Serious question about PTA

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

For those of you who may currently have or have had kids in the past in public schools, did you join the PTA?

 

I did when ds1 was in K and 1st. The only thing the PTA did at our school was fundraisers- spirit wear, wrapping paper sales, breakfast with Special Person, etc.

 

A friend whose daughter just started Kindergarten asked on FB if it was worth it to join the PTA, and I said not unless she wanted to spend her life working on fundraisers, but I seem to be in the minority. Several people have commented that it is the best way to stay in touch with what is going on at the school and is the best way to be in communication with the school. What exactly does that mean? Our PTA didn't seem to do anything directly with the school. Maybe PTAs are different in different school systems?

[mom2scouts]

You are right. Every year I would make a resolution to be a better PS parent and I'd attend the first few meetings of our PTO. It always ended up being about fundraisers to buy extras for the school. They were great things for the students (specific books or supplies for a teacher, playground or PE equipment) but I never felt like it directly affected the academics of the school and that's what I wanted to impact. PTO parents do know more about what's going on at school because they are always there running fundraisers or parties.

[kewb]

Yes, I joined the PTA and I even served on the board one year. It was a very disillusioning experience for me. I had visions of parents and teachers working together to make the school a wonderful place of learning. Meetings would be a place to voice concerns and be heard. The school had visions of open checkbooks. The majority of the work was fundraising. Fundraising for playground equipment, fundraising for field trips, fundraising for field day, fundraising for smartboards, organizing the book sale, organizing the plant sale, organizing the pizza lunch on 1/2 days, organizing and getting donations for the teacher appreciation luncheon and Dr. Suess day.

 

I know these things would not have happened without the parent volunteers but it was not what I wanted or envisioned. When I tried to effect change to make it more of what I was looking for I was met with resistance every step of the way.

[Roadrunner]

Our PTA is great. Yes, they do fundraisers, but they fund all school field trips out of that money and run a fabulous arts program through parent volunteers (teach kids about famous artists and do art as well) among other things I really appreciate them, but I simply don't have time to join. I do support them with money though:001_smile:.

[Pawz4me]

I joined the PTO when my kids were in elementary school, and served on several committees. I found it to be a great experience. Fundraising was a very small and not too onerous part of what our PTO did, although that was mostly because the school is in a very close-knit, generous community and so raising money was always a relatively easy thing. We had an accelerated reader program, did "duty free" lunch once a month for the teachers, organized a field day at the end of the school year, worked with the teachers to get anything they needed in the classrooms, sponsored General Mills Box Tops drives, etc.

[redsquirrel]

I don't have a kid in the ps, but I am familiar with what goes on with a couple of the local PTAs via friends. What I hear from them is that they are very involved in the school. Now, one of the schools is in the city's poorest neighborhood (mine) and one is in the wealthiest. Both PTAs work hard at more than fundraising.

 

The one in the poor neighborhood tries really, really hard to get parents involved in the school and keep them informed. This is a working class neighborhood and many of the parents are working several jobs, don't have another adult in the house, are grandparents raising their grandkids etc. There isn't any money to fundraise from these people. Really. Mostly what I see the PTA doing is trying to foster a sense of community. They organize potlucks and movies nights and talent shows and things like that. They offer things at different times because people work different shifts.

 

The more well off neighborhood's PTA is all about offering extras for the kids. They do things like have a parent offer french classes or drawing classes or birdwatching. I know they also organize potlucks and game night and ice cream socials.

[Dobela]

What the PTO does varies from school to school. At the first school I taight in, they did lots of fundraisers, but they also volunteered heavily in the school. Parents would sign up as volunteers in whatever grades they wanted and would then do things like make our copies, help decorate bulletin boards, fix us appreciation meals, buy specialty items for our classes, help on field trips when not enough parents could, bring in special speakers/entertainment for the students, volunteered to read aloud to classes, gave grants to teachers, and so on. The parents who were able to help, became well known with the teachers. If there were job openings, like for subs or secretaries, they were often the first hired.

 

At the next school, they didn't do much. Lots of fundraisers, but we were not sure what happened to any of the money as we never saw any of it used in our building.

[ErinE]

I think it depends on the leadership. A large number of our school's committee's were fundraising related, but there were volunteer activities that were invaluable to the running of the school. Things like assisting teachers, lunchroom duties, making copies, distributing packets, etc. My son's school had a very active PTA that tried to keep the big fundraisers to once a year. I found the committees were very helpful, the big PTA meetings, not so much.

[MiniBlondes]

You are right. Every year I would make a resolution to be a better PS parent and I'd attend the first few meetings of our PTO. It always ended up being about fundraisers to buy extras for the school. They were great things for the students (specific books or supplies for a teacher, playground or PE equipment) but I never felt like it directly affected the academics of the school and that's what I wanted to impact. PTO parents do know more about what's going on at school because they are always there running fundraisers or parties.

