Reply to If you don't join and/or volunteer in your school's PTA, please explain why

Forum Index » Schools and Education General Discussion

Reply to "If you don't join and/or volunteer in your school's PTA, please explain why"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Since our school has a PA, and every parent is automatically a member, I am looking at this discussion as more what makes you involved or not -- whether volunteering for a field trip or contributing to fundraising etc.  In our school you are an automatic member, yet many people opt to do zero of the efforts the PA organizes, or independently.  They reap the benefits of course, in an often bewildering way.  I.e. "Those potted plants lining the asphalt look so nice".  Yes, a parent showed up on school clean-up day and donated them.   It gets to the point where 80% of parents are just opting to do nothing, yet they happily send their kids on field trips that the same ten parents chaperone.  I just don't get it.  I don't understand how any parent can choose to do nothing at all over the course of a school year.  I don't care how financially strapped or busy (a lot of these parents are well resourced) - if you chose to parent you should make time for some school related duties in your life.  If every parent did ONE thing, the same ten parents wouldn't do everything.  They do it out of a sense of responsibility, not because they magically have 'more time'.  It's kind of like shoveling your elderly neighbor's car out; you just do it b/cause it's the right thing to do.
I am not demanding involvement in the PTA specifically, just involvement in the parent life of a school--kicking in the intangibles.  You may have a talent for organizing and help a teacher arrange a supply closet, and extra DVR to send in, or a willingness to spend a day on a field trip.  I don't want to 'own' anyone's time.  I just think if more people pitched in in some tiny way, it would have a big impact.  PP', you seem to be involved.  I have zero quibble with you on that level.  I wish more parents at our school contributed to teacher appreciation, showed up for meetings, helped out in the class etc.  
However PP, that being said, to want an organized parent arm like the PA or PTA to 'go away' sort of reminds me of people who say 'we don't need the 'federal govt.'.  You may not like what they do or how they do it, you may know nothing about what they do or want to change it, but to just wish it away seems a bit absurd.  An organized parent arm has a tremendous potential for good, and is probably doing a thousand invisible things that your child benefits from every day.  If you choose to not get involved, I would suggest still wishing your PA or PTA well. [/quote]

Hmmm, I wonder if we are at the same private school? If even not, I know at our school participation is low because their is almost zero communication about what the needs are by those involved until the last minute and then it becomes too difficult for parents to juggle around schedules and show up at the last minute.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics