Reply to Let's talk PTAs and participation

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]At my kids' schools most PTA mtgs are a waste of time because they are not set up to be a discussion on a topic; they're just reading out stuff that could be communicated via email. "Here's what we raised from x fundraiser; next month we have a spirit night at y restaurant." The leads just provide short updates but it's not "let's have a discussion on a given topic to get parent feedback".

I would LOVE to attend the latter and would even get a sitter for meetings like that. But i've given up going to the "report out" meetings. They are not a good use of time. [/quote]

This is how ours were at the elementary level as well.  I did serve as recording secretary for 2 years, so I know that the minutes were always posted on the pta website.  My particular school PTA wasn't into using FB even though I tried.  They were effective at getting volunteers for events though and lots of committee meetings happened via email conversations.

As it was, the meetings often went 2 hours.  I know personally, that whenever I saw a parent come in who wasn't on the Board, I thought, "Oh great, it's going to be a 3 hour meeting."  Rarely if ever did people come just to listen / learn about what was planned -- they came to bitch about something or make a pitch for an event that they wanted to do.[/quote]

That's an absurdly dismissive attitude.  You think anyone not on the board should simply sit there and listen, rather than try to contribute?  No wonder people are hesitant to waste their time at meetings or trying to get involved more broadly.  Could a parent go too far and try to monopolize the meeting, sure.  And that wouldn't be appropriate.  But it absolutely is appropriate for parents to offer their ideas and constructive criticism.  PTA isn't your little fiefdom where the serfs simply do what they are told without contribution or complaint.[/quote]

No, but I'd like for them to at least meet the current leadership and understand how things work before they come in with a half-baked idea that they don't really want to take the lead on.  [/quote]

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