I prefer to contribute $ to my kid's classroom rather than the PTA?

Question

My kid's elementary school PTA membership fee is $25 per parent. PTA board members are a bunch of self-important windbags. They only have 1 meeting in the whole school year for all members, the rest are elected board members only. Any new parent who tries to run for a PTA position is adroitly discouraged and outmaneuvered.

I volunteer a lot at school, but stay away from PTA & PTA conducted events. I'm fairly wellknown in the school, and this year lot of parents have come to know that I don't join the PTA, and instead contribute $ to my kid's classroom & grade directly. And, lot of parents have chosen to do the same - instead of paying to join the PTA, they are directing that and more $ to their child's classroom.

Because of its bad reputation, only about 15% of parents join the PTA, the rest think "why join and have our $ distributed over the whole school, I would rather have it help the 20 kids in my child's classroom only".

The PTA president approached me directly and requested me to join the PTA, so more parents join. I politely refused.

To put it in perspective, ours is a very affluent area. Rich to very rich parents, and it can be safely said that almost all can afford the membership fee, but just don't. It rankles me to be one of the few to pay $25 or $50 to the PTA, and have it spread over the whole school while 85% of parents chose not to pay and join.

Does it make me a less invovled parent if I choose to focus on my kid's classroom and not the whole school? Are most school's PTAs like this, with low membership?

Answer 1

The school that I went to was small, and the PTA and school board members were exactly the same. They were the "local" townspeople, and any newcomers were not exactly received with a warm welcome. They also made sure their children were picked for all the teams, awards, and scholarships there were to be had, and left the others kids out in the cold. I think what you're doing is 100% the right thing, and it's way better to give money or needed items to your child's classroom alone and not worry about the others because everyone else should do the same. Good luck and God bless!

Answer 2

Good for you !!!

Answer 3

I am a little wary of the PTA at our school. I just pay the $15 membership because my kid wants me to and I can afford it easily.

Other than that, I choose when and for what I contribute. Some of the programs are useless in my opinion. The ones that I think are worth it, I send in the money. And, these are school-wide and help all kids, not just mine.

I can understand your negative experience with your PTA, and there is nothing wrong with contributing directly to your kid's classroom.  If there is so much of politics in it, it might not be worth your time to try to join and change things. Also depends on how many years your kids have left in that school.  Sometimes, the painful PTA board members kids move on to middle school, and then might be a better time to try joining as a board member.

Answer 4

Talk to the teacher personally and contribute non-monetary goods.  

Answer 5

I'm 13, so I just called my mom over to this one.

In my (and my sibling's) school, the PTA asks for $5 donate from each parent. My mom gives $25. She tries not only to help her child, but all their peers. Through the year, I will throw some money their way. She honestly do whatever she could to benifit the schools. It's important that not only her kids, but kids in general have a good education and experiance at school.

You don't have to be a PTA mom. Most parents at my school aren't either because who wants to be apart of gossipy parents. Donate $25 and say you'd rather not join, but like to help the school.

Just my thoughts. Hope I helped!

Answer 6

You have to pay to be on the PTA!!!!!!!!! That is madness. In the uk the only thing you pay with is your time. I have been active on the PTA for 2 years now and enjoy every minute of it.

I would not join a PTA if i had to pay. You are doing the right thing

Answer 7

I do the same as you. Stay away from the school PTA.  Far away.

Our teachers generally ask for $25 voluntary contribution for classroom expenses. Most parents contribute. In addition to that, the PTA has lots of fundraisers/sales over the school year, which mean a lot of work and effort, but raise very low money as they are misguided fundraisers. I contribute a lot to each fundraiser, but I just write a BIG check, and do not have my child participate in silly cookie-dough sales and I refuse to buy items or participate in carnivals or summer parties held by the PTA where only a low percentage is actual money raised.

I also contribute a lot of my time in volunteering, but again, only for efforts not led by the PTA. I volunteer for yard duty, lunch time duty, traffic control, library, in the office,  in classrooms (other than my kid's) that do not have enough parent volunteers and I help teachers with bookclubs, math clubs.  But, if any of these are coordinated by the PTA, I avoid them like the plague.

