The equity piece is huge. We've been at two public schools in Seattle, and the PTAs varied wildly in terms of both fundraising and ability to recruit volunteer time. The Title 1 school struggles and is even hesitant to fundraise from a population with a high percentage of low income and immigrant families, while the largely white, middle class school raises tens of thousands to pay for entire teaching positions and fancy gear. One approach some groups of schools in Seattle have pursued is to create fundraising alliances where there are joint fundraising initiatives and the funding is shared among a group of schools. Ideally our public schools would be fully funded and the PTA could be focused primarily on advocacy and volunteering!
I recognize the history of the PTA and the necessity given lack of funding. What I struggle with is that is still unpaid labor. And that there is often an undergirding pressure to contribute. I live in an area where it is near impossible to live without two incomes. We are all stretched too thin and the need for volunteers for things that sometime seem unnecessary (my schools are big on staff treats which I’m sure does boost staff morale some but requires a lot of organization not to mention baking) can get exhausting. I have found a way that volunteering works for me. I run the book fair each year which means one intense week and then I don't volunteer for anything else. But that definitely takes me away from my paid, freelance work. I wish that we could just send our kids to school without the constant barrage of forms and donations and requests.
This is such an in important point - it's another example of how our society depends on (mostly) women to do unpaid labor, instead of fully funding education/care.
this is so good -- and just yes, AMEN! I have really never met one of these impossible, ridiculous moms who lives to make other moms miserable in the wild. has anyone else?
Seriously, I’ve never come across this type of person. I feel like I’ve come across so many different moms but in the elementary school years all the early craziness and insecurity seems to have ironed itself out and most people are absolutely lovely. Even the ones that march to their own drumbeat still are pretty friendly and certainly no one is overtly hostile like popular culture makes PTA moms out to be….
Yep exactly…moms are just so so so much better to each other than popular culture makes out. And, as you wisely dissect, it’s all part of a larger effort to degrade care.
It reminds me of your book, actually, that we can actually get a lot out of making such connections with one another rather than thinking of it as strictly "volunteer labor."
I learned so much from this piece. I am a formerly-reluctant PTA secretary (reluctant because of all these stereotypes!) at a school for which one of the most important functions of the PTA is activism and organizing, primarily because of the housing and immigration status of most of our students (all of which means fundraising is also a huge challenge, but hugely important). I always say nothing has ever radicalized me quite like joining the PTA! I had no idea about the history here. It is such important, unacknowledged, unpaid work, especially at underfunded schools.
Thank you so much for this - it's so true - so many PTAs do such good work and yet we have so many caricatures of them as existing purely for power grabs. I hope more people can realize this is not the experience for most of us!
Loved this so much! We just moved out of state last year and the difference between the PTA experiences at each school is huge. The PTA at our old school met on Friday mornings at 9am, so they basically were telling parents who work full time “we don’t really want or need you here” and that’s what it ended up being. Actually I would see them meet at a coffee shop where I liked to go work sometimes and it reminded me of the high school cliques of girls, definitely didn’t want any part of that. Contrast that with our new school the PTA meets at 6pm Thursday evenings and provides child care! And actually they say come at 6pm to socialize and meeting starts at 6:30. So they recognize the importance of the social aspect, but make the meetings accessible to all. Huge difference in what that communicates about who they want involved. The interesting thing is the meetings are still not well attended and they always have trouble getting people to sign up to help with stuff, so we have some culture issues to work on!
Brilliant exploration of an overlooked topic. I have been researching the equity issues around PTAs in my work developing new models for family engagement with schools, and as with the filling of funding gaps, they shouldn't even really be needed if schools had clarity on their approach in collaborating with parents/carers. The concentration of the specific form of power PTAs wield is problematic in the context of educational settings riven with bias and conflicts of interest.
Managing teams and committees, communications, events and budgets, bounded by few rules of professionalism that industries come with (aside from regional or national PTA membership recommendations and financial accountability) is a huge amount of work that should be paid for - AND regulated, at least by something like the tenets of Public service (see the Nolan Principles in the UK for volunteers). A PTA president significantly levels-up from 'parent' status to enormous influence in school administration. I have known them leaned-upon as a mediator, external marketer and liaison, for staff appreciation and recognition, and even sitting on panels for things like principal recruitment and grievance proceedings. This status is earned by demonstrated and professed love for, and admirable dedication to, the school. But it absolutely translates to privileges. Of physical and emotional access, for favors, for indirect influence on wide-ranging issues.
I think the stereotype in culture of a Type-A, manicured and coiffed, frosty superwoman with an agenda that we apparently revile is evidence that we only allow mothers to show up in school contexts as friendly, concerned and kind; the fullness of their identities as professionals and leaders is still not accommodated and seems transgressive. After working with many admin and leadership teams, I can safely say that staff just want parents to be polite, responsive, and to trust them! PTA Presidents set a standard for participation in and insight about the school few can compare favorably with, and that feeling of inadequacy hurts parents who don't have capacity for such engagement or even know where to begin.
A key solution would be for PTAs to be tied to school improvement strategies. To have more purpose and clearer contribution and impact. And to operate as advocacy and inclusion hubs, so that more of the families enjoy the benefits of community more of the time. The balance between fundraising and social connection must be addressed more consistently.
