What % of parents in G K-6 (to kids) who show up at PTA meetings and are really involved?

Question

Just wondering what sort of support the teachers are getting from parents these days. If there's 200 kids in the school and 20 parents show up...that's only 10%,

BUT>>> if the room is FULL that's a GOOD THING. ANIMATION of contributions by the parents is the real sign of successful involvement.

Answer 1

It's really sad that there isn't higher participation. In 30 years of teaching I rarely saw a difference. In a school of 300 students we usually got a maxmimum of (the same) 18 - 20 parents attending the regular PTA meetings.

But, just because the parents don't show up doesn't mean they don't support what teachers and the schools are doing for their children. You can informally survey them about their support at reporting interview time to know that.

Sometimes the PTA meeting room is full because parents are there to oppose something going on the in the school. Yikes! (Like when we weren't allowed to collect money from parents any more to pay extra lunch supervisors and we had to adopt the same big, noisy lunch program as all the other schools.)

Maybe we need to be looking at our expectations for parents and revising how we look at their involvement and how we make it possible for them to be involved.

Answer 2

It depends on the school and the socio economic status of the parents. Most parents who can afford to be stay at home moms come from wealthier neighborhoods, and so, due to that PTO's and volunteerism may be higher.

I teach at a magnet school where about .5 of the population is "middle to high income" (magnet) and the other half is "low income". I can count on my magnet families to volunteer, and send things that we may need in the classroom with their kids. My community children bring in different things to the classroom and I love working with them. These are the children that need most of my time and attention because they lack that at home.

Answer 3

I volunteer in my daughters school when ever they need me there. I even help out other teachers that my daughter doesnt have. I enjoy it.