Reply to Why are you not active in your elementary school's parent organization?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I understand we don't live in Sweden. Dcps schools aren't funded at a level to provide the aides, social workers, specials teachers, etc that help provide the students, at all SES levels, at our school the education they deserve.  so given that we have chosen to live in DC, I am happy to contribute financially to fund these things. My husband and I actually enjoy the auction (we are extraverts) so we either spend a lot there or just cut a check.

The other stuff I see as "nice to have" but not worth the time I would have to take away from either my job or my kids.  And if other parents stopped volunteering for the "fluffy" stuff our school has (a million field trips, a cooking program, and lots of in school celebrations) such that those things could no longer exist, that would not bother me at all. It is not a matter of "when" these events take place. They could be during work time or during family time.  Either way, I am not sacrificing that time for fluffy school stuff.

Basically, I agree with the npr piece and appreciate it seems others do too. You would never hear that directly from any parent in our school. Anonymous forums are great!

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I don't disagree with your approach to PTA involvement but perhaps you are missing my point and OP's point. OP is asking why there are people who don't volunteer OR donate. If you are donating what you can afford then that's all anyone asks of you, you're doing your part. As for all of those events that you don't value, you don't have to volunteer or attend. In my case I donate as generously as I can afford and I work on some programs that I think make a meaningful difference in students' lives. I don't do "fluffy" stuff either if I don't feel like it but the point is I am involved and so are you. That's not what OP was asking about.

The problem with the NPR piece and the other article and some of the comments here is that they rely on a 1950s made-for-TV-movie version of PTAs. In that version of the universe, schools are 100% funded and PTAs are a social outlet for bored housewives. The modern PTA, as I have pointed out, is best understood as an education non-profit that supplements a school budget in providing core teaching and enrichment services. For example Janney PTO budget is $500,000/year and Janney school budget is what, maybe $7-8m/year? Someone can correct me. So the PTA is providing a decent percentage of operating revenue for the school.

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Therein lies the problem. There needs to be a clear communication that it is simply a non-profit fundraising group. Explain how spending decisions are made, accountability, what financially wise choices are being made etc. Set up a trust fund for schools connected with a S&P 500 mutual fund and have all the annual profits go towards the schools budget. But PTAs PR is to pitch it as not a money-making machine.[/quote]

Yes I agree the communication could always be better, although the larger PTAs do typically post their budgets and other info online so it's pretty much all out there for anyone who wants to see how money is spent. But yes this thread is evidence that some people have an outdated view of things. Or maybe they attend a school where the PTA is all bored gossipy parents, who knows, every school is different.

And it's a shame about the posters not getting involved because they're not staying past K. I hope those parents at least donate money if you can afford it, make a contribution before you move on.

Your proposal about the mutual fund may raise taxation issues for a non-profit (unrelated business income) and government agencies like DCPS cannot accept private funds in the way you describe, but yes we are on the same page, the idea is to support programming. Everything or almost everything you do on PTA should be supported by the principal and consistent with her or his strategic plan for the school. Again this is exactly how it works at the well-established PTAs.

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Good point.[/quote]

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