The equity piece is huge. We've been at two public schools in Seattle, and the PTAs varied wildly in terms of both fundraising and ability to recruit volunteer time. The Title 1 school struggles and is even hesitant to fundraise from a population with a high percentage of low income and immigrant families, while the largely white, middle class school raises tens of thousands to pay for entire teaching positions and fancy gear. One approach some groups of schools in Seattle have pursued is to create fundraising alliances where there are joint fundraising initiatives and the funding is shared among a group of schools. Ideally our public schools would be fully funded and the PTA could be focused primarily on advocacy and volunteering!
I recognize the history of the PTA and the necessity given lack of funding. What I struggle with is that is still unpaid labor. And that there is often an undergirding pressure to contribute. I live in an area where it is near impossible to live without two incomes. We are all stretched too thin and the need for volunteers for things that sometime seem unnecessary (my schools are big on staff treats which I’m sure does boost staff morale some but requires a lot of organization not to mention baking) can get exhausting. I have found a way that volunteering works for me. I run the book fair each year which means one intense week and then I don't volunteer for anything else. But that definitely takes me away from my paid, freelance work. I wish that we could just send our kids to school without the constant barrage of forms and donations and requests.
This is such an in important point - it's another example of how our society depends on (mostly) women to do unpaid labor, instead of fully funding education/care.
Seriously!! Just another way for male writers to mock women. We’re just so frivolous!
this is so good -- and just yes, AMEN! I have really never met one of these impossible, ridiculous moms who lives to make other moms miserable in the wild. has anyone else?
Seriously, I’ve never come across this type of person. I feel like I’ve come across so many different moms but in the elementary school years all the early craziness and insecurity seems to have ironed itself out and most people are absolutely lovely. Even the ones that march to their own drumbeat still are pretty friendly and certainly no one is overtly hostile like popular culture makes PTA moms out to be….
Yep exactly…moms are just so so so much better to each other than popular culture makes out. And, as you wisely dissect, it’s all part of a larger effort to degrade care.
It reminds me of your book, actually, that we can actually get a lot out of making such connections with one another rather than thinking of it as strictly "volunteer labor."
I learned so much from this piece. I am a formerly-reluctant PTA secretary (reluctant because of all these stereotypes!) at a school for which one of the most important functions of the PTA is activism and organizing, primarily because of the housing and immigration status of most of our students (all of which means fundraising is also a huge challenge, but hugely important). I always say nothing has ever radicalized me quite like joining the PTA! I had no idea about the history here. It is such important, unacknowledged, unpaid work, especially at underfunded schools.
Thank you so much for this - it's so true - so many PTAs do such good work and yet we have so many caricatures of them as existing purely for power grabs. I hope more people can realize this is not the experience for most of us!
Loved this so much! We just moved out of state last year and the difference between the PTA experiences at each school is huge. The PTA at our old school met on Friday mornings at 9am, so they basically were telling parents who work full time “we don’t really want or need you here” and that’s what it ended up being. Actually I would see them meet at a coffee shop where I liked to go work sometimes and it reminded me of the high school cliques of girls, definitely didn’t want any part of that. Contrast that with our new school the PTA meets at 6pm Thursday evenings and provides child care! And actually they say come at 6pm to socialize and meeting starts at 6:30. So they recognize the importance of the social aspect, but make the meetings accessible to all. Huge difference in what that communicates about who they want involved. The interesting thing is the meetings are still not well attended and they always have trouble getting people to sign up to help with stuff, so we have some culture issues to work on!
Brilliant exploration of an overlooked topic. I have been researching the equity issues around PTAs in my work developing new models for family engagement with schools, and as with the filling of funding gaps, they shouldn't even really be needed if schools had clarity on their approach in collaborating with parents/carers. The concentration of the specific form of power PTAs wield is problematic in the context of educational settings riven with bias and conflicts of interest.
Managing teams and committees, communications, events and budgets, bounded by few rules of professionalism that industries come with (aside from regional or national PTA membership recommendations and financial accountability) is a huge amount of work that should be paid for - AND regulated, at least by something like the tenets of Public service (see the Nolan Principles in the UK for volunteers). A PTA president significantly levels-up from 'parent' status to enormous influence in school administration. I have known them leaned-upon as a mediator, external marketer and liaison, for staff appreciation and recognition, and even sitting on panels for things like principal recruitment and grievance proceedings. This status is earned by demonstrated and professed love for, and admirable dedication to, the school. But it absolutely translates to privileges. Of physical and emotional access, for favors, for indirect influence on wide-ranging issues.
I think the stereotype in culture of a Type-A, manicured and coiffed, frosty superwoman with an agenda that we apparently revile is evidence that we only allow mothers to show up in school contexts as friendly, concerned and kind; the fullness of their identities as professionals and leaders is still not accommodated and seems transgressive. After working with many admin and leadership teams, I can safely say that staff just want parents to be polite, responsive, and to trust them! PTA Presidents set a standard for participation in and insight about the school few can compare favorably with, and that feeling of inadequacy hurts parents who don't have capacity for such engagement or even know where to begin.
A key solution would be for PTAs to be tied to school improvement strategies. To have more purpose and clearer contribution and impact. And to operate as advocacy and inclusion hubs, so that more of the families enjoy the benefits of community more of the time. The balance between fundraising and social connection must be addressed more consistently.