I'd be hopping mad too! I do agree that a parent group can be a good clearing house if volunteer screening is done at your school. But to have a standard policy that you must be a PTA member to be considered first, if at all, for volunteer opportunities is, as Shawn says, ludicrous. A principal who supports that policy is not in control of his own school and is unjustly blocking non-PTA parents from participating in their children's schools.

Why join PTA? Why not join PTA? That's a personal decision for each individual to make.

Any principal who wants to set a tone of inclusion and parental involvement should revoke such a policy and support any willing and capable volunteers.

[ 11-20-2006, 01:01 PM: Message edited by: CrewChief ]

Part of that $5 dues went to CA to lobby an increase on cigarette taxes because supposedly it will make it harder for children to buy cigarettes and to form a new heallthcare beauracracy?

Why join???

How about lobbying for education, retailers CHECKING ID (the cost of cigarettes is irrelevant when they're already $4+ a pack), kicking the illegals out (especially in CA) where classrooms would be reduced to 18-22 children (instead of 30+), teachers to student ratio would be lower by 45+%, ESL/ELL cost would be reduced by 80%, healthcare for children would be reduced by 70+%


I ask again why join PTA???

Why should a parent be 'made to join PTA' to volunteer. We're having that issue to the PTA cost vs a Non-PTA cost for events and such.

PTA's making members first, charging nonmembers extra to attend or volunteer at a school event is just ludicrous in my opinion.

Why join PTA? Why not? Joining PTA shouldnt be extorted...that's just bad business. Its only $5 but it shouldnt cost to be a participant in your childs PUBLIC school.

When I first joined these boards I was Pro PTA- if that's how PTA or PTA's are operating (or getting advice to) I've over the course of a year done a full 180 and am officially not PRO-PTA


Why would you offer discounts to PTA members and charge non PTA parent more?
Are PTA members better? Are they more involved (I'd beg to differ on that), are they smarter than non? Does the school allow a competing PTO be be formed for those who dont like PTA and its practices? If they donated to the school but didnt want to join PTA what would you do?

Why not join? Is it a big deal to join your school's PTA? Maybe they're using this "rule" as a way to build membership. Our PTA offers a discount on admission to our events to members, but we would never turn down volunteers. To echo Tim, that's just dumb. Ask for a meeting with the principal and the PTA President to resolve the membership requirement going forward for other potential volunteers. Maybe they don't realize how damaging this requirement is to the home-school-community partner relationship. I doubt they'd turn down a cash or prize donation because the business owner offering it wasn't a PTA member and this is no different. Good luck.

I've heard it, too, though I don't believe it's common in just the way you've described it.

Is there a "volunteer background check" element to this? If yes, then I suppose the delay and the one-place coordination of all volunteers makes some sense. If no, then it sounds just... dumb. I imagine it's a result of a version of the telephone game, where a policy with some good intention in mind has slowly morphed into the current mistake.

Are there other IT experts ahead of you on "the list"?

Tim

it is sad to say but it some schools it is the norm. A friend of mind moved to another state last spring and it took her almost five months to be okayed to volunteer in the school.
I personally think your group is being petty since you have the childrens best interest in what you are trying to do...