PTA and parent volunteers in elementary school - out of control?

[Anonymous]

My son is going into Kindergarten in the fall in MontCo. I was astounded when the PTA sent around a list of their committees and number of people needed to fill them -- I counted 98 bodies needed in all. And that's without room parents and all the minion volunteers needed by these committees to actually run the events. Both my mom (a former teacher) and my MIL (a current elementary school teacher in NJ) say they've seen nothing like this list.

So, what is the deal with this? Are there lots of SAHM looking for things to do (if so, what did they do instead when we were kids)? Are schools much more in need of parental help now even in wealthy school districts (I suspect this may be the case)? Are standards just higher? Or what?

[Anonymous]

Am not in MoCo so can't say for sure but it might be that you've just run into a PTA leader who is inexperienced at organizing and thinks things will happen by making up a long list of committee positions that it would be nice to fill. Usually doesn't work.

[Anonymous]

Just don't feel that you need to volunteer for the PTA if that isn't something that makes you comfortable. There are many ways to help the school community and your child without chairing the gift basket committee, or the decorating committee or the cup cake frosting color selection committee...

[Anonymous]

I wonder if this is my child's school! Actually we're still a year away but I'm on the PTA listserv after some research as part of PreK decisionmaking....

It's funny, though, my reaction was the exact opposite. I saw this as vindication of the school's quality - if there are this many parents involved, then it's got to be a good school. Both because parental involvement helps keeps standards high and also (yes, stereotype warning) parental involvement means that there are lots of kids who are well-off enough to have SAHMs. (I work FT, and sometimes wonder if the kids from the fancier houses in our town will all go private.)

Anway, maybe it's because we're still a year away, I actually thought this was a reassuring sign. Maybe I'll change my mind when it's our turn. Believe me I'm also scared off by the ubermoms that turn parenting into a bloodsport, but I actually was thinking volunteering a bit could be good. We're at a daycare we like very much, but which rarely involves parents or fosters much interaction among them, so I've been hoping that elementary school would give us all a bit of community feeling.

[Anonymous]

Last year the NYTimes ran an article on Pizza in an elementary school in NJ. The parents were FIGHTING for a chance to deliver pizza.

Personally, I don't see how that helps the kids.

Parental involvement keeps standards high, perhaps. However, maybe not the right standards. Some of those parents get very pushy, and don't see their own children too clearly. [What I mean is, all of our kids are a mix of strengths and weaknesses, and not all of our kids are gifted]