Why are you not active in your elementary school's parent organization?

[Anonymous]

I do greatly appreciate the efforts of the people who throw themselves in the PTA at our school - things like teacher aides, bulk supplies, support for teachers, extra things for the classes and teachers. Some of them are really putting their skills to an effective management use. But they go overboard on a lot of things that could be cut and seem like a desire to do things to do things. (ie. if you cut back on some of the unnecessaries, you could cut back on some of the fundraisers -- which become circular). And some are on the bubble to me - like fall festivals that are community building maybe. I prefer to do things like field trips and I am interested in the general school management.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do greatly appreciate the efforts of the people who throw themselves in the PTA at our school - things like teacher aides, bulk supplies, support for teachers, extra things for the classes and teachers. Some of them are really putting their skills to an effective management use. But they go overboard on a lot of things that could be cut and seem like a desire to do things to do things. (ie. if you cut back on some of the unnecessaries, you could cut back on some of the fundraisers -- which become circular). And some are on the bubble to me - like fall festivals that are community building maybe. I prefer to do things like field trips and I am interested in the general school management.

And it becomes very cliquey! also a circular prospect. They queen bees and drones attract the other similars - with a feeling like it's an extension of the fraternity/sorority systems - reinforcing a sense where some people are the 'in crowd'

[Anonymous]

The mommy politics and rumor mongering appalls me.

[Anonymous]

Solution: more PTA dads

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Solution: more PTA dads

No kidding. My DH was president of our PTO one year. Shorter meetings, fewer 'community building events', same level of $ raised.

[Anonymous]

I'm a single parent.

Before I became a teacher, I was super active in the PTA. Once I became a teacher I just didn't have time. I can't make morning meetings for obvious reasons. Aside from making dinner and helping with homework, my evenings are spent grading papers and getting ready for the next school day. I'm a chauffeur for swimming, piano, and sports on weekends. Then there's lesson planning and prep for the upcoming week.

I've heard rumors that I'll have free time when my child goes to college.

[Anonymous]

PTA is really what you make of it. You can spend your time socializing and raising money for socializing. Or you can fund enrichment activities for the kids from families who cannot afford it.

Structurally it's just a 501(c)3 (or if yours isn't, then that can be your goal for this year). It's up to you and your fellow parents how you want to use it.

I agree that you don't have to go all-in and make it your life, but I wouldn't be so glib and cynical about it either. This is not Sweden, folks, schools are not even close to being adequately funded. Private charity is necessary to hold things together like in so many areas of American life.

If you lack the time or money fair enough. But if you have some philosophical problem with it, that's like refusing to donate to the food bank or your alma mater because "my taxes should cover it". Guess what, in France your taxes would cover it, at an overall taxation rate of 45 percent instead of the 25 percent we have here.

/rantoff

Thanks to all the parents who donate time and/or money and/or strategic thinking to your PTA. It's worthwhile and it makes a difference.

[Anonymous]

Because some parents are simply nuts and I don't have to listen to their unnecesarily long and very weak arguments for things that I think are totally unimportant and that take resources away from thigns that I do think are important. The only reason I go (if I go) is to stop some particularly nutsy parents from messing things up.

[Anonymous]

I understand we don't live in Sweden. Dcps schools aren't funded at a level to provide the aides, social workers, specials teachers, etc that help provide the students, at all SES levels, at our school the education they deserve. so given that we have chosen to live in DC, I am happy to contribute financially to fund these things. My husband and I actually enjoy the auction (we are extraverts) so we either spend a lot there or just cut a check.

The other stuff I see as "nice to have" but not worth the time I would have to take away from either my job or my kids. And if other parents stopped volunteering for the "fluffy" stuff our school has (a million field trips, a cooking program, and lots of in school celebrations) such that those things could no longer exist, that would not bother me at all. It is not a matter of "when" these events take place. They could be during work time or during family time. Either way, I am not sacrificing that time for fluffy school stuff.

