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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]PTA President and NP here. I am really disturbed by this thread, because I think it is perpetuating an extremely damaging myth.
There are Involved Parents and there are PITA parents.  A person who is a leader in the PTA could be either type of parent.

Involved Parents are:
Committed to helping out the school in whatever way they can. 
They do NOT need to be SAH, because there are many ways they can help the school outside of the school day. 
They see the relationship between themselves, teachers, and administration as a collaborative effort. They advocate for ALL children of the school, which of course includes their children, but they understand that if they are working for getting the best for all kids, their kids reap the benefits as well. 
Teachers and administrators do like these parents. They enjoy good relationships. Teachers who truly love their jobs want to have these kids' parents in their classroom, because they know they will get support. 
Administrators are happy to have meetings with these parents, because they know that even if the parent is coming in with a concern or an issue, the conversation will be constructive and the goal of everyone in the room will be to come up with a pragmatic, reasonable resolution that the administration can put into action while not going against the operating procedure of their school.

PITA Parents:
Only care about their precious snowflakes
See the administration and teachers as adversaries. They talk about "fighting" for their children, to get what is "best for their children" (as if others want was is worse for their children?)
Teachers and administrators do NOT like these parents. They have to deal with them, just as you at your job have to deal with surly co-workers, unreasonable clients, etc. You perform your job for these people, but you have no desire to go the extra mile to deliver the best you can. Teachers and administrators meet with these people often, but because they have to, not because they want to, and they dread every meeting.

So, PITA parents demand particular classroom assignments. Involved parents do not. There are some rare instances (certainly not every year) where for any number of reasons an Involved Parent might engage in a friendly, constructive conversation about their children and getting a good "fit" between their kids and the school's classrooms and teachers. These conversation never deal in demands or ultimatums.
 
Being in the PTA does NOT automatically make you a PITA parent. As a PTA person who puts in countless hours to the school, I can tell you that I find that accusation unbelievably offensive. I have NEVER, not once, asked for a particular teacher. (Not even a friendly conversation. I've never done it.) Are there some parents who are in the PTA who are PITA Parents? Sure, but one does not automatically go with the other. I know of PITA parents at my school who do whine and complain for specific teacher who have never put in one hour of volunteer time or one dime of contribution to the PTA.

PTA President is a hard, often lonely job. When I get accused of engaging in bad behavior after spending another late night putting in volunteer hours, it's a bummer. I also wonder how many people read thread like this and think, "why should I support the PTA--it's just filled with horrible demanding jerks!" or "Why should I get involved with the PTA--I just be accused of nepotism behind my back."

[/quote]

I am the PTA President at an elementary school in Arlington.  Your post is spot-on and well written.  Thank you for posting this. [/quote]

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