PTO and Parent Vent

[happily single]

So the President of PTO asks me to call the parents who had previously signed up to volunteer for this week's fall festival. I hate "cold calling people" but its for the kids.

Every single stinky parent acted like they had no idea who I was. Hello people, first of all I have your cell phone numbers, I'm telling you exactly who I am and why I'm calling. Also, I've been active in PTO for over 7 years now!

Then you get the people who don't answer the phone, or answer to immediately hang up. THEN CALL ME BACK FROM A RESTRICTED NUMBER AND HANG UP AGAIN.

But my favorite is the "ringtone" of one obviously very responsible parent. Such vulgar lanauage in the song that played that I hung up=and I'M NO PRUDE!!!!

Ok vent over

 

[quentina]

So the President of PTO asks me to call the parents who had previously signed up to volunteer for this week's fall festival. I hate "cold calling people" but its for the kids.

Every single stinky parent acted like they had no idea who I was. Hello people, first of all I have your cell phone numbers, I'm telling you exactly who I am and why I'm calling. Also, I've been active in PTO for over 7 years now!

Then you get the people who don't answer the phone, or answer to immediately hang up. THEN CALL ME BACK FROM A RESTRICTED NUMBER AND HANG UP AGAIN.

But my favorite is the "ringtone" of one obviously very responsible parent. Such vulgar lanauage in the song that played that I hung up=and I'M NO PRUDE!!!!

Ok vent over

Been there for years....then I quit. I do not miss it at all. I was so tired of calling, selling and not being able to do anything right. The parents who do not volunteer, just sit back and complain can call someone else this year. You do it for the kids......not to be tortured.

 

[minniebeth]

I can relate to your experiences and after 8 years of volunteering, have decided to take a step back. I'm still very involved, just don't want to be calling people like you do anymore.

Actually, I had a similar experience last week when one of the moms in my DD's grade asked me to put together an email distribution list and send out an email for an unofficial parents' get together. After spending a ton of time on the distribution list, I got tons of responses asking me not to email to that address, and to add a different one. HELLO!? I got the email addresses from the family directory, the information is what YOU submitted as wanting your contact information to be. Ugh.

Thanks for doing what you do for the kids!

 

[Mary•Poppins]

THANK YOU ... from one parent who volunteers for their children to another!

If it also makes you feel any better, I send a research article home to my parents at the beginning of the year (I am a teacher too ... ) that parents who are involved in the PTO, and other parent activities, have children that do better in school. Just keep that in mind when you are volunteering.

 

[cm8]

Been there for years....then I quit. I do not miss it at all. I was so tired of calling, selling and not being able to do anything right. The parents who do not volunteer, just sit back and complain can call someone else this year. You do it for the kids......not to be tortured.

 

[kirstenb1]

Ugh!! Why did they sign up?

I volunteered to head up the middle school dances. I start with the list of parents who volunteered for the committee. But, last year it was like pulling teeth to find parents for the December dance. So on the forms we send home, I just added my own phone # and email. I actually had many parents contact me that way to volunteer.

 

[momtoprincess A]

Yes we have the same problem here (Canada)
I don't know how to get people to volunteer and help out.
It's the same people over and over again.

...and the ones that don't even come to the PAC meeting and have no idea what goes on ~ complain that we should be doing more.

 

[SueInBoston]

After spending a ton of time on the distribution list, I got tons of responses asking me not to email to that address, and to add a different one. HELLO!? I got the email addresses from the family directory, the information is what YOU submitted as wanting your contact information to be. Ugh.

lol...this makes me laugh...I do our school directory, data comes directly from the school but the parents always want to change SOMETHING!!! One family wanted to put all 4 phones numbers down...HELLO..this is not your personal directory!!

 

[happily single]

Well I have 6 parents that said they would help. Let's take bets on how many really show up!! The worst is when they volunteer to do something, such as bake, then flake out.

Anyways, Yes I do feel its important to be active in your child's school, as much as the kids think its an embarassment.

I did leave out the fact that several parents told me I had the wrong number (and it was a landline not a cell phone).

Ahh., do I want to start another post about the President and how it does it all himself...Nah. Off to finish Millionare Matchmaker