I don't know that I would want to be affiliated with an organiztion that operates like this. Sounds like some exclusive club! I agree with Lisa about helping your daughter at home. maybe take it a little further though. Does this organization control volunteering in the classroom? Maybe you could speak with the teacher or principal and start helping there.
You said it all in your last sentence. Your daughter's education is important to you. Concentrate on helping her with her school work for now. That is the most important part of parental involvment. The rest will either come or not. I don't have any wonderful advice on how to get involved in PTO, just attend what you can, get to know the parents involved, and ease your way into it. I am uneasy about the PTO paying for the catered lunch. Do you have a lot of discretionary funds to do this with? I know that we don't and I would NEVER even entertain the idea of doing that.
I (we) are looking for advice. I know this is unusual, but I have been trying for over a year and a half to be apart of the PTSO and have not had any luck. We recently moved across the country and my daughter started in a new school last year. Both of my parents and myself have always been very active in the PTA/PTO so we signed up right away to join here. We went through the school year last year with no reply to our requests to help. When I asked around I was told that it is unlikely we will be allowed in. Not only were we unable to participate, we really do not even know what they are doing. We received three newsletters for the entire year. This year I have received one.
This year is the same...requests to help filled out at the beginning of the year and no one will respond. My mother started going to their board meetings, which are always at 1:00 on a Monday, and heard similiar requests to be a part of the PTSO. The typical reply?? Well, if any parent wants to be here they will arrange their schedules to be here at OUR time!! Well I work...never been a problem before but it is not well received here. I had one father tell me that he has tried to be a part of the board for over four years! The other issue I have with their meetings is that they have them monthly, and a full lunch is catered at each meeting (the PTSO pays for this) and others before me have tried to bring this up...but if you choose to challenge them you are further banned!
For the first time I really do not want to support this organization. I know that there are so many out there giving and giving and giving...what do you do with those that just take? Do I just walk away like so many other parents I have talked with? I have never seen anything so crazy and backwards. Obviously we are having a hard time letting this go, my daughters education is the number one importance with me.