 

:iagree:

[brightside]

Yes, I joined the PTA and I even served on the board one year. It was a very disillusioning experience for me. I had visions of parents and teachers working together to make the school a wonderful place of learning. Meetings would be a place to voice concerns and be heard. The school had visions of open checkbooks. The majority of the work was fundraising. Fundraising for playground equipment, fundraising for field trips, fundraising for field day, fundraising for smartboards, organizing the book sale, organizing the plant sale, organizing the pizza lunch on 1/2 days, organizing and getting donations for the teacher appreciation luncheon and Dr. Suess day.

 

I know these things would not have happened without the parent volunteers but it was not what I wanted or envisioned. When I tried to effect change to make it more of what I was looking for I was met with resistance every step of the way.

 

:iagree: This was my experience.

[Dory]

I went to all the PTA meetings. I guess our PTA was pretty good because we actually did talk about some of the things that were happening in the school, some of the concerns with policies that were coming into place, and other things like that. I also sat on the schools preschool board. I'm more than happy to be done with that one. Being vice president means I got to be the person to tell people that they needed to pay for days they had missed or tell someone that they needed to remove their child from the preschool (actually had to do that). Not fun, glad it's done.

[warneral]

In my experience in serving on pto and volunteering in my kids' classrooms during class time, the latter is where you get the best idea how your kids interact, behave, learn and are influenced. The latter is also what caused my desire to homeschool ;)

[tex-mex]

Former schoolteacher here.

 

PTA/PTO serves the public school with fundraisers for items or programs that categorical budgets do not meet. One year, it was a fundraiser for our computer lab (we were not a Title I school) and another year it was a science budget for each grade level. The teachers always appreciated it.

 

When I retired from teaching and my ds entered K, I volunteered with the PTA. Through it, our PTA developed a art docent program (again our schools cut PE and art by then) with trained volunteers -- I was the grade level volunteer for my son's classroom. :D It was very fun to be the "Art Lady" weekly to come in once a week and give an hour lesson in his class. I was also room mom for his K and 1st grade classrooms and loved that role for the yearly PTA carnival. I volunteered with the other art docents and we held an end of the year Art Fest displaying student's work with door prizes and food. I loved it.

[Reflections]

Yes, I joined the PTA and I even served on the board one year. It was a very disillusioning experience for me. I had visions of parents and teachers working together to make the school a wonderful place of learning. Meetings would be a place to voice concerns and be heard. The school had visions of open checkbooks. The majority of the work was fundraising. Fundraising for playground equipment, fundraising for field trips, fundraising for field day, fundraising for smartboards, organizing the book sale, organizing the plant sale, organizing the pizza lunch on 1/2 days, organizing and getting donations for the teacher appreciation luncheon and Dr. Suess day.

 

I know these things would not have happened without the parent volunteers but it was not what I wanted or envisioned. When I tried to effect change to make it more of what I was looking for I was met with resistance every step of the way.

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

THIS! The disillusionment I experienced was one of the FIRST reasons we began homeschooling.

[tex-mex]

What the PTO does varies from school to school. At the first school I taight in, they did lots of fundraisers, but they also volunteered heavily in the school. Parents would sign up as volunteers in whatever grades they wanted and would then do things like make our copies, help decorate bulletin boards, fix us appreciation meals, buy specialty items for our classes, help on field trips when not enough parents could, bring in special speakers/entertainment for the students, volunteered to read aloud to classes, gave grants to teachers, and so on. The parents who were able to help, became well known with the teachers. If there were job openings, like for subs or secretaries, they were often the first hired.

 

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

That is how I got hired as a K-5 Computer Specialist at my son's school. ;) Great gig and my own classroom. I loved that PTA and school!! Later son went into a coma (3rd grade) and dx'ed with a rare disease. He qualified for a homebound tutor via the prinicipal/my boss' advice and help. Later after 6 months of the tutor... my boss joked to me that I was doing more teaching than the tutor (I had to submit lesson plans) and with my past teaching experience, why didn't I just homeschool him? I followed his advice. He was a great guy and now is an Asst. Superintendent.

[ErinE]

In my experience in serving on pto and volunteering in my kids' classrooms during class time, the latter is where you get the best idea how your kids interact, behave, learn and are influenced. The latter is also what caused my desire to homeschool ;)

 

My experience with the PTA and working with the teachers greatly influenced my homeschooling decision. After spending 2-3 hours every day copying sample standardized test questions Jan-April, I realized I didn't want my child spending half his school year prepping for the test.

