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When you hear "PTA" what do you automatically think?

mandymackmandymack member
in School-Aged Children
I've seen a few comments on other boards about "those people" in the PTA and it's always with a negative connotation. 

Why is that?

I've been a member 2 years now and am on next year's board and just don't get it. Our meetings are always productive, we have a ton of volunteers on every committee, we have some really fun fund-raisers and give a lot back to our school that our state budget cut, and unless we are talking about GATE funding, there's rarely a heated discussion. 

eclaire 9.10.06  diggy 6.2.11

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Re: When you hear "PTA" what do you automatically think?

  • mandymackmandymack member
    cmeon_the_water said:
    You're really never heard the stereotype of a PTA parent? Snotty, clique-y bored SAHMs (who do their best to exclude working parents)- spending on things that benefit their own children directly- assigning grunt work to newbies- it's not like there aren't enough horror stories out there to make this seem really far-fetched.

    I do think it's possible that there are completely normal, hard working groups out there doing the best to benefit their schools and all the children in them- and I hold out hope that ours is one of them. Fighting over GATE funding, though? Really?
    No. I'm the only one in my circle of close friends that's married and has kids and my husband and I relocated to CA just before having kids so, I'm doing all this "on my own", if you will. I don't have anyone close to me to share stories with or compare to.

    I don't doubt there are "those" parents you've described out there, I've just never seen anything from parents at our school and neighborhood schools that made me judge someone in that way and call them those names. Truly. Our PTA raises six figures and the state of CA is broke... the parents all work really hard to use that money and their free time to make sure our kids get music, art, garden lessons, field trips, and a media center with a full-time media instructor.

    We DO have a lot of parents who are certain their kids are geniuses AND that our teachers are incompetent of providing challenging assignments to THEIR kids; they "fight" for more GATE funding every chance they get. They aren't wrong, it's just the only example of "intense" that I've seen.

    eclaire 9.10.06  diggy 6.2.11

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  • mandymackmandymack member
    cmeon_the_water said:

    TobeMrsShavers said:
    No. I'm the only one in my circle of close friends that's married and has kids and my husband and I relocated to CA just before having kids so, I'm doing all this "on my own", if you will. I don't have anyone close to me to share stories with or compare to.

    I don't doubt there are "those" parents you've described out there, I've just never seen anything from parents at our school and neighborhood schools that made me judge someone in that way and call them those names. Truly. Our PTA raises six figures and the state of CA is broke... the parents all work really hard to use that money and their free time to make sure our kids get music, art, garden lessons, field trips, and a media center with a full-time media instructor.

    We DO have a lot of parents who are certain their kids are geniuses AND that our teachers are incompetent of providing challenging assignments to THEIR kids; they "fight" for more GATE funding every chance they get. They aren't wrong, it's just the only example of "intense" that I've seen.

    It's just so odd (and sad) that parents would have to go to the PTA to fund services that they (probably rightfully so) think their kids need to succeed. CA is really not a good place for a gifted kid that needs to rely on public education- absolutely abysmal funding compared to better states.

    Our locally zoned school *just* became a PTA this coming school year- it will be interesting to see how that plays out. The school DS (and most likely, in the future, DD) is a PTO- that just started last year- so, I think it should be fairly drama-free. We'll see. :)
    It IS sad. Most of the school funding continues to come from increased property tax measures. CA is in really bad shape :(

    eclaire 9.10.06  diggy 6.2.11

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  • KL777KL777 member
    I think of an opportunity to get involved.  It's exciting to me to participate in my son's school's activities.

