What kind of person becomes head of PTA

[Ohwerewatchingfrozenagainarewe]

Would you say, in general?

I was surprised about someone I loosely know, when they told me they were, I really wouldn’t have them down as being that type, but maybe I being far too judgemental!

What do you consider the type? What was it about this person that surprised you as the head of the PTA?

The last two in our school - one works in a school and just very clued up as to the best ways to fundraise/get parents involved and passionate about making a difference for the kids. The other is a very organised and motivated person who although doesn’t know the school system as well, was very motivated in getting stuff done so did well at organising events for the school.
Not sure where judgement comes in tbh?

The type who does a good job at it

A parent who is keen to raise funds to help the school offer better experiences for the children.

This is a strange question and you must know that.

Someone who is organised with a can do attitude.

Someone organised and good at making relationships and connections
Fairly ballsy and will ask anyone for anything
All I have known have worked PT or been a SAHM but on a career break from a corporate job.

Ok, I’ll bite.

Somebody community-minded who is willing to put their hand up and help to make things happen for the school?

It isn’t adultery, sending hate-mail or running a county-lines network.

‘What kind of person’ and ‘that type’ indeed…🤔

In our school, the chair is someone who gave up a high flying career and now wants to direct proceedings and people as too much time on their hands and too big an ego to go to waste.
Quite an agressive personality unfortunately which means others are reluctant to give suggestions or get involved so any fundraising is shit.

I have a friend whose husband is (or was) head of the PTA! Most normal guy in the world, basically just doing it because someone has to and there were things that needed doing by the PTA in a relatively new school.

Thanks all, my dc is still young so we’re not quite at this stage yet. They always seem to be depicted in films and media as the quite bitchy type

I would imagine a wide range of people do it for various reasons. Some just as they want to support, some as they actively enjoy it, some as they want the experience and see it as an opportunity to build/maintain skills.

In my experience it's someone who says "I guess I can do it" while everyone else stares at their feet.

There's two types - one is the bossy and organised sort who put themselves forward. The other is someone who ended up doing it because nobody else would.

It's not one type of person. Different people have different reasons.
Some might do it because they feel passionately about helping.
Some might like the control
Some might want something to fill their time
Some might actually be the queen bee school mum trope
Some might feel something is really wrong and want to try to make real change
Etc etc

This person seems to be quite proud of being it, so I’m guessing they wanted to be/put themself forward

I was on the PTA when my DC were younger, and I experienced two completely different personality types as chair! One was a really lovely person and had the advantage that everyone loved her so she found it easy to get people to help out at events. But on the negative side she was scatty and disorganised and not good at understanding the figures, so the events didn't always make much profit (eg when she was helping at the bar she would pour nice generous glasses of wine, so that we were effectively making a loss on the alcohol!). The other was much more efficient and savvy but could sometimes be quite rude to people. I don't think there's a "type".

The media depiction of the PTA is a very narrow one. The PTA was never a terrifying force at my children's primary school. It was a small group of busy working parents who tried to organise some fundraising so the children could have books in the library and the odd bit of new playground equipment.

I'm doing it for my kids' school at the moment. I agreed because it's a very deprived school, really needs investment but struggles to get much engagement from parents and basically, there was no one else to do it! And it's so nice when we put on a good event and the children have fun. It's also been nice to get to know some new parents and think about how to solve problems. For me, there's also a social justice issue about wanting our school to offer some of the same opportunities as the much more privileged school up the road.

This!

(and must do a good job and get very little thanks for doing it)

Someone who thinks that if they don’t do it no one else will? Been in several (well, three) volunteer organisations with people like this. And tbh they are right!

I often am grateful for them stepping up.

Oh my gosh, but they should be proud,it's a lot of voluntary work that not many people will take on.

Kudos to @Maryjane1982 and everyone else doing this role - it can be pretty thankless but it's really nice when a school has an effective PTA and organises good events for the kids.

I was chair of the PSA .. i am a very regular person, who is good at organising things

At our school, it's someone who is lovely but very much a "children centre of her world" type, if that makes sense.

She is middle class, SAHM, very focused on her children and supporting the school.

She isn't bitchy at all but she does struggle to understand that other parents are in a different place - she is always disappointed when she gets a poor turnout to a coffee morning at 9am, but most of us work ... That kind of thing.

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