I've been a part of the PTA for 4 years and can you say BURNT OUT! WOW...and that is understatement. I've participated in every event and has been at every PTA meeting for 4 years except for maybe 1 or 2- one last year due to my daughter's bday! I've put in MANY MANY hours with very little appreciation from others. Teachers/Staff are always thankful but as for other parents- as long as they can enjoy the event or their kids have music (all fundraising pays for music) then why say THANK YOU! As you can see my resentment has grown and I'm so happy I can let that all go now. I don't have to plan and organize nothing now except for my kids stuff!
Side Vent~ a couple weeks ago I organized, put together, and ran ALL BY MYSELF the scholastic book fair for the school. The only help I got was from the 2 other parents on the PTA who helped me box up the fair/bingo night. But we are considered the USUAL SUSPECTS! I asked for help many times! When parents came in to buy books all they did was bitch about the books and how much they were...really people! The excited in the kids eyes and how they talked about what books they wanted is what kept me going! I worked that Book Fair from 8am- 6pm Monday- Friday by myself- without hardly any breaks because every time I left to go to the bathroom or get something to eat some kid found their way down there and took a book or two! I got several back from the other kids.
Now why we are leaving....the school environment is so different. There are several issues going on but mainly the parent contribution is absent, even in the classrooms! When you don't have involved parents then you don't have students who care for the school either. The kids who do care about the school seem to be targets for the bully's. The bully's have taken over and the kids are either scared or think that this is cool so they back up the bullying. There is a lot of lying on others and calling kids who do tell the school adults "snitches". No one is speaking up so these kids are getting away with all this mean behavior every day. My son has had a "bully" on him all year long- we have had many episodes with this kid but nothing works. So finally this kid came up to my son the other day and said " I'm going to bust 15 caps in your ass and shoot your house up with AK47 and I will get the right house because I know what car your mom drives". Of course that spooked my kid and he refused to go back to the school. I knew this kid wouldn't do this but my son doesn't. This was the last straw for us and let me tell you I feel good about leaving. I won't ever put my kids in a situation that they feel unsafe.
So I filed the home-school affidavit and BAM I'm a home-school provider for my kids. NOW WHAT is the big question. I have support so I'm doing okay but I know I have a lot to learn. The kids are happy and we are enjoying the learning that is going on and looking forward to bigger and better things to come!
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Oh, Pam!!! I want to appreciate you...I appreciate you for not just believing in community but being a selfless example of how to contribute to a community- you truly are an unsung she-roe! Living your truth can be lonely, but know your gifts to the children are like sown seeds that my friend Carolyn Carr once said, "are growing underground". And like seeds we too cycle through stages of our life- and I am happy that you are now in a space where you and your family can regenerate and rejuvenate! Let me know if you need anything!!! Xoxo-Ms. V
reading your story reminded me of the situation i was in last school year..ptf president and in charge of organizing most of the events during the year..hard work!! i did receive appreciation from school staff and parents and my daughter especially enjoyed seeing me around the school all the time. my daughter was in a private christian school and my husband and i liked the school but our daughter was getting bored in class(she is advanced in many areas). homeschooling this year has been such a blessing for us! i would say the best part is just spending that extra time together as a family. my husband is off mondays and wednesdays(where the kids would have normally been in school) so this way they get that time with daddy. wish you the best of times during your homeschooling journey!! :-)
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