Volunteering = Perks?
July 10th, 2008 by tsullivanThe core example is teacher selections — should heavily involved parents get to influence the teachers their kids get?
My take: Expect? No way. That’s a real quick way (once it comes out, and it *will* come out) to cement an insider/clique reputation that so many parents want to believe in the first place. A real involvement killer.
But there are certainly benefits that come naturally to those that get heavily connected to school. Things like knowing the best teachers and perhaps teachers taking extra interest in your child and getting to know so many other families at school. And I think that’s perfectly OK.
Would love your take. Should you get bennys for your volunteer leadership?
July 19th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Our elementary schools just began enforcing a no parent request policy this year. There were alot of upset parents and one even wrote a letter to the local newspaper with reasonable points. Their was a rebuttal from a retired teacher, again with valid arguments against parental requests.
I volunteer more hours in those schools than any other parent and I would have never expected that my son would get better treatment for that reason.
I do know there are some teachers, this was true with my son’s teachers also, who will give their volunteer parents first dibs on chaperoning field trips. I would go once and then thank them but decline so that someone else could have a chance.
I don’t think we should ever expect perks. But I have had the principal ask for my opinion on the new carpet and on a program she is looking at. I know that my principal respects my opinion. I consider that perk to be fantastic!