Reply to How many people use their paid time off to help out in the classroom?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Teachers don't want you there.  They bitch and moan about no parental involvement but when offered, they hem and haw then turn the offer down. No teacher wants you to see what's really going on in that classroom.

I was a SAHM of 5 kids. I volunteered regularly for years, no one ever took me up on my offer.  They want your money, your supplies but never want you there.

Go find out for yourself.[/quote]

+1.  I'll preface this by saying that another mom I know at an elementary school not even a mile away had parent volunteers helping especially in K.  However, when I came all starry eyed all about the greater good when I started in our local public school I became jaded very quickly. They said straight out at our school that they didn't want parent volunteers in the classroom and yes, I understand the confidentiality of parents taliking about other kids grades, behaviors etc., disrupting routines with unfamiliar faces, and having a school that was already grossly overcrowded having even more people in the room.  I tried taking off to go be involved in the school improvement plan (you know every MCPS school has to have one) and to their credit I was allowed to attend one meeting but it turns out they really don't expect parent involvement in the school improvement plan (SIP) and it is really an extension of a teacher team meeting I.e. we have 4 students underperforming in reading, what strategies can we use.   I attended a few PTA meetings, and that would be another thread, but was asked point blank in a curious voice why I was attending since I wasn't a room parent.

I used time in the evening to attend a MCPS math work group where I left perplexed as to how the conclusions of the math work group would be rolled into the new curriculum.  It was frustrating to find my questions and concerns were brushed off because it was really a presentation of how things would be, not a focus group on how can we roll this out to parents and either tweak things or communicate it better, nor was it collecting true feedback.  So then I watched how a year later, people were saying the same things I raised at the math work group meeting and another year for the county to address it ...just smh.  I attended board of education meetings, community involvement meetings and came to the realization unless you are a PR juggernaut and know how to motivate groups of people and get the media to cover their concerns as a group, you aren't going to get very far as a parent in MCPS in getting your concerns heard much less helping others with similar issues.  So by that point I was already jaded and then my son was diagnosed with ADD.  The time to get evaluations, meet at the school, meet with EMT, research and figure out what I needed to do with him... left little time to help with the village that really has shown only want my help with money, supplies and a pair of hands for PTA events and class parties. So it has worked out, we have vacations, I volunteer for two events, either DH or I attend all kid events at the school (which require us to take off or make up the time), and we donate money.   There is still a small part that feels bad that I'm not helping other kids that have faced similar things as my kids but without the resources to help and I think about volunteering time at a non-profit once my kids are more self-sufficient. [/quote]

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