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  • Littlejen22Littlejen22 member
    Ditto Cmeon. There are also a lot of Moms that are on the PTA that think they are more important than the teachers and Principal because they bring money into the schools. There are also a lot of PTA people that think it is so incredible that they raise money and then wants to spend it on stupid crap. But yet I am mildly involved and will see how that goes.
    Jen - Mom to two December 12 babies Nathaniel 12/12/06 and Addison 12/12/08
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  • jlw2505jlw2505 member
    My school does not fit the normal PTA/PTO (we are a PTO) at all.  We have a group of about 20-30 active mostly moms that show up to each monthly meeting and then slews of others that volunteer but don't come to the meetings.  I think a huge difference at our school is that we have a population of about 50-60% (depending on the year) open enrollment.  These are families that are hand picking the school so they are very involved.  They choose are school (myself included) because of this school and this staff and these parents and how involved they are.  The parents are not all stay at home mom's.  One of the co-VP's for this coming year works full time as a Rad Tech!  Meetings are in the evening, with child care provided and they rotate days of the week so working parents can come.  We, as a school, don't sell things.  We do fundraising in other ways and make a ton of money that goes right back into programs for the school in the form of buying things that the school needs, paying for field trips (buses for the trips or the actual trips or to bring specialists to the school), we throw different events at the school, etc.  I have heard all the sterotypes and do totally think that at some schools, that is totally what you would find but I think our school is very different because of the general make-up of the school.  Heck - the principal is at every meeting!
    Jenni Mom to DD#1 - 6-16-06 DD#2 - 3-13-08 
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  • jlw2505jlw2505 member
    The difference between PTA and PTO is very simple - PTA is dues paying and has a national organization behind it while the PTO is not part of a national group.

    https://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-articles/article/292-pto-vs-pta-whats-the-difference

    Our school chooses to be a PTO as we don't see the point or benefit to our school to be part of a national organization and to have families pay dues just to be part of it.  As a family of our school, you are part of the PTO - no money needed to join as long as your child is a student at the school, you are a member.
    Jenni Mom to DD#1 - 6-16-06 DD#2 - 3-13-08 
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  • jlw2505jlw2505 member
    And for creative fundraising - our school has done a parents party for 3 or 4 years (not sure as my kids are only 1st and K but I was around for a 2 additional years with PreK).  It is held on a Thursday night in the spring.  The main focus is a huge silent auction.  The event has a theme (80's last year, 70's the year before) and everyone gets dressed up.  The location has been the same (a cinema grill) that is partially donated to help us keep the profits up and they get tons of advertising and we have a cash bar and provide some finger foods and music.   Everything for the silent auction is donated.  The last 2 years, on this one event alone, we raised right around $20k after all expenses were paid for the location and food and band.  It is a blast!  We had hundreds of items for auction including wine (they do a wall of wine and ask families to donate a bottle of their fav wine and write the background on why its their fav).  Last year we had 7 groups of 6 bottles each (they are broken into price points for the groupings) and we sold raffle tickets.  Each ticket was part of the drawing for all 7 groupings.  That alone brought in $800.
    Jenni Mom to DD#1 - 6-16-06 DD#2 - 3-13-08 
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  • neverblushedneverblushed member
    edited July 2013
    The stereotypes about PTA moms don't come from nothing; there's a basis for them. My kids have collectively attended 3 different elementary schools and a middle school.  I myself have taught at 3 different schools.  So, I'm basing my knowledge of PTAs/PTOs on 7 different examples.  I know a number of the PTA moms at my son's elementary school because their kids went to the same preschool as my son. They're very nice ladies, and I appreciate the hard work they do for the school.  However, as a working mom, there's little opportunity for me to join them.

    My elementary school PTA does a lot of diverse activities, and it's not organized solely as a fundraising juggernaut, which is refreshing.  For instance, the school is very diverse, and there's an impressive annual "international night" that celebrates the diversity in the school.  The PTA also organizes a number of community service projects.  I think it sets a good example for the kids.

    However, the thing that most makes me uncomfortable about PTA moms is the "us vs. them" attitude toward the teachers.  It's awkward for me because I am also a teacher, and I generally see things about my kids' schools more from the "teacher" point of view than the "parent" point of view. I have heard other moms say stuff about teachers and teaching practices that is ignorant and outrageous.  Yeah, I get it -- there are a handful of teachers in every school that are a problem. But it's the administration's job to deal with it, not the PTA's.  
    High School English teacher and mom of 2 kids:

    DD, born 9/06/00 -- 12th grade
    DS, born 8/25/04 -- 7th grade
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