Donating only to your kid's classroom is understandable, but donating to the general school fund would help in bigger ways, more events like assemblies, fairs, music etc. could be financed.

So, faced with a similar situation like yours, I have come up with this approach - contribute $ to the school, directly to the school office, not through the PTA. And, I contribute my time for all events and activities except those run by our PTA.  I don't feel guilty that my money is not going to buy those extravagant flower bouquets and cookie-baskets that our PTA board members buy themselves after each and every small fundraiser.

Answer 8

At my kids' school, PTA funds go towards all the classroom teachers for necessary supplies and also towards things like buses for field trips, enrichment programs for the whole school (visiting artists, science programs, etc., math-enrichment classes for various grades, etc), a science fair, a talent show, and similar items that I'm really glad the kids at my school get.  Giving money directly to your child's classroom teacher isn't going to help with all of those things.  I'd also hate to see one kid's class (even if it was my own kid) well-funded because parents in that class donated lots of money while the classroom down the hall was struggling to buy needed supplies.  That seems beyond inequitable and just plain wrong.  In my school parents donate directly to the classroom for class parties, and I actually think those donations should also go straight to the PTA and be allocated equitably among all the classrooms, because it's not the kid in the classroom down the hall's fault that the parents in that classroom didn't donate as much, and it doesn't seem right to me that some classes should have more lavish parties than others.  When it comes to classroom supplies and other less frivolous things, I think equity is even more important.

Answer 9

I feel the same way. What I do is donate items the class room needs. Once year it was board games for raining days. My son said they all had to take turns because there was not enough games. So we bought games for his class room. One year they did not have enough jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, etc. for recess, so we donated a bunch of new things for recess. For Christmas we always give the teacher a $50.00 gift card to wall-mart, so she can spend it on herself or her class room. So you need to do what feel right for you and your family.  

Answer 10

I don't think you should be a PTA member, just from your attitude.

Why does it matter to you if your money benefits not only your child, but your child's friends and peers?

We don't have a PTA where I live.....we have a PTO. There's open meetings monthly for all members that are able to be in attendance. Suggestions from all are welcome. Donations of time, talent, and money are always welcome. Our membership fee? $5 for an individual and $10 for a family membership. Everyone can afford that fee for sure but many people choose not to join. The money earned from memberships and PTO sponsored events go to benefit ALL the children in the school as no one child is better than another. I still donate money to my school just the same.

A PTA/PTO gives you more of a voice in your child's education. It's not all about the money~~I'm sure if you're all that rich, your school district is well to do as well and doesn't really need much for outside funding.

Answer 11

Either way the money goes to the classroom, so wheather you join the PTA or just pay the classroom it doesn't matter.

I am on the PTA, however, it's different at my son's school. We welcome everyone and have meetings the third Thursday of every month and any parent that wants to come, can come. In the begining of the year, every parent, PTA or not, is asked contribute some money to the school. You don't have to, but most parents do.

However, your doing something an old friend of mine would do. She'd just give money to her child's classroom and never to any other classroom. Once, the whole third grade needed to get $110 to send some students on a field trip that couldn't afford it and the parents were asked to send in money to cover every single person's cost even if it was just $10. My old friend brought in the money personally, handed it to her child's teacher and said "I only want this check to go to the kids in our class who can't afford it." I was so shocked.

Look, you don't need to join the PTA but please don't make the reasoning because you don't want to help benefit the other students. Please.

Good luck!

Answer 12

Less involved?  No

More self-serving, instead of serving the common good of all of the students at the school?  Yes

We've got a PTO, instead of a PTA.  There are no membership dues involved with PTO - the parents/guardians of all students, along with the teachers & staff, are all automatically members of the PTO.  

That doesn't mean they get involved, though.  We are the opposite on our PTO.  We are so short on active volunteers that those of us who are involved are stressed out, overscheduled, doing everything.  And, board positions are filled reluctantly - no one has the time/energy to take on anything more.  

The only way to effect change in the PTA at your child's school is to get involved in it.  It won't change on it's own.  If you & a bunch of other parents would like to see it run differently, get in there & vote change in.