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What do you do when there are no parents?

18 years 4 months ago #103401 by tryinhard
Replied by tryinhard on topic RE: What do you do when there are no parents?
I agree with ReneeS. In our district we are encouraged to do a spend down at the end of the year. We start from scratch every year. Ask the kids what they want to do. Put out a survey and the majority rules.
18 years 4 months ago #103400 by Renee S
Replied by Renee S on topic RE: What do you do when there are no parents?
Threaten that if no one steps up, you will have to disband. If that is the case, ask the teachers what they need for the classrooms or use it for the field trips. My treas. & I went on a spending spree. We purchased t-shirts for the whole school, prizes (pool toys, games, cd players...)& rafflewd them off. Every student had their name in a 'hat' (we separated boys & girls) then we held a bbq & then we started pulling out names & handing out prizes. That way the money that they raised was used on them. We spent evey last dime on them. I hope you will find parents to step up. Good luck.
18 years 4 months ago #103399 by Melissa Constantine
Replied by Melissa Constantine on topic RE: What do you do when there are no parents?
Maybe you need to stop dropping hints and just spell it out. I think a lot of times everybody just assumes someone else will come through so they don't do anything. I feel for you, and hope that your parents will step up to the plate.
18 years 4 months ago #103398 by ScottMom#1
Our teachers aren't supposed to hold the elected positions unless they are a parent of one of our students. But essentially, there are no parents who are willing. I'm starting nursing school next year and right now I'm struggling to get things done with one other person and giving 20-40 hours a week on PTO stuff, so there is no way I can physically continue much longer. I'm not sure the teachers would be willing to take this on, but since both the teachers and the involved parents agree, they don't want the funds raised by students to go into the school's budget, where they can be spent as the principal sees fit, I'm sort of at a loss. I have been dropping hints that we need to get more parents including someone to replace me, but that doesn't seem to be sinking in. I am putting it on our agenda for the next meeting.

The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
18 years 4 months ago #103397 by Renee S
Replied by Renee S on topic RE: What do you do when there are no parents?
Hi! Do you have officers for next yr.? I'm lucky if I have parents at the meetings. Our school went through restructuring over the last 2 yrs. & then a school closing so a lot of parents are soured on the whole thing. Now we have only 3 elem. and the students will be at each school for 2 yrs. (one is k-1, one is 2-3, the other is 4-5). My old pto (mine was the closed school)was run by just our officers last school yr.(pres., treas., sec., princ., teacher rep) If you at least have officers then you can still function. My old pto spent our money on the students & teachers. We decided we didn't want to give the money to another pto. The students who raised it deserved to have it spent on them. The pto I've since joined is getting ready for another fundraiser because our teachers want/need new/updated technology (projectors,elmos,laminator,speaker system...) If the teachers don't want to have their own organization if yours disbands....spend what money you have on the students & teachers now. I wish you all the luck.
18 years 4 months ago #103396 by ScottMom#1
We are in the position that we may not have any parents for our group next year. We only have 2 right now. I hate to see all of my hard work go into the school's general fund, I would rather now that the teachers and students are able to benefit from it. Do you think they could just have a Teachers Organization that does everything the same without parents? Or have I just lost my mind because our school's budget and extra money doesn't seem to be spent in the most economical of ways? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
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