Volunteering at School
If you are fortunate enough to have the time to volunteer at your child’s school, you’ve probably volunteered in some way. Most of us get involved in school because we want to contribute and/or want to better understand how our children are being educated. School volunteering is a little bit of a different animal though, because involved parents are also there to make sure their student’s experience goes well.
My youngest is a senior in high school and I’m drawing specifically on the high school PTO volunteer experience, which is unique…
Volunteer Numbers Decline in High School
I’ve volunteered at elementary, middle school and high school (all public schools) throughout the years and I’ve seen the number of parent volunteers decrease as our children advance in years. I believe this is for various reasons:
- Teachers are way past having parents in their classrooms;
- School administrators are tired of having assertive parents involved in everything;
- Our children are more independent and don’t want us there;
- Parents are often more heavily involved in sports, drama, band and other acitivities;
- Many high schools don’t have a PTO/PTA; and/or
- Parents are just tired or over it.
High School Volunteer Highs
So why do parents participate in high school? As with anything, there are many reasons and motivations. I believe the majority of people do it though because they want to make a difference. The idea of contributing in a way that will leave something even just a little better than when you got there. Whether it be the quality/quantity of resources, the experience, the amenities, building social responsibility, improving physical and mental health, parents want the high school experience to be positive and memorable.
High School PTOs/PTAs
I understand many high schools don’t have Parent Teacher Organizations (or the equivalent). Ours does and when your PTO/PTA is effective, you work in tandem with the school to enhance what the school is doing. By the time your child gets to high school though, the PTO/PTA struggles to make it on the radar of the overall school probably because it’s smaller than elementary and middle school and things like sports, music, drama are a bigger deal in high school.
What does a High School PTO even do?
At my daughter’s high school, the PTO has been able to provide funding for things not covered in the school budget; things like shade structures for students to use during lunch (Florida sun is brutal), converted water fountains to provide refillable water stations, computers, audio systems, paving an unfunded section of road for continued parking challenges and more. We also invest in teacher appreciation for our hard-working, often under-appreciated teachers who influence and inspire our children. Finally, our PTO provides programming that would otherwise be very challenging given resources… programs like college prep/application process, wellness and more. If feels good to be a part of that.
The experience is mostly positive. You get to know parents, administrators, teachers and students. You work with energetic, passionate, creative, dedicated people. You get to be a part of positive initiatives. You have a little more insight into what goes on at school.
The Downside of Volunteering
So what could possibly go wrong as a high school PTO voluteer?
The 80-20 rule continues into high school with respect to volunteering, which means 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. Because the numbers of volunteers are smaller in high school, apply it to a smaller overall number and that means the time commitment can be sizable. And what might begin as a manageable amount of time can snowball into a mammoth amount of time. You may find yourself taking on more and more in the name of getting shit done.
Grunt work. It has to be done but that doesn’t mean it’s fun or rewarding. It’s necessary. Whether you’re stuffing envelopes or bags with promo items, cleaning out the storage closet or carrying around boxes of stuff you load in and out of your car at least 25 times, the grunt work has to be done by someone. And unlike the corporate world or the senate, you can’t push off the crappy jobs on those newbies.
People don’t always deliver. This part isn’t exclusive to high school PTO… Often when parents sign up to volunteer, they aren’t really understanding the time commitment because it isn’t explained, they expect there will be a big group of volunteers and they just want to get involved in some way. They think it sounds interesting and like something they would like to do, or maybe it’s a way to meet people, especially if you’re new to the school. “Ladies Night Out? Well that sounds super-fun… I can plan a little cocktail party. Whoa… what? I’m supposed to get donations for a silent auction???!!! I don’t have time and I am certainly not comfortable doing that.”
Fast forward to the meetings, where a percentage of those signed up attend and an even smaller percentage are actually available and willing to do the work. And then there are those who say they’ll do the work, but don’t actually do it. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been on both sides of it. People want to help and it just doesn’t always work out.
Sometimes you fail. There are many great ideas and initiatives that don’t always get enough traction to move forward. It’s usually a matter of prioritizing, which of course makes sense. For example, a year ago, there wasn’t much of an appetite for tackling the vaping issue. Given recent headlines, it’s a hot topic now. Or an after prom party, popular in many parts of the country but not well known in our school district unless you’ve moved here from a place that does them, needs a thorough pre-sell marketing plan to enough momentum to move forward.
What to do? Support!
As the volunteer numbers decrease over time and people become busier and busier, try to keep up with what your PTO, or any similar organization is doing for your school. If you don’t have time to get involved, take the time to be informed. What kind of money are they raising? What are they spending it on?
Give feedback and support the effort if you agree with it. Join the PTO and volunteer if you have the time. And thank the people who are making your high schooler’s experience better. Teachers, coaches, administrators, maintenance, volunteers…everyone appreciates a sincere thank you!
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