Who's active in PTA or a school booster club?

[Doctor Q]

We have a number of parents among our forum members. Are any of you active in PTA (the Parent Teacher Association) where your kids go to school? If there is a school booster club, are you active in that too? PTA is often focused on child welfare, while booster clubs are primarily for fundraising.

Some schools call it PTSA, for Parent Teacher Student Association, and invite students to attend, but mostly these groups consist of parents who come to monthly meetings with a few administrators and an occasional teacher. There is usually an active core of parents who do most of the work. If you're lucky, you get a group that works well together. Sometimes there are annoying parents you are essentially stuck listening to for the entire school year.

Do you go to those meetings? Do they serve a useful purpose? How much do you get involved?

 

[iSaint]

*raises hand*

We've (the wife and I) have been active at every school our kids go to. One is still in elementary while one is in middle school. The PTAs around here depend on how the principal wants to use you (the money). There's also a core group that does all the work. When one couple backed off their responsibility, not much got done the following year.

My wife goes to my son's school to read at least once a month.

The high school has a group, but it's small. They try to do little things to show appreciation of the teachers.

I think more parent participation in the schools would help overcome many of our kids' apathetic attitude.

 

[Doctor Q]

My wife and I have always been the school volunteer types. We've both served on PTA or booster club boards (part of that "core group"). I volunteered to be on the board yet again this year, as if I didn't already have enough to do.

We find participation like this sometimes frustrating and sometimes rewarding. It's a shame that more parents don't get involved, but not all parents have the ability to contribute their time and/or money. Those of us who do should hope we are actually helping the students at the school, not just having meetings for the sake of having meetings.

PTA is what they call it in the U.S. What is the equivalent organization in other countries?