Thank you all sooooo much for responding to my post. I have been PTO pres. for two years this would be my third year. I have been attending school board meetings for two + years now. I only missed when I had my third child last year two meetings. To me school board would be easier. Looks to me that our members just go to meetings! Honestly. I talked to someone who is thinking of running and he feels the same way. PTO president takes so much of my time during the fall and winter. Then it lets up some. I realize that school board would be a two year deal. For now I am not running and going to campaign for at least one that I feel could help. It's just that with all the cuts etc. within our county it feels like the PTO is becoming more more needed just for the day to day operation of our school. In my opinion we should be bringing the "extra" to our school. You know the programs like the earth ball thing etc. That is what I personally would like to see happen. We are located on the other end of the county and are left out of so much. We are getting ready to be forced to combine grades like 2-3 etc. This also was another reason why I wanted to run for school board. Seems to me that they just aren't running it like a "business". By the way our school is K-8. I have a daughter in 6th. A son that is 2 1/2 and a daughter 1. The answer is if our school stays open YEAP I will be at this school for another 12 years! I am in it for the long run, unless things start getting worse than I can have imagined.
Again thank you for the comments.
No one said it would be easy, right? I personally think that each position requires an enormous amount of time, each has it's respective headaches. The question is what one wants to achieve. If either position were easy, or required no time, had no headaches, or had no problems, everyone would want to or be asked to do the job. Right?
My friend is serving on the School Board right now and is commited for the next two years (something to think about). She is at school MORE than I was as Prez last year, is constantly beign stopped by parents for one reason or another (which she hates) and wanted to go on her usual month long visit to her parents but may have to cut it short.
What she has told me is she misses the time she used to have with her two children (14 and 12) but has found her position rewarding at times. [img]smile.gif[/img] Also she has learned from watching the gal she replaced, there is a time and a place for your personnal thoughts and it's usually in your car or behind closed doors-- the other gal's foot was very worn from all the times she had it in her mouth...lol.
I want to serve on our board (someday...like when I have ALL 5 in school!) and her honesty has really opened my eyes. But right now, I need to take care of somethings here at home first!
I have considered running for School board, and have briefly spoken to a current member. They put in alot of hours. Not only do you have to be at meetings, but you have alot of reading to do. You have to be knowledgeable about the questions/decisions coming before you. Consider how much time you have and want to spend on outside "work". Talk to the current board members and go to meetings. See if that is really what you want. If so, then perhaps you can do something else on the PTO. I think being Pres would just stretch you too far.
Maybe I miss understood the question. As I understand the question, it would be one or the other. If that is what you are asking, then I offer this:
Have you served a term as President? Is there someone to fill your shoes? If you stay on as prez, can you run for the school board next year? How many more years will your children be at your school? Do you have other children, still at home, who will eventually attend the school? What has your husband/wife had to say about either position?
I would think, were it me, that I could still do a great job as a PTO member, while working to make a difference as a school board member. I also think it would give you great insight as to what ways a PTO could better serve your school if you were on the school board. While there may be less prestige (sort of a small fish in a big pond) in being on the board, I think that very few of us are in it for the title of PTO President (sort of a big fish in a little pond). I guess it just depends on what you want to accomplish, shorter term goals or longer term goals. Both are admirable in their own respects. Both have their rewards. Both have their drawbacks. Again, if it were me, I think I would have my cake and eat it too by serving as a regular (is there such an animal...lol) member of the PTO and serve on the school board as well.
Good Luck on whatever you decide. [img]smile.gif[/img]
Here is the question? Do I stay as PTO president or run for school board? I have some people asking why I don't run. We live in a very rural area in WEstern NC. The question I ask myself is would I do better to help at our school as PTO president? or could I actually help change things in our county on the school board? I guess I am wanting to know have any of you ever considered running for school board and your thoughts? I have until July 2, 2002 to put my name in.
