To ask why you don’t volunteer for school / PTA / Parent Council Events?

[whyismykid]

Is it because you are too busy? Don’t think it’s important? The people who organise these type of events are irritating? Think the school have all the funds they need so it’s not worth the bother?

What would enable you (or persuade you) to help out?

200 people attended the event I planned today and had a good time but only 8 people volunteered to help. I understand that the planning and preparing for events is time consuming (it totally is!) so I’d only expect a small number of people to be able to take that on, but it should be different for on the day help I would think? I made sure each volunteer slot was only 45 mins long, so that people could also take part with their families, and made it clear what each volunteer job involved. Online sign up
so super easy.

What else can I do? it’s a school of 750 pupils and I have a summer fair to attract volunteers for next, any ideas?

Oh, and the people saying they don’t know what their PTA spend the money on, they are obliged to provide accounts once a year at the AGM. You should be able to get a copy from the School office if you aren”t on the mailing list, or if the mailing list is incompetently run.

I take great exception to being characterised as “slow on action

If you are busy volunteering elsewhere, then that’s your reason. I volunteer elsewhere too, although if I was attending a PTA school fair, then I would generally offer to man a stall for an hour as I was there anyway.

BUT my point is, if a parent has not at least tried to be involved in the PTA, for whatever reason, they have no right to criticise what the PTA do.

We use part of the pp funding for that Bert, it's interesting to hear different schools approach. Our PTA raises money mostly for extras, outdoor equipment etc.
Also for those implying these issues are somehow a female thing, DH is a football coach, voluntary, done it for years, I could count on the fingers of one hand the number of dads who don't think they could run the team better, ask them to attend a meeting or clear equipment away and they are no where to be seen.

Sweetie, of course I wouldn’t be happy if PTAs stopped existing - they do a great job, much needed and appreciated. Just as, say, doctors do, but it doesn’t mean I want to be a doctor.

The secret is to give parents a choice of ways in which they can support PTAs - volunteering will work for some, cake baking at home for others, financial contributions for yet others. You may have noticed that many people on this thread said that they don’t volunteer but are happy to donate cash instead - but some of them still feel guilty or inadequate because of this. That’s just wrong.

If the properly voluntary PTA system doesn’t work, the system should be changed. It’s the pretense of it being voluntary but expectation that everyone will help that’s wrong.

*It’s a voluntary contribution of a significant amount to be paid either in one lump sum in September or by a direct debit every month of the year. The amount requested (it’s a state school) is multiples of hundreds of pounds.

Having given that I strenuously objected to being asked to bake cakes or Man a stall to raise even more*

Then don’t pay it, no problem. Or pay less if you want to. Or more. Some parents will want to contribute this way. It may not have been worded very well, but it is voluntary.

Don’t man a cake stall if you don’t want to. Again, it’s voluntary.

But don’t be the parent complaining that there are no funds if you choose not to do either of these things.

The school didn't want my son there so I didn't want any more involvement with the school than I had to.

Sweetiebaby

No it doesn't bother me if the PTA stop doing what they're doing. But I'm one of those that are happier paying a donation.

Til I read this thread, I was never presented with that option, and never thought I could just give a cash donation to school without being asked as some have suggested. After all, it's not a private school where I get a wing of a library named after me.

But this thread is educational and I have drafted a note to the school in this regard many thanks.

So for some people it’s nit as simple as “I’m there anyway”

I agree, and that’s fine. But for many it is that simple. They just don’t want to. Which is also fine. But it does often mean that the school event is not the event it could have been, or may not run at all.

“Why should I? Seriously, convince me.”

Absolutely no reason at all. As people have repeatedly said, loads of people can’t.

I’ve been told that the “cow, cunt, bitch” comments don’t apply to me- how about you apply the same principle to any “slow to action” posts?

@Tartanscarf

You shouldn't have to support the PTA if you don't want to. You support the school in other ways.

I think what we are trying to get across (those of us that have been on PTAs) is that schools cannot provide all of the extra things that we would like them to provide anymore (in many cases they can't provide the basics) and that PTAs are trying to make up that shortfall so that the children have opportunities.

If the consensus is that we are wasting our time, putting everyones backs up then maybe we all need to re evaluate. But that will come at a price. So in my school the mini bus will be got rid of. That means no sporting fixtures with other schools or parents will have to pay for transport, no visits to other schools for different things, university trips etc. Just 1 example of a provision that parents take for granted but that the PTA fund raises for.

I'm not liking the tone of lots of posts here "I can't volunteer because my time is too precious" which insinuates that my time isn't valuable and that I don't want to spend time with my family etc.

If you don't want to do it fine, but can you at least not appreciate the contribution that others make?

BUT my point is, if a parent has not at least tried to be involved in the PTA, for whatever reason, they have no right to criticise what the PTA do.

Thankfully I neither criticise nor volunteer at the school.

“No it doesn't bother me if the PTA stop doing what they're doing. But I'm one of those that are happier paying a donation.”

Go for it. But think about what you want your money to go towards. PTA money and school funds often have different priorities. In general PTA money pays for extras.

I work full time.

14 hour shifts 8am-10pm.

Also, I struggle to give a fuck.

“Can’t the PTA recognise the contribution I make in different ways to the school?”

I don’t understand- what do you want them to do?

I agree tartan

@Tartanscarf

I am genuinely surprised that a school that receives such large donations as you describe still has need for a PTA and no wonder that you feel so disgruntled. I would not expect to support the PTA if the school was asking for, and receiving, such donations. What on earth are the school spending that money on?

Tartan- those people are arseholes-and would be arseholes whether they were in the PTA or not.

I would certainly be complaining about that level of contribution being asked- particularly as was no “bulk discount”.

Just to clarify, there are strict guidelines about what schools can spend “voluntary parental contributions” on. PTA money is not so ringfenced, except that it is not supposed to be spent on the sort of things that capitation is spent on- no teacher’s salaries, or major works, for example. So usually, PTA money goes to provide fun stuff. Or extras that are nice to have but not essential. I suppose this is considered more or less important depending on the demographic of the school. Someone downthread complained about a pantomime trip. And I can see how that would be irritating if you were going already.But in our school, it would be very unlikely that a lot of the children would be able to go if the PTA didn’t pay. And it would be a wholly inappropriate use of School funds.