Not Happy with New PTA President
By Raven7317
@Raven7317 (691)
United States
January 12, 2013 12:58pm CST
As a PTA mom, I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place... This year, we needed a new president because our old president needed to step down for personal reasons... She has stayed on as VP, but the new president is completely changing everything she established and had in place for a number of years.
He is the most arrogant person! We've lost a few moms because of him and his treatment of us and we've been unable to get new moms to join because of him and his treatment of us... He's turned the whole PTA into a snobby clique, he's cutting out the vets and replacing us all with 'his' people, and just generally making the whole thing unpleasant! And may I add, all these new incoming people were NO WHERE to be found last year!
For those of us who stick around for the principle of being involved with our kids school, we are all ready to kill him... and it's only been 4 months!
The old president has been bombarded with complaints and I'm sure it's making her feel bad... I just struggle between being the 'bigger person' and wanting to walk away!
Anyone have any suggestions?
1 person likes this
4 responses
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
12 Jan 13
can the principal step in and try and help make things better? Maybe a change is needed there. Let us know what happens.
@Raven7317 (691)
• United States
13 Jan 13
I really don't know if anything can be done at this point in the year... I had planned on bringing up my concerns to the VP... Tomorrow there is a gathering with a few of us who all feel the same way and perhaps we can come up with a way to nicely express our feelings to the new prez... Thanks for the response, I'll let you know what happens, if anything!
1 person likes this
@bluespygirl (2112)
• Philippines
13 Jan 13
What I can say is that that is one the reason why I seldom attend to PTA meetings. Because I don't want to be elected as an officer. I have so much at my hands that I can't have extra time to help in school matters. I can't understand some parents who keeps on complaining rather than helping. PTA is made to bond with co parents and help our kids classroom in making it a pleasant place. I believe that if other people have nothing good to say, they just shut their mouth and do the right thing.
@Raven7317 (691)
• United States
13 Jan 13
Thanks for the response.. and you perfectly made my point! Parents should not be made to feel like they can't be involved just because they have less time... ANY involvement is better than none! If a parent only has a few hours a month to give, that few hours needs to be appreciated and acknowledged... they shouldn't be made to feel bad because they didn't do more... And this prez def makes parents feel that way. I was asked to chair a committee and when I said no I was pushed out of the committee altogether after having done it for 2 years and replaced with his cronies... And I agree with you and feel the same way about people complaining but refusing to get involved in making improvements...
We've lost so many dedicated moms already, and new moms are staying away...maybe the above poster was right, maybe the principal needs to get involved...
Thanks for the support!
@Raven7317 (691)
• United States
13 Jan 13
Yes, I think you may be right... I'm going to start digging around and find out who 'governs' the PTA and see if something can be adjusted. Thanks for the response.
@ZoeJoy (1392)
• United States
12 Jan 13
You don't have to join the PTA in order to support your children at school. Just support them in their extra curriculum activities. If they play school sports, then see if you can find a way to support your children's team.
If there is a year or two when the PTA isn't going the way you would like it, you can back off and just focus on something else at your children's school.
I arranged for my children to attend an out-of-district school because I didn't like the local school and it wasn't a right fit for my children. It took me 1/2 hour every morning just to drive them to the closest bus stop for that school. And then, every afternoon, I drove 1/2 hour to pick them up from the bus.
My kids thrived in that school, many evenings my husband and I, along with our children, would drive the whole way to the school to cheer them and support them when they played basketball. We lived too far to be able to support the school in PTA meetings, etc., but we were very involved in children's youth programs. When things didn't always go right in their youth programs because of the other parents, we stayed focused on what is best for our children.
In other words, focus on your children, not the school. Do what is best for your children. Some years, it may be best for you to join the PTA. Other years, it may be best for you to support them in sports, or the band or whatever. Don't stress over what is not going right. Just stay focused on your children. Be flexible, because we all know that other parents are not perfect. Adjust yourself to stay focused on your children.
@Raven7317 (691)
• United States
13 Jan 13
Hi Zoe, thanks for the response... I know you're right, I don't HAVE to be involved with PTA, but I want to. My son has been in school for 4 years already and I have been involved with PTA every year. That's one of the reasons it's such a struggle for me... I do it FOR HIM... I'm lucky that I have the ability to be there for school events... I've taken pictures for the yearbook for 2 years and there is something so great about being able to witness and capture his school days when so many parents can't share that...
And as you mentioned, there is alot of support needed outside of school too, which I also focus on... Basketball, soccer, little league, swim lessons... we do this all as a family and I love it...
I feel that the whole purpose of the PTA is to provide a link between the children, the teachers and the parents... to provide support, to provide a sense of unity and togetherness... Parents who can be there and are there provide a strong link to those parents who can't be there...
I have distanced myself a little bit... and that bothers me too because I feel like I'm allowing someone else to ruin the experience for me.
I guess I'll just keep on keeping on...I'll take your suggestion though and try not to stress and focus of the positives... I do believe being heavily involved with the PTA is best for my child, it brings us both comfort and joy to share a few moments that we normally wouldn't get to share. Thank you for the advise!