Basically, I agree with the npr piece and appreciate it seems others do too. You would never hear that directly from any parent in our school. Anonymous forums are great!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A NPR story on the radio featuring this article:

http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/2014/12/16/54797/pasadena-schools-experiment-with-charlas-to-help-students-by-coaching-their-parents/

"“We found that most forms of parental involvement yield no benefit to children’s test scores or grades regardless of their racial or ethnic background or socioeconomic status.”
Robinson found traditional activities like attending PTA meetings didn’t help.
But he said a few things can make a difference.
“The list of what consistently works is pretty short. That would be expecting your child to go to college, regularly discussing activities that your child engages in at school and requesting a particular teacher for your child,” he said."

Really? So they extra teachers, books, resources and specialists that the PTA pays for don't help?

No effect of test scores but dont we all on dcum afree that test scores are bullshit anyway?
So that article is meaningless. Get anither parameter to measure success,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents weren't joiners, I am not a joiner. I see the school's job as educating the kids. My responsibility is to make sure my kid is doing what is expecting of them, behaving etc.

I hate auctions etc., all the other nonsense. I will write a check if necessary but really I don't think the parents should have to pay beyond what they do through the tax system.[/quote

I deplore these statements. You know that all taxpayers nut just parents are paying through the tax system and with the systematic defunding in public education that still is not enough. Get over yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No interest, not a joiner. I'm happy to write you a check, but it's not clear to me that "parent engagement" per se improves the school. If there's a specific thing you want me to do (like clean up the school yard, take a role in a fundraiser) I'm likely to pitch in. But just "be involved" for the sake of being involved? No.

Yet teachers and schools are being held accountable for parent engagement. Once again, teachers on the losing end. How does one engage people who don't want to be engaged?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because some parents are simply nuts and I don't have to listen to their unnecesarily long and very weak arguments for things that I think are totally unimportant and that take resources away from thigns that I do think are important. The only reason I go (if I go) is to stop some particularly nutsy parents from messing things up.

Haha! So true! Oversight for over-the-top projects and expenditures.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The meetings are a turn off. There are new parents who are full of new ideas who are mostly white at a predominantly minority school. They volunteer for everything immediately and suggest fundraisers that would not appeal to the majority of parents. Guess what, they usually leave by K and a new set of parents come in- same thing all over again.

Yeah! I was totally wondering if anyone noticed the racial divide. The real housewives of D.C. do PTA as a hobby and the working mothers are trying to prioritize time and energy towards their loved ones and managing a household.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand we don't live in Sweden. Dcps schools aren't funded at a level to provide the aides, social workers, specials teachers, etc that help provide the students, at all SES levels, at our school the education they deserve. so given that we have chosen to live in DC, I am happy to contribute financially to fund these things. My husband and I actually enjoy the auction (we are extraverts) so we either spend a lot there or just cut a check.

The other stuff I see as "nice to have" but not worth the time I would have to take away from either my job or my kids. And if other parents stopped volunteering for the "fluffy" stuff our school has (a million field trips, a cooking program, and lots of in school celebrations) such that those things could no longer exist, that would not bother me at all. It is not a matter of "when" these events take place. They could be during work time or during family time. Either way, I am not sacrificing that time for fluffy school stuff.

Basically, I agree with the npr piece and appreciate it seems others do too. You would never hear that directly from any parent in our school. Anonymous forums are great!

I don't disagree with your approach to PTA involvement but perhaps you are missing my point and OP's point. OP is asking why there are people who don't volunteer OR donate. If you are donating what you can afford then that's all anyone asks of you, you're doing your part. As for all of those events that you don't value, you don't have to volunteer or attend. In my case I donate as generously as I can afford and I work on some programs that I think make a meaningful difference in students' lives. I don't do "fluffy" stuff either if I don't feel like it but the point is I am involved and so are you. That's not what OP was asking about.

The problem with the NPR piece and the other article and some of the comments here is that they rely on a 1950s made-for-TV-movie version of PTAs. In that version of the universe, schools are 100% funded and PTAs are a social outlet for bored housewives. The modern PTA, as I have pointed out, is best understood as an education non-profit that supplements a school budget in providing core teaching and enrichment services. For example Janney PTO budget is $500,000/year and Janney school budget is what, maybe $7-8m/year? Someone can correct me. So the PTA is providing a decent percentage of operating revenue for the school.