Parents unwilling to help out at school

rio

I would try and find out if there is some history attached to the PTA. The PTA at my sons school had a big bust up about 5 years ago, and even though some of the mothers concerned no longer have children at the school the fall out remains. Is there anyway you can canvas the parents and find out what they would like to see their PTA do? It may be that previous ideas have been wide of the mark.

DaisyFlower

I'd love to help with our PTA but they have meetings on a set day at 3pm when I work. They wont look at changing the day to another one (I only work 3 days) so that rules me out. It only has 3 members (small school) and they are all mums who dont work so really changing the day shouldnt be that hard.

Did have a chuckle though at a recent evening meeting to do with our school club, one of the 3 members said the turnout was fab and why didnt the PTA get the same turnout! Lots of people spoke up to say that if meetings were held at better times then people would - this one was 6pm so after work and creche etc available.

Also, some PTA's are quite cliquey and new parents can be quite daunted by them so just dont bother.

duchy

The best people to get involved with the PTA are the parents with kids in lower years as more of the mothers aren't working. My son's year almost all of the kids were eldest siblings or only ones so fewer of the Mums had work commitments or older children with lots of activity commitments. As the years went on those people tended to drop out when they did go back to work so when looking for volunteers target the newer parents. Things like wine and wisdom work well as the kids can join in and often MAKE the parents come .....and the parents get a night out without needing a babysitter which often makes it more attractive.

Broken_hearted

Over the years we've hid highs and lows with our PTA. Getting help is like getting blood from a stone, our best members are leaving soon as their children are off to secondry school.
We hold the meetings at 8pm at night so working parents can attend yet its still the same few people. We have offered childcare for daytime meetings. A lot of parents use there children as an excuse for not helping.
Our local playgroup is shutting soon as there arn't enough people willing to help run it. Which led to an outcry but no offers of help.
People want the activities/resources without any of the hard work. last month I had to help two discos and supervise my own children at the same time.

ke137

I think many PTA's are suffering from a lack of interest. I attended a PTA meeting last night and it's the same faces who attend and the same faces who help out all the time. We currently have school discos, non-uniform days and raffles. Anyone any ideas what else we could do to raise funds? Would appreciate any fresh ideas. Thanks.

BillScarab

I'm on the HSA (Home School Association) at my children's school. There are about 400 children at the school and we get about a dozen people at the meetings.

We do get a great turnout at the Summer Fete and Brunch with Santa, we also get very good attendance at school Discos. However when we have tried to run events for parents the turnout is awful, usually just the HSA and a couple of others.

Nowadays we just tend to run events for the children as they do like to attend. This school year we've done or will be doing the following

Halloween Craft and Games night
Christmas Craft night
Brunch with Santa
Christmas Disco
Clown night (a couple of local clowns come in to do this and share the profit)
Summer Disco
Year 6 leavers party (this is a free event not money making)
Summer Fete

The discos and craft nights are not really money making events, they're just social events for the children but we try to at least break even.

The only parents event we've run recently that had much support was a fashion show so we may fit another in sometime.

Getting parents involved with the HSA is really hard. Each year we target the parents in reception and hope to get one or two to join but we usually struggle to get new members.

Savvy_Sue

meeps wrote: »

I have done all sorts already, even interview new staff, and my mission is to get a decent committee together to take over next year lol.

Congratulations, you've got the hang of this! Really, the best thing to do is try to get a rolling turnover, about a third new members every year, and let people escape after 2 or 3 years if they want to! Assistant treasurers are an excellent idea for starters, because it's not usually that hard, but people lack confidence.

When the time comes (if it does) to go back to work, or if you're already working to change jobs, don't be shy of putting this experience and the skills learned on your cv and application form. I'd spent 11 years doing itty-bitty part-time jobs with similar voluntary work, and I used my experience to land a very good job managing a small team of admin staff. ALL my people managing skills had come from the PTA and being on the committee of an afterschool club!

scrimpingbadger

Problem is: people do think the PTA peeps are supermums and are mostly terrified of being roped into a situation that a) make them feel inadequate b) have no time for. The school playground can be a terrifying place with cliques of women gossiping about other mums and their clear lack of mothering skills (well maybe it's just around here...)
I'm a teacher and in teacher mode I can take on any parent in the world. In mummy mode I sidle to the edges and pray no one speaks to me!!
I hope I'm not representative though. I just stand in the playground alot and observe the !!!!!ing.... The day some lady pulled something out of her buggy's basket and a large bottle of vodka clanked to the playground floor and rolled off. Well..... you can imagine what they made of that.

skintas_2

problem at my kids school is most of the mums first lanuage isnt english...or that the mums have so many children they couldnt help otherwise. i offer to help with the fetes and anything i can, if i working fulltime i cant. i do offer to goon the trips i never get picked. i ahev also offered to come in and help with reading. and help the kids learn french. as at the kids school have a mum who comes in to teach arabic so why not french. i was told there inst the demand for french..sorry french is a gcse...............

hobbesy_2

I'm really glad this thread has been started. I'm a reception year mum in a school which is only just starting to try and put together a pta again, ahead of a school merger next year. I grew up in a community where my mum was very involved in local and school events, so I did the same and thought everyone was this way.

Now I'm in a new area with a lack of community spirit and I intend to do what I can to bring some back. There is a regular contingent of about 6 of us between the two schools, getting together 1-2 times a month. We're starting with a christmas social and will take it from there, hopefully with a spring fair at easter time. Long term I'd really like to see us making a difference to the community outside of the school, but shhhh, don't tell them I have such grand plans...

So, any more advice anyone has I'll be listening

Keri -x-