrounds but in Silver Spring the cell towers are all over the place and PTAs are silent? Whitman, WJ, Pyle, Julius West and Wootton do not have cell towers on playgrounds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do PTAs in Bethesda tell their members when Weast proposes to put a cell tower on their playgrounds but in Silver Spring the cell towers are all over the place and PTAs are silent? Whitman, WJ, Pyle, Julius West and Wootton do not have cell towers on playgrounds.

B/C Bethesda PTAs raise lots of money for MCPS. They also work with the unions on efforts to raise taxes so that more money can go to MCPS. They have influence with our legislators. In some schools in Bethesda they pretty much run schools with MCPS permission.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why do PTAs in Bethesda tell their members when Weast proposes to put a cell tower on their playgrounds but in Silver Spring the cell towers are all over the place and PTAs are silent? Whitman, WJ, Pyle, Julius West and Wootton do not have cell towers on playgrounds.

B/C Bethesda PTAs raise lots of money for MCPS. They also work with the unions on efforts to raise taxes so that more money can go to MCPS. They have influence with our legislators. In some schools in Bethesda they pretty much run schools with MCPS permission.

You need to provide some actual facts to support your assertions. This whole forum is one big sock puppet.