I devised a fairly detailed program when I became pres. Unlike you though I was not met with resistant. The principal and staff was very supportive. I feel like the program gave new parents, especially shy a chance to help if they wanted too. Have a plan in hand when you ask those questions and give it to them at the PTO meeting. It may help more than you think if they hear details. Teachers may appreciate it too. One of the MANY things I learned quickly when I started was that some teachers are as intimated by parents as much as parents are teachers! So what I had was several teachers afraid to ask parents to help on specific things and several parents waiting to be asked. Getting everyone to listen is key. Keep trying but remember "Rome wasn't built in one day."

I wish I could say that it was that easy. Let me give you a little more info. When I bring up areas where improvement can be made, I am told we have no parent volunteers. Just to test that story I stayed at the school offering my time, not once but several times, in my school visits I have meet many other parents like myself who literally just hang out at the school because there is nothing for us to do. I'm sorry but I just don't believe that there can be nothing to do. I don't buy it. So I'm taking my questions to the masses, I've gotten to know the other parents and we have similar concerns, so at the next school-parent meeting/function we are going to each ask those questions. If my voice alone isn't going to get noticed maybe they'll hear all of them. We all can't be wrong. It's not that the school doesn't look like it's meeting the minimum requirements on paper, but spend a day in the life of a parent sitting there ready, willing, able, & praying for someone to say;"Hey, can you make me 30 copies?"

I agree with pals, you need to slow down. I know it can be hard to see all these areas where you know improvement could be made and to know that you have ideas that might work, but if you go in with your proverbial "guns a blazin'" you probably aren't going to be welcomed with open arms.

From personal experience I've found more involvement opportunities by ASKING how I can help than by TELLING people how I think I can help. You have to build that trust and confidence with people before you can start making suggestions on how to change areas where you see weaknesses.

Follow pals advice on looking into those groups within the school that would be sources for involvement opportunities, and maybe start over with the principal. Take a deep breath and just tell her that you really want to be an integral part of the school and you would love the chance to help in any area she can think of putting you. If you think you may have ruffled feathers, apologize for that. I know there are parents in the school where my child attends that teachers hate to see coming, because they are so pushy and aggressive in their pursuits to be involved.

Keep us posted on how things go.

I commend you that you are so gung ho but I think you need to slow down a bit,things tend to happen in a certain way. The principal is a good start but I think starting slowly, and for those committees that have been recommended to you is one your school site base team (shared decision making team)? This team is made up of stakeholders such as staff, parents, administrators, community members they can be equal to your school board in a sense that they look at issues in your school and often work with the board on finding a means and way to solve issues. If you are newly involved that energy that you carry can be looked at as a "mad mom who wants to fix the world".
Does your school/district have a parent compact or involvement policy. that may be a place to start, putting into play an action plan takes alot of help from all stakeholders and often input from alot if people. I am wondering about more history of your school, please share more about your parent group, school set up, and what sort of action plan are you looking at. I am guessing your school has a action plan for engaging parents...just might not be what you are looking for. For example I have fought for more involvement opportunities for years, after being on site base four years, running the pto for four years, room mom, yada yada I gained the trust of the principal to start a parent involvement team that looked at every aspect of our school and how they relate to home/community. It was a eye opening experience that taught me about our parent involvement policy/compact (that was updated because of this team), and how parent involvment at school can be in so many ways....please share more. Dont be discourage it just takes alot of time and trust, ever heard you can get more flies with honey??

So I go into my daughter's school, wanting to make a difference in the level of parents involved in the school now. So far I've been passed like a hot potatoe, one teacher even says to me; "Oh I've heard of you". I've talked to 4 diffrent people , including the principal who have all given me the famous routine:"You should talk to this person". They think that just because they throw a few committee meetings at me I should be satisfied. Well I'm not. I have plan but not sure how to put into action. I would like to organize/develop an action plan to present to principal on how to effectively engage parents. Does anyone out there have any templates for anything even close to this? Help Please! S.O.S.