The Real PTO Moms of Atlanta

So Bravo is previewing a new PTO reality show this weekend.  If they're looking for drama, they’ve definitely found the right place!  We won’t miss an episode.

While I’m sure plenty of critics and observers will follow the new show, no one will cover the show like PTO Today!  Forgive us for the excitement, but it’s not every day we get the chance to play John Madden or Dick Vitale and provide expert color commentary on our chosen sport. 

A couple of early Hopes and Fears from our angle:

Hope: Passion and generosity will shine through. The PTO moms we know are in it for the right reasons and give willingly of their time and talents. That may not make for the best TV, but we hope that side of PTO and PTA work gets visibility.

Fear: The name and the preview suggest that this is a show almost exclusively about fundraising, even though PTOs and PTAs do so much more than that. And this one is about big-time fundraising ($100k+) to boot. One hundred thousand dollar budgets are pipe dreams for most PTOs.  Will "Mother Funders" only deepen the impression that parent groups are just about money? That’s the fear.

Hope: The show can find an audience. There’s something to be said about getting real with schools.  This work is not easy. And it can be filled with tough interpersonal skills. But the schools need this kind of involvement and help desperately

Fear:  TV ratings pressure will require the show to exaggerate every possible PTO and PTA stereotype.  Think: Harper Valley PTA on steroids. It’s what we're expecting, frankly, but the fear is that Andy Cohen and his minions will dial that all the way up to the ridiculous, which will only hurt the parent groups that are out there doing their jobs without TV cameras.

We'll be live tweeting this Sunday and certainly continuing the discussion here and on our Facebook channel. Love to have you join in. Stay tuned…