Reply to Did Covid disrupt the parent volunteer pipeline

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]90% of the child-related volunteer mental/emotional/physical labor is done by moms and the newer generation of moms are not into doing free labor that is being taken for granted and baked in to the school budgets. They no longer need or want that validation. [/quote]

This is pretty true.  The reason men aren't very involved in PTA is that it's very little tangible and financial reward for time spent.  You have to see and value the intangible community-building aspect of it.

I was asked to step in and run a PTA craft fair fundraiser with six weeks notice.  The financial return to the PTA was fairly equivalent to what the women leaders involved would have earned in hourly billings as freelance consultants, ad agency, graphic designers.  We probably could have raised just as much money with a straight appeal for cash donations.  I did the work because cancelling would have cost the PTA money.  But I would rather have just donated.  It cost me two days vacation and about a work week of personal time.  Some people think craft fairs are a fun community activity.  I don't.  We are not doing it this year because nobody stepped up to kick it off.  We will fundraise a different way or spend less.  So we don't give out free snacks during exam week and tickets to the after-graduation event cost more.  The world will keep turning.  [b]I do PTA so I can get in front of administrators about academic concerns.[/quote][/b]At least you admitted it.[/quote]

PP.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with using PTA as a way to communicate with administrators.  It costs $10 to join.  The monthly meetings are open and the principals come to talk about the school and take questions.  That's what I mean about "getting in front of administrators".  I ask them my questions then, from the role of a member/board member.

I will further state that nobody likes complainers who contribute nothing.  So I volunteer for PTA and do work so I'm not a do-nothing complainer.  Because I complain a lot.  I'll admit that volunteering gets me a little credibility but it's no giant conspiratorial benefit.  I'd say as far as it goes is, they believe my concerns are valid.  Instead of being skeptical.  Most of the time they don't have the resources to act on my suggestions anyway.  But at least they give more credence that there are issues.

Feel free to come to the PTA meeting and gain your own credibility by attending regularly and speaking up.[/quote]

This makes me less likely to want to go to the PTA meeting where the blowhards and loudmouths get on their soapboxes about their pet issues.[/quote]

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