Would you join the PTA??????

[sweetheart]

My dd started school a few weeks ago and the PTA are desperatly looking for new members.

I work full time as well as go to college and try to spend as much time with my dd as possible. It though that getting invovled in something like the PTA would help me feel less guilty about the time I spend apart from my dd and that she would be happy to see me getting involved with her school.

On the other hand, I don't want to take more time away from her by being busy organising events etc.

So back to my question, would you join the PTA???

FWIW our PTA now consists mainly of dads but interesting preconception about the possibility of it being a load of snotty nosed mums they're only a bunch of people trying to raise extra money to benefit the WHOLE school.

I wasn't meaning to offend anyone jampot. I was just making an observation from what other MNers have said, that alot of PTA's seems to be clique

Funnily enough I have heard people say our PTA is cliquey - but I didn't find it so. I just turned up at the meeting, listened, asked a few questions and got stuck in.

There are a few people who clash, but I make the effort to be pleasant to everyone and just commit to things I know I can deal with.

We also do optional gift aid, so that parents who can't/don't want to get involved can make a donation of their choice - big, small, one off, regular if they want to.
Personally I don't do gift aid, but make cakes etc, give raffle prizes, buy loads of raffle tickets and other bits and bobs as required and of course spend time helping out.

It really is horses for courses.....each PTA is different and people want varying levels of involvement.

Sweetheart, when ds1 started school (4 years ago)
i found it all very clique so i stayed away but as letters were always being sent to mums and dads asking for help i decided to go to a meeting.
I walked in sat down and listened for a bit then started asking questions and then making suggestions now ds2 has started school (same school) i am the secretary for the P.A. and the first thing i did when school started was tell the new reception class mums when the next P.A meeting was and invite them along.
We now have 3 new mums eager to help.
Also after talking to some long term P.A mums i found out that while i thought they were "clique" they thought i was "standoffish".
Do go along to a meeting and see what you think. Good luck.

Though I resigned as chair of pta yesterday after 5 years (we're moving) I'm only awake now because I'm buzzing from another £700 function tonight. DO get involved - we're not all cliquey, and we love to see new faces at meetings. The more reasonable among us realise that people have busy lives and sometimes can't make many (or any) meetings but still have a valuable contribution to make. When my daughter was new at school the best thing I did was help on a stall at the fete. I now feel much more involved with the school. This year different people have taken charge of particular events and it has worked really well - people can join a committee for just a couple of meetings and still make a valuable contribution.
Sometimes I think that if we all just gave £100 we'd save the hassle but as sweetheart says there are people on all kinds of incomes. We're working on the new school buildings and since last September we've raised £16000 - not bad for a small village school of 140 kids. And if any of our mums/dads are reading this you know who I am - I think you're fantastic! Our PTFA is a great team.
Sorry to go on but I do feel strongly on this one!

Sweetheart - i think its a widespread misconception that's all - I know it is at our school but it never occurred to me before I joined the PTA when dd started school. Another misconception is that money can be just doled out to the school for willy nilly things. Ours wanted the PTA to pay for a couple of training books for the staff which were about £400. They assumed the PTA would say yes so went ahead and ordered then retrospectively mentioned it in a meeting. As the meeting wasn't attended by any staff other than the Head, the vote was against paying for them, as the principle idea is that it benefits the children of the school in extra curricular purchases, not essentials. The Chair at the time was then slated by the staff for not allowing it.