Pals-(1st post) It wasn't being a PTA that harmed your group, it was obviously the board from the way that you tell it. As PTA, you are supposed to fundraise+activities. 3-1 rule. # activities for every one fundraiser. There should have been other things done for your school and I'm sorry that they weren't. But as a member, you have the right to go above the heads of the people who are doing harm by their actions or in this case, inaction and effect change. the old officers of any board/group would watch and wait for failure especially if they failed themselves. You say there was no training but there may have been and you simply weren't informed either because you were inactive or because the past board (more likely) didn't tell anyone about it. Our past board never told anyone, nor attended the trainings last year. Most newer members didn't even know they had a council or anything else that was in place. Again, this wasn't the fault of the PTA but the people put in place at the local level. Your local boards have a responsiblity to put forth the information they receive from state, to their membership.
Aretha- I appreciate your support and happy to see that you find the benefits as I do as a Council President, Board of managers and member of a local unit. I especially find it interesting as you are in Kentucky and have seen two very different viewpoints on what PTA does for them. (PTOSimp posting is Kentucky) I too am proud of the national activity and it is of importance to me.(I see the benefit and then some, glad your school does also) but what I get from being in here is the money factor. We as PTA, have to understand it and try to help. I have quite a few schools under me that like pals', have high poverty parents. Many of our better off PTA schools "sister" with some of these schools and about 1/2 are non-PTA. Our school does a book drive, coat drive, food drive and more (as requested by their principals) for these schools that aren't PTA. For the schools that are, we encourage all activity, members and non-members alike. You don't have to be a member of your parent group to be involved. Our school also offers member scholarships where the dues portion is paid by the PTA. Like you suggested, if your really concerned, you could only have the few required members, still get the lower insurance and pay far less that being a PTO paying less insurance. This isn't my official response but it is an option. There is always a solution.
Treasmom- I believe you are only getting the cost of liability insurance and not considering bond-protects against embezzelment, property- self explanatory, and most important officers liability. I would make certain all those things are covered. Even PTO people in here recommend it. (your cost comparison will likely change if you add in those things)
You add up your PTA costs and say you only use the insurance. You have a council, which means there is something for you there. Trainings, member support, council activities. You also aren't required to be a member of the council.You could cut that out of your costs if money is an issue. At state and national I KNOW there is something there for you all to use. If you aren't using it and not telling your members about it than you are doing them and yourself a disservice or perhaps furthering your own PTO agenda by not sharing the information. If after utilizing the resources you get from your affiliation and doing a REAL cost comparison, you and the membership still see an advantage to changing to PTO than more power to you but if you don't get all the facts and present everything to your membership than no, I wouldn't be happy about your switching to PTO because your a visitor, not a resident and you are making changes for yourself, your other parents and the parents/teachers who come after you. If you didn't do it right and present it fairly, I wouldn't support that.
pals-You're right as we have seen with treasmom's response, most schools don't utilize the resources. I completely understand the financial reasons behind your decision but you could've remained PTA gotten all the things that come with it and still gotten the involvement and as Aretha points out also help other schools in your area by supporting the advocacy part of PTA.
General-I occasionally get discouraged being in here because I feel like people just don't get it. I'm getting that way now. I just wish you could see what I see and experience what I experience to understand why I am so passionate about PTA.
I also think this has been exhausted for now. I have said everything I can in these posts and some others.
If your changing to a PTO because of attitudes, then it's people not PTA that's the problem. If it's money and it works out to be significantly more to be PTA then PTO might be the answer. If it's just because you hate PTA, then that's your problem, not the groups.
