Teachers- How are classroom assignments conducted? PTA involved?

[Anonymous]

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Yep. PTA parent who picked my kids teachers here.

As long as you are nice, and work to foster a relationship with the principal in a positive way, why should they say no?

I can see the PTA parents who are a pain in the butt not getting accommodated, but really- volunteering at the school for both SAH and working moms should equal some perks. It's only fair.
[/quote]

:x
You are a jerk and you make my job as a PTA President harder. I really don't need accusations of nepotism attached to me as I do my level best to do right for
every.
single.
child.
in the building.
[/quote]

Amen, I too am a PTSA President. I have done my best to never cross the line. I only advocate on behalf of all of the students, not just mine. We (our Exec Board) have tried to encourage parents to participate. We are not cliquey, we only want parents to come in and help serve their school community. We have opportunities for everyone, whenever a person is available to volunteer we are happy to have them. I as well as the other board members spend and incredible amount of time working to improve the school environment for students and teachers. I have never asked for anything back in return. I am so sick of people complaining about SAHM's, they have chosen to volunteer their time when it would be easier to find a part time job that actually pay's and appreciates them for their efforts. My student had an awful time with one of his teachers last year and BECAUSE of my PTSA affiliation, I let him handle speaking with the counselor and the AP. He was unable to switch his class and struggled the whole year. I never ever even mentioned the issues in my meetings with the principal.
PS: To all of you who just sit back and complain, please try to find a committee to volunteer on, or do something more productive than point fingers and make false accusations. To the complainer: is your school a member of the state and national PTA's or are they a PTO? (I have been in PTO's and there are some good one's too, but PTA has more stringent rules)
I WILL SWEAR TO YOU THAT MY STUDENT DOES NOT GET ANY SPECIAL PREFERENCE BASED ON MY POSITION!!! /quote]

[Anonymous]

If you ARE an involved parent, volunteer at the schools, you get to know the teachers and discover that each teacher has strengths and weaknesses. You start to realize that the teacher that is all the kids favorite teacher and the best is because she does special things like popsicle parties as a reward, or gives less homework. I honestly think there is very little difference between teachers. Most are people who care deeply about the children and who strive to do the best they can.

There have been VERY few that I thought were incompetent, and hell I could be wrong.

The only parents that I've seen get seriously bent out of shape about teacher assignments are PITA's that don't spend any time in the school and base all their decisions on what "everyone else" says.

I think we are very fortunate to live in school districts where so many excellent teachers abound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As an influential parent with access to the principal, I think there probably are influential parents who have some influence, but it is subtle influence. It's true that when you put a lot of time into the school, you build a lot of capital with the principal. The principal needs parents to run events and raise money. Money can go into helping low income kids go on field trips or to bring in interesting afterschool programs or just help teachers with supplies so they can do a better job. That is critical stuff that needs to get done to make the school work well. If putting a kid in Mrs B's class helps a key parent, then that seems normal to me.

That all said, we have never made requests. The main reason is that I trust all the teachers in our school. Some of them are less than communicative with me, but the kids like them and are doing well. It is good for my kids to be exposed to different teaching styles and temperaments just like they will see in college and in the work place. If I have a specific issue with a teacher, I will raise it then. I rarely have specific issues with teachers.

Exactly!!! I believe that you can influence a bit in our school. I am a SAHM and at the school almost daily but I am uncomfortable asking for special treatment. I have no desire to micro-manage my kids' lives and while I have been tempted, I want my children to learn how to adapt to various situations, people whatever in a constructive way. Life gets more complicated as you get older and enter the upper grades, then college and beyond. You don't pick your professors, bosses, co-workers, roomates etc, so the sooner kids learn to deal with whatever situations and people they are given the better for them in the long run.

[Anonymous]

This thread is depressing.

Yes, take a look at the teacher placements of the influential PTA member and you will likely see a pattern. These children tend to get the teachers with the best reputations.

I also find it a little depressing that the parents who are the most aggressive about meeting with the principal about every little problem also seem to get the "best" teachers.

Public school administrators should absolutely not act this way.

I would also like to point out that there are a LOT of PTA volunteers that go unnoticed every year that put in TONS of time. At our school, there are numerous events that take a lot of planning. The parents who put in the most amount of time got pretty much zero credit. Granted, we didn't do it for the "credit" but for our children.

But this sense that you can just volunteer and be assured a good teacher placement is BS as well. You pretty much have to be on the PTA board or a very good friend of somebody who is...

[Anonymous]

I usually email the principal with a list of kids with whom my DD does not get along (like the little boy in one year who kept telling her he was going to kill her and drink her blood. They do accomodate me in keeping them apart now) and with a request for a teacher who is a good fit for my child's needs. I remind them of the teachers with whom she's been a good fit in the past (almost all) and the one who hated her and publicly ridiculed and humiliated her (which the school acknowledged and apologized for). I know my kid can really push some buttons sometimes and I don't want her to make another teacher insane....

The last couple of years my input has resulted in a good student teacher fit, FWIW.

[Anonymous]

I usually email the principal with a list of kids with whom my DD does not get along (like the little boy in one year who kept telling her he was going to kill her and drink her blood. They do accomodate me in keeping them apart now) and with a request for a teacher who is a good fit for my child's needs. I remind them of the teachers with whom she's been a good fit in the past (almost all) and the one who hated her and publicly ridiculed and humiliated her (which the school acknowledged and apologized for). I know my kid can really push some buttons sometimes and I don't want her to make another teacher insane....

The last couple of years my input has resulted in a good student teacher fit, FWIW.

Comedy gold!

[Anonymous]

"You get who you get, and you don't get upset."