PTA Executive Leadership Team ? Seriously??

[Anonymous]

Come on people...I am from a different part of the country where we just had a PTA. These PTA people here need to get a life especially in APS. Anytime I get an email from our PTA "Executive Leadership" or "Senior Leadership Team" makes me want to vomit. Are these people trying to make up for something they didn't get in the corporate world? Maybe they didn't get into a G&T program when they were young? They need to look in the mirror, take a deep breath and realize they aren't that special.

[Anonymous]

Most of them probably couldn't lead their way out of a paper bag. I think the executives have access to the PTA expense account.

[Anonymous]

Anything more than "officers" and they need to be ridiculed, unless the PTA is looking to go public or sell a stake to a major private equity firm.

[Anonymous]

What words would you use to distinguish the five members of the board (Pres, VP, Treas, Secretary, Immediate Past President or President elect) that set the agenda and coordinate things? The board is too large to run otherwise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What words would you use to distinguish the five members of the board (Pres, VP, Treas, Secretary, Immediate Past President or President elect) that set the agenda and coordinate things? The board is too large to run otherwise.

"PTA officers"

[Anonymous]

You care way too much.

[Anonymous]

Eh.

I'm officially a Vice-President, as are all the main people on the board.

It's ridiculous, but I actually have work to do for the PTA, and I'm not going on a campaign to change a stupid name.

I don't introduce myself as a VP when meeting new parents. Most are REAL VPs in their professions

[Anonymous]

I think it is a fairly new term. PTA's used to have Executive Board made up of the elected officers. It's just the new "in" phrase. I guess it mirrors corporate America.

[Anonymous]

Our PTA president sents us emails with every single title imaginable after her name - all her degrees, her exact title where she works, and finally, her PTA title. It's sort of silly, but she is a great person and really humble in person, so I have to conclude that the stupid title thing is not indicative of a person's worth as a human being.

[Anonymous]

we just went the other way - we're trying to downplay any use of the words "PTA Board" so as not to intimidate our membership or non-member parents and be more inclusive. (and hopefully attract more people to volunteer in a larger capacity going forward.) But our PTA is a really nice one - no mean girl or power play antics there.

[Anonymous]

I read it as an ego thing for moms who feel inadequate after being out of the work force for a decade.

It's cringeworthy.

One at my kid's school signs off with

-Jane Doe

[Anonymous]

oops.

-Jane Doe
Executive VP of Communications, elect.

Like, she's not even in the role yet and she's using a trumped up version of the title.

[Anonymous]

I think this is like a lot of things -- these are parent volunteers who are well-meaning, but then they do let these appointments that they feel like martyrs for accepting go to their head. They like being "in charge" of something and they by and large tend to forget that they're really supposed to speak for parents and teachers and end up sucking up to the principal and doing the administration's bidding. A classic principal/agent issue (no pun intended).

[Anonymous]

Christ, don't get me started. The PTA at my daughter's school had a hush-hush only PTA 'executives' (and spouses, as well as a very select few others) Halloween party that somehow everyone eventually heard about. Good job keeping a secret for 24 hours. Sure didn't make folks like them more.

They've turned it into a secret sorority.

[Anonymous]

I think it’s a government thing. I work for a federal contractor and all of my clients GS15 and below use elaborate titles. I always imagined it compensates for their lack of actual power or responsibility. I see far less “title dropping” with the SES clients and political appointees.