[fraidycat]

Not only did I join, but I was the VP of the PTA. My friend was the President. We were both on the same page about the selling junk fundraisers (hated them), so we changed the main one. Instead of selling a bunch of crap and the kids earning useless little trinkets, we had a Fun Run and Pancake Breakfast. The kids collected pledges for walking/skipping/running the track. Then we had a company that does Pancake Fundraisers (so fun!! - they flip them in the air and you have to catch them with your plate :D) Anyway, we still raised money, and instead of trinkets, the kids got a sense of accomplishment AND exercise, and a yummy breakfast.

 

ETA: The rest of the time it was spent just like Katherine the Great, said. Book sale, money, Carnival, money...money, money, money.

Edited August 31, 2012 by fraidycat

[Chris in VA]

I won't join the PTA for different reasons having to do with political, NEA, and social reasons.

I'm the world's worst Public School Mom, tho.

I believe the schools should have enough $ already from taxes and refuse to make my kid shill for more. Therefore I don't support fund raising. That and "teacher appreciation" is pretty much what the PTA does around here, at least in elementary school.

[regentrude]

All our PTA ever did was fundraising. I briefly went when my kids started school, hoping I would be able to be involved in actual content decisions, but it was really just about money.

[itsheresomewhere]

Once and only once. It was just a massive popularity contest here. I also called it the "Pat me on the back because I am so special" meetings. Everything was about fundraising. Not like for good things like playground equipment but for rewards for their favorite teachers kind of thing. I had a cow that one was selling brownie mix for over 8 bucks a carton ( same exact brand in the store was 2.99). It just left me disgusted.

[ChristineW]

.

I believe the schools should have enough $ already from taxes and refuse to make my kid shill for more. Therefore I don't support fund raising. That and "teacher appreciation" is pretty much what the PTA does around here, at least in elementary school.

 

Unfortunately, California doesn't come close to properly supporting its schools with tax dollars. Our PTA spends a ton of time fundraising, but the fundraising pays for supplies in the classroom, technology, library books, drinking fountain repair, etc. If its something physical in the classroom, the PTA paid for it. We also have a district foundation which pays for things that the PTA isn't legally allowed to support--it pays the salaries of all aides, the librarian, art teacher, and science labs. Both work together to support the annual art fair and science fair. The PTA runs carnival, the Dr Suess breakfast, and International Night. They also organize the small army of parent volunteers. Core curriculum choices are made by the school board and the school site representatives.

 

So much of the life of our school runs on volunteerism and parent fundraising, I can't imagine what life must be like in those schools where the parents don't have the resources to make up for what the state doesn't provide. We don't do the stupid wrapping paper fundraiser but we participate in and work hard on everything else.

 

Christine

[Unicorn.]

Nope, around here they want you to pay to join for EACH child. And they pretty much just do fundraisers and then don't buy anything worthwhile w/ the money, so no.

[swellmomma]

When my bigs attended school yes I joined the PTA. Actually I was secretary of the PTA for those years, We spent the 2 years I was on the board focused on raising money for the new playground equipment. I was the one that attended playground fairs and helped design it, got the quotes, helped chose the equipment etc and then I pulled my kids to homeschool before the playground was installed. The pp that mentioned the disallusionment made a good point. The board was good, and teachers listened to the parents that were on it more than the average parent BUT it really was all about fundraising. Our PTA was actually chaired by the principal. The principal and VP would be at every meeting, and then the board. Non-board parents would rarely show up. We would discuss issues, events coming up, special speakers that kind of thing and then get into the fundraising talk.

 

I found being room mother to my daughter's 1st grade class and classroom helper for her K year and for all of ds's K-2 years was more in line with my wanting to be on a team with the teacher. That said, I was only a team as far as the table in the hallway, I pulled kids out to practice math drill or spelling words, or I spent my time there cutting crafts, labelling folders etc, but was rarely actually allowed in the classroom, that would be too disruptive (the same was true for all parent volunteers). I did the craft thing at home too, phone tree, making playdough, going on the class fieldtrips but in the end it still wasn't a partnership like lots of schools (including the one they attended) profess. Their partnership was more like the parent was the water boy not an actual player kwim.

 

For that school being a part of both volunteering options is what kept me in the loop. Each served it's place but the info learned etc was different in each and never repeated, so the PTA put me more in touch with the behind the scenes stuff and the classroom helper/room mother role put me in touch with the day to day workings going on.

 

I think both are very worth joining/doing, and wish more parents did so, I get many work, so did I while I did all that, I wiggled my schedule a bit to make pockets of time to help.

[RobynV]

I'm currently president of our Home and School Association, which is a parent organization but we don't have to pay the PTA dues. We do one big fundraiser in the fall and a small one in the spring. We sell Market Day and have community nights at restaurants twice a month where they pay us 10-20% of our sales. 95% of the money raised goes right back to student programs and teachers.

 

I recommend being involved because it's a good way to learn about school news from the principal, not the grapevine. I've also gotten to know all of the teachers in the building, which is nice. My older son has Asperger's so having a relationship with them before the start of school HS been very helpful.