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It's a bit hard to volunteer for something when the people in charge don't accept you as a volunteer, since you don't fit the mold they created that all volunteers must meet.
Some PTA positions are elective ones, I believe, others are up for grabs because nobody wants to do it.
But public schools use lots of volunteers for other things (library, cafeteria, story times, etc). My child's school doesn't turn down volunteers for any reason unless they don't pass a background check.
At my child's school we have PTA members of other races and from different religious backgrounds. The common thread is that most of them seem to be 1) stay at home moms and 2) people who are putting down roots in the community, not the type of people who move around all the time.
Some dads volunteer also, I've seen dads kind of shunted aside at times, which I think is unfortunate.
The PTA where I went to school is more interested in activities that they personally can afford to do than what everyone else can afford to do. And most people elected couldnt hold public office if someone gave it to them.
I've heard of PTO/PTAs like that, but such was not my experience. One thing I think that keeps these groups from getting *too* exclusive is that kids age out and new ones come in. So unless someone has a whole slew of kids going through the same level of school, one's time in such an organization is limited. With two kids three years apart I had a kid in elementary school for 8 years for example. That was the longest stretch I had.
The interest in volunteering seems higher in the elementary years. I know sometimes my kids' schools got too many volunteers for an activity, sometimes not enough. In the upper grades, they seem to want money more than your time. I don't think my kids' schools asked for volunteers to accompany field trips after middle school.
Ours seems welcoming, though I haven't been super involved so I'm ignorant of the inner workings. Our child is in 1st grade. At the beginning of the school year, they ask parents to sign up to volunteer for events if they're able. I've helped out with a k-5 dance, a fun run, and a winter holiday themed craft fair. I had positive experiences with all of those, and all were events held on either friday evenings or on the weekend. It seems like they have pretty good participation at fundraising events. The other parent volunteers seemed like a fairly representative group.
What mold is that? Is it based on your color, sex, religion? Or is this just another complaint about how the PTA isn't accommodating you to your satisfaction based on your status as a working parent? Or did they not respond quickly enough to an email? Or did something else tick you off about the science fair?
I'm not sure what kind of examples you want but our PTA is inclusive. They are always seeking volunteers and they don't care or ask what color you are or what your income is or what your marital status is when you sign up to volunteer.
Same for ours.
Really, OP, are you getting asked about your income??
Quote:
Originally Posted by UNC4Me
Or is this just another complaint about how the PTA isn't accommodating you to your satisfaction based on your status as a working parent? Or did they not respond quickly enough to an email? Or did something else tick you off about the science fair?
Based on the OP's many threads complaining about the school and the PTA, I am certain one of these is the case....
For the good that our PTA does, it is very exclusive. It reminds me of the popular girl clique in high school. I went to a few meetings and more time was spent gossiping about drama and sucking up to the women holding different committee chairs, than actually doing anything of value.
Mine was similar when my dd was in school. There was a clique of parents who called all the shots. I had gone to meetings when my dd was in elementary, but I was just exhausted with a full-time job, three-hour RT commute, and an alcoholic husband.
When she hit 7th grade and moved to the Jr/Sr High, I was divorced and life was calmer, and I resolved to get involved.
The first meeting they made a big to-do about how they needed more parents, and here are the committees, and we'll break into committee groups to plan the year. I signed up for the arts committee. I had some ideas--the woman in charge was a fairly talented artist who had run everything in that area through elementary. I suggested we do a poetry event or a journaling workshop, figuring tweens would enjoy that. The leader and her cohorts said we will have a separate committee meeting and plan a calendar for the year.
They had a meeting. I found out about it a month later. No one was invited except the same 4 women who had run all the art programs since K, and they planned events that would showcase their own kids' talents.
I was done. I did other stuff during my dd's jr/sr high years, mostly with the music parents, which was separate. But they didn't really want anyone else in the PTA. It was a small-town private club.
Had nothing to do with ethnicity, by the way. There was maybe one each Indian, mixed-race b/w, and Latino family in town.
Our PTA in the elementary school was quite cliquish. It was the same if you tried to volunteer anytime in the classroom. I remember once I signed up to bring juice pouches for a class party. I scheduled my time to get there 20 minutes before, knowing I'd have enough time. Imagine my surprise when I walked in and saw that the "clique" moms had everything already set up complete with juice boxes they had brought. When I tried to talk to them I was treated as if I was invisible. I quickly learned that those moms were "in charge" and wouldn't let other volunteers in. I decided to back off and let them do the work. I did volunteer to come in to help the teacher but never again for parties.
To me after reading some of your other posts as well, I feel you have an issue with the school overall. Have you gone to any of the PTA meetings and addressed your concerns with the other members or the PTA President? I find it hard to believe that there are not enough opportunities for you to help and volunteer? It could just be that most of the volunteers they need are for during the day and you can not accommodate that. In that case, you would be looked over. I would reach out and ask if there is anything you could help with in the evening or even at home. My daughters school asks for volunteers to keep track of the box tops or to group and organize the Scholastic book orders. Those can be done at home. If you really want to help get yourself out there and contact someone.
There are cliques among the school moms. But since I don't want to join them anyway, it doesn't bother me.... I volunteer for story time, reading books to K and first graders, and also work in the school library and book fair.
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