To be angry about school parents panel

[littlesos]

I have just been sent an email asking for parents to join a parents panel at my daughters primary school. The email says that a random 12 parents representing a cross-section of the school will be selected to meet with the head. All fine and good, however the meetings will take place at 2.15pm.
AIBU to be really annoyed about the fact that once again working parents are excluded.
This comes on the back of the fact I can't get to either of my daughters parents evenings as the latest time they do is 5.15 and although I sent back the forms the next day it was already booked up and I had to miss both daughters curriculum/new year group meetings as they were held at 1.00 on Mondays for DD1 and 1.00 on Thursday for DD2.

I also missed the "thank you" afternoon tea for all volunteers (I'm on the PTA) as that was also in school hours, it seems like if you work your contribution is not as valuable.

I'd be pleased I had the perfect excuse not to be involved - what's the point of the panel? What will it actually achieve? I suspect very little.
The parents evenings are more of an issue, they need to continue until at least 6.30 or 7pm.

But it wouldn't be fair to ask teachers who possibly have their own childcare to sort out to work evening because you can't take time off work.

It must be annoying for you but maybe that is when most parents are available? At our school I know a lot of parents work mornings or evenings, not everyone works 9-5. So no matter when they do things it's always going to be difficult for some parents.

I understand it's frustrating but the staff also have jobs and childcare and can't always cater for events to be outside of school hours.

If they did things in the evening other parents would be annoyed they can't go because they have no childcare. Schools can't win.

Our parents' "evenings" are always in the afternoons but I think if you can't make the dates or times available, you can arrange to see the teacher at another time.

Think is, you've already mentioned 4 or 5 events that the school have put on for parents, they just can't maintain those 14 hour days at work (not counting marking and preparation time) every week.
That said, I do believe that Parents' Evenings need to have one 'late' slot.

We had this at DS's school and it pisses me off a bit. I couldn't attend as I work. And as a lone parent I can't go to the evening meetings either, I would like to get involved but I can't.

I can see why you're frustrated but teachers have family too and probably don't want to re-arrange their own childcare for the parent's panel.

The idea of these panels/PTAs is that they're usually taken up by parents who do have time on their hands to attend.

cant you just take a half/quarter day holiday??

why should teachers work late and maybe miss their kids cos you cant spare a bit of your annual leave?

sorry but u need to get over it

UANBU I don't work, but most of our mums do, many part time. Still they can't do any random time in the school day.

We do PTA and parents committee after school. Thank yous said at evening AGM.

Parents evenings go on to 6 or 7, vary with class size.

Teachers are great at letting you pop in straight after school on another day if you can't make it.

CofE school so there are in school hours Easter, Xmas and levers services and sports day in school time.
And inevitably other minor events.
The one really annoying one must be infant plays, but I believe they get horrible if they do them later.

I'd send an email back, pointing out that it's not really a cross section as it excludes everyone who works 9-5. And that if they want a cross section of views, perhaps an email consultation would be more useful.

What did the school head say when you raised this issue?

I don't think it is a unique problem - just that some schools are more accommodating ...

While I was logging in to reply narked said exactly what i would say - it's not a random cross-section and a mechanism for participation by working parents is required (email surveys for example).

Head does our parents committee, I guess mrs head has his DCs.

She also teaches so I assume he covers for her parents evenings.

DDs teachers Mother gets lumbered for parents evenings as her DH isn't home.

I doubt there's a lot you can do about meetings like that,because if they were later then parents would have to sort out childcare which isn't always easy either, so some will always miss out.

I'm surprised that there isn't a late parents' consultation tho. Our school had two: 3.30-5pm and 5-8pm. Teachers do usually expect a couple of late nightes a year.

At ours, the worst thing about parents' interviews, is that the whole school gets out at 1p.m every day they are on, instead of 2 or 3p.m. So if you were working, you would have to arrange for them to be picked up early on those days, they have them for 3 days at a time, twice a year. The interviews run from about 1-4p.m

I think you should email, and ask if the meetings will be invariably at 2.15, as this tends to exclude working parents, and it would be unfortunate if they had no direct voice on this panel.

It is always generally better to vary times of meetings such as this, to maximise potential participation, even if not every person can get to every time. But if they had rotating sessions say after drop off, afternoon and evening. I doubt this will have been done to make it difficult for people, but it does sound as if no-one has thought about the effects in practice of the current proposed timings.

YANBU and re the other comments on late slots for patents' evening - surely teachers can be "inconvenienced" a couple of evenings a year to fit what is, without doubt more than one working parent, just like the rest of the working population is often inconvenienced by the random things schools do.

I'm wondering what a Parent's panel is if it's not the PTA?

If it is that important to you then use some flexi time or annual leave.

Most certainly not an accurate representation of the parents if it excludes working parents.

Our school has an online discussion thing [technical expert] for the parent forum so anyone can join in.

Stevie - once or twice a year is to be expected but to meet expectations like that of the op would mean regularly having to work from 8am through until whatever event has been done. Don't forget teachers haven't got to option to swap shifts and take days holidays like most do.

All parents have to make choices, some choose not to work and can be there (and often taken advantage of) during the day, have to make financial and personal sacrifices etc.

Others choose to work and sacrifice time with their DC and being there for all events at the school.

However, you do get AL presumably, so your choice is to use this to be at those events if you want to. The school is there to educate your children, not to sort out your work/life balance.

Did you bring your own cross and nails?

I have emailed to ask whether the meetings will always be at that time, as they are excluding working parents and therefore will not get an accurate cross-section.
About teachers working later than school hours for parents evenings - they are teachers, they know when they train and take a job they will have to do parents evenings (twice a year at our school). I am really being unreasonable to expect them to stay late for two nights a year to do something which is part of their job description?

Worral - it's supposed to be to canvas the views of parents on school policies etc. nothing like a PTA.

Cantspel - I don't get flexi (lucky you) and I have 0.5 days of leave left till the end of the year as I have to cover school holidays

Sirzy - 8.00 to whenever every day (Oh you mean like I have to do). Anyway I am not suggesting that at all I am suggesting 2 late days a year for parents evenings and 2 late curriculum meetings. How are my expectations unrealistic?