We have Math Night at our school for 3 years now. Unfortunately, the teachers do not want to participate since they are not getting paid for it. Without the teachers, Math Night is almost impossible to have. So, our principal made it mandatory that our teachers show up at the event and run a station each. Part of the teacher contract states that they can have up to two nights per school year as required participation. One if for Back to School Night and the other is Math Night.

The principal has called a meeting with the two teachers on board, the two Joyce Epstein survey parents who proclaimed that we needed to do this (he hasn't share their names with us for whatever reason) and PTO representation next Friday. He said that this has to happen. We are a Title I school so I have a feeling that's why the need is there. We'll see what happens. Our President is already to go to battle and I'm trying to calm her down. In the background, I have been planning this because I know that we are going to make the event happen. Next year, however, is a different story.

I'd talk to the math teachers. At our school a college professor comes and gives math demonstrations and there are math games set up by age groups in different classrooms.

jurijeka;127357 wrote: I found some ideas on line for stations but was hoping for more input/support from the teachers. It was discussed as their staff meeting and consensus is that they aren't getting paid overtime for it, they aren't going to volunteer. What do we do now?

Discuss at your PTO meeting whether or not this event is even worth doing without the teachers on board. If the principal wants it to happen so badly, he or she should get his people in line.

If you don't have a PTO meeting in time, go ahead and make that decision yourself -- tell the principal you can't do it without a teacher's guidance.

Then, don't stress over it. It is not your fault.

There is a company in Michigan that sells games and products that are math related, check to your learning stores and see if they have any games like this-- I believe it's called learning gizmo's.
They come out to the school and bring the sample games, they will explain how the game works to your volunteers, there play-- they are all very education and fun. Then the store has a set-up in one corner, where you can purchase the game to take home. The school get a percentage of the sales... and the PTO bought a game for every teacher that helped at the event... so it was a win-win for everyone involved. good luck! Foxmom

We don't have specific math teachers at our school (K-5). There is a
"math team" but the leader is retiring this year and just kind of counting the days. I am going to talk to her to see if we can work something out. The PTO isn't looking for the teachers to work the event, just to participate in the planning - ideas for stations and the packet that needs to go along with it. Our high school has a great NHS group that I utilize as often as I can so manning it isn't really an issue. We'd like the teachers to be there but it isn't necessary, it would just be nice to have someone trained in the area of education to develop a plan and then we'll make it happen.