Author Topic: PTA Meetings (This topic was split from the "School Board Election" topic)  (Read 9039 times)

Offline lab94

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 Hey wetochwink,

All the PTA meetings are open to the public, and they are listed on the school event website(hillers). We would love the pubic to come, we cant get parents to come to the meetings. We even provide baby sitting and at the beginng of the year we served dinner. Every meeting we have give aways. One month it was a DVD player. The PTA is not into advertising. We do not have money for that.  We cant afford public mailings. Out of 500+ students only 140 or so parents joined the PTA. Then you need to subtract all the teachers that joined.(all the teachers at hillers did). That not that good. Then you look at the money. $5 each then deduct the state pta fees the county fees so on and so on. So that leaves us with about $2 each. Are PTA has only 4 or 5 people that does everything, they even use vacation time to attend events during the day. Thats becauce the people that dont work are too busy to help. Give it a year or so and there wont be a PTA at Hillers, unless things change. Three of the members wont be back next year and not too many people are lining up for there spots on the board. You know me, I'm in the same boat as you with taxs. We moved here the taxs were $4100. With the new increase it will be way over $7000. And lets get one thing clear, The PTA has nothing to do with the budget. WE have no input on it at all. If any thing being on the PTA and being a homeowner makes it even harder to vote. Knowing what are children need at school and knowing what it will do to my monthly tax payments. Maybe the County Seat can print all the meeting dates and times. If you have another Idea let me know.
« Last Edit: April 24, 2004, 01:14:15 AM by Editor »



Offline wetochwink

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« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2004, 08:29:25 AM »
Quote
The PTA is not into advertising. We do not have money for that.  We cant afford public mailings.

Maybe the County Seat can print all the meeting dates and times. If you have another Idea let me know.

As a matter of fact....

Someone from the PTA/BOE can/should embrance this forum posting board (at least for meeting announcements, minutes, etc) - at minimum provide a web site link to changes to the PTA/BOE web pages.  As with the city meetings - most of us can't make them, but someone always does and providing the rest of us with useful information - information never actively informing residents in the past!

The city has neighborhood blockwatch programs that have (should) monthly meetings - flyers, notices can be sent to Lt. Patrick Fay (pfay@hackensackpd.org or cpu@hackensackpd.org).  

The city website - could/should actually promote valued links to key school web pages highlighting important sections.

Get an assigned reporter from the County Seat or a contributing volunteer editor from the PTA/BOE submitting monthly updates to the city paper. This paper would also reach the neighboring towns of South Hackensack and Maywood that feed our High School.

These suggestions are not expensive, hardly requiring anyone to take time off and will reach more people than anything currently implimented. However there is a HUGE responsiblity making sure updates, announcments, etc are routinely done.

Posting updates to a web site without promotion will only get so much traffic. Just because an organization has a web site, one cannot assume everyone knows it exists. Providing email signup lists will only get a handful to provide email addresses. The suggestions above will push the information to multiple groups, overlapping territories and reaching a far great audience online and offline.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2004, 08:34:39 AM by wetochwink »

Offline lab94

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« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2004, 10:52:01 AM »
[As with the city meetings - most of us can't make them]
 Do you think it is any easer for the PTA parents most of  us are involved with many other things during the week with are kids.Some of them being baseball, soccer, boy or girl scouts, karate, church groups, dance,swimming, music lessons and add what ever groups the parents go to. We are here to do what we can for the kids. We are not a group that has a hidden conspiracy! That is a insult to the parents that volunteer their time! Its not hard to remember that the PTA meets the first Wed. of each month during the school year.(with a few exeptions). If I'm right the blockwatch group meets within a 4-5 min. walk from the school, why doesnt someone from that group make an effert to come and see a meeting. They dont because their busy. It would be great if the paper had someone at the PTA meetings but do they have 7 reporters. I think all 7 schools have the same days they meet. Plus are they willing to list every thing all the PTA's give them in the paper for free. Thats alot of ad space to give up. The city website? Ha look at it.  Yea it would be nice to have everything done right but it takes time, and people. And why the PTA was draged in to this is crazy. Just becauce you have a gripe with the BOE and the town(as do most of us).Don't tarnish the PTA's reputation!

Offline lab94

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« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2004, 11:35:19 AM »
The rest of the Hillers PTA meetings are 5/5 and 6/2. They start at 6:30pm

Offline Anderson

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Lab, it's the same thing with most organizations.  It's always the same people doing all the work.  Just as a suggestion try to examine why people do not participate.  There are many reasons, one of which could be that some of the active people in your organization are not really accepting of new people.  Another thing that I have found works in some cases is just asking people if they would help.  I don't mean just announcing it on a PA system, I mean face to face.  I've gotten some positive results from this method.  Please keep in mind that these are just suggestions, not a knock against you or your group so if you disagree feel free to do so but don't take this personally.

Offline lab94

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Thank you Anderson for the suggestions. Don't worry I don"t take any thing persoally here. This is a great way to get ideas and thoughts out in the open.
 I know this is the same with other groups that I am on too. We do try to meet with parents face to face or we even call them. In the begining of the year there is a thing called a parent tea. We invite them for coffee & tea etc. so we can intraduce are selfs to them. There is another one like that for all the new parents that start each year. In addition to that we have people there on back to school night, game night, book fair, pajama night, earthday, etc. So we do try, maybe more one one ones will help. The only problem I found is when we do that, The'll say they will help but then not show up. I don't know if they feel pressured when we do that. The #1 reason people say they dont want to help is they dont have time. I understand that now adays most familys need both parents working.
Thanks again

 

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