Some parent groups would be thrilled with 10 people showing up!! Our middle school group usually has 3 to 4--just the officers! If it was just that you can't get people to meetings I'd say don't sweat it, but you're even having trouble getting anyone to volunteer. Why do you think the parents don't want to go through the fingerprinting? Do they have to pay to do it? You say you have translators at meetings. Do you have a lot of non-English speaking parents? Do they maybe not understand why the fingerprinting is being done or fear it will be used against them somehow?
It sounds to me like you're doing everything right to reach out to parents, it could be that the problems come more from your school/school district in the way they reach out to parents. If a parent is unsure or doesn't understand school policies they may not feel comfortable being in the school and there goes your volunteer. At the elementary level, we worked to have programs/events that would draw in those parents who maybe didn't have the best school experiences themselves. Making parents comfortable with being in the building can really help increase your volunteer base.
You also mentioned that you had a meeting with 50 in attendance because they came to learn about a school event. Maybe you can work things like that into your meetings.
As for committees: We had them based on events and programs. Fundraising committee, volunteer coordinators, spring carnival committee, book fair committee. We found that we got more people involved when they could pick one thing to work on.
LUVMYKIDS;148774 wrote: If you're unclear of your duties, then your parents may be unclear as to the purpose of your group.
Do you have clearly defined goals for your group? If not, start there. Figure out what your group wants to accomplish for your school. Do you want to raise funds for specific programs? Do you want to have a program for volunteers in the classroom? Do you want to hold events to bring families to the school?
Once you have goals and programs/events you would like to establish then set up committees and/or officer positions to handle coordinating and seeing those programs/events through. Now communicate what you want to do to your parents. Send out a newsletter that lets them know what areas need help and give them contact names and numbers and schedule a meeting for anyone interested in being a chair or committee member.
Make it easy for parents to be at the meetings: have babysitting for the children, try to do it on a night and time that is convenient for most of your parents(not an easy task, I know), have an agenda for your meeting, and try to keep it to one hour or less.
Keep communicating with your parents on a regular basis. Send out a monthly newsletter: include an abbreviated version of your agenda for the next meeting so parents can see what topics will be discussed, brag up successes, let parents know where the money from the fundraisers is spent, thank volunteers, add fun tips for new parents, anything you can think of that gets parents interested and lets them know what your group is doing in the school and where they can be involved.
It can be hard sometimes to reach parents and every school seems to have its' own little issues. If you're at the school at drop off/pick up times don't hestitate to strike up conversations with other parents who are there. Introduce yourself, chat them up, ask them what things they expect from your group and let them know that you want and need them to be involved.
Don't give up!!
We are a new school and there aint much volunteer work to have volunteers but yet we are still looking for volunteers for the backyard to make the kids a garden and for field trips and all. and I explain them this is for the kids, and still no parents come out to help. And if they do want to volunteer they have to get fingerprinted first. and alot of parents dont want to do that. Now on the committee part I dont know what type of committee's are needed to be. Can you give me an example on it. I would really appreciate it if you would. For the meetings I have child care and translators. We provide snacks and refresments and still they dont come.The most parents I got in a meeting was 50 and that was because they wanted to find out information about the science fair the school was having and they were unclear on what they needed to do. Thats why they attended. but on the other meetings we get around 10. I post agendas and newsletters and still. I dont know what else to do. I really appreciate you telling me not to give up and I wont. Thank you
LUVMYKIDS;148793 wrote: You know, the economy may begin to affect parent groups in more ways than fundraising. As families begin to struggle financially, you may see those stay-at-home parents heading back to jobs or school and the parents who are lucky enough to still have jobs may be working longer hours or heading to school to improve their chances at keeping or getting a better job. That leaves fewer people with less time to be involved in the schools. Parent groups may have to rethink the programs and events that they offer and the volunteer requirements needed to pull those programs/events off.
Some thoughts that come to mind in the volunteer area: switch to utilizing middle school and high school students, reach out to community service organizations and senior/retired groups, do more joint events with other schools in your community.
We've been seeing this alot. For the past three years, we had at least three moms who spent every single school day in the school doing whatever was needed. All were SAHM who had no intentions of working outside the home. This past year, all of them had to get jobs when their husbands were laid off or hours were cut, etc.
We were averaging about 500 volunteer hours a month, without those moms, and it's more like 300 this year. That's a HUGE difference.
I've been lucky and had good response from our high school's Key Club and National Honor Society. I've used them for book fair, help at our dance, childcare at meetings, etc.
As far as getting people to meeting, all I can tell you is good luck. I've been doing this for six years, tried every trick mentioned on this board and we still don't have anyone coming to the meetings. I ask parents directly, keep inviting folks, put it in newsletters, post signs, moved dates and times, have childcare, served dinner, served refreshments, have drawings for really cool prizes, halved the number of meetings, sign up sheets for teachers, do surveys, ask opinions, impliment some of those ideas, meetings never run more than 45 minutes-except the first of the year is about an hour, and STILL, we get our four board members and *maybe* two parents and one teacher from one school. It's frustrating, sad, disappointing and infuriating at times. Sorry to not be positive about it but I just don't get it and probably never will. :confused: I guess if the parents who actually participate in our fundraising are ok with four people deciding how the money is spent, then I should be ok with it also. It does lead to burn out though.
You know, the economy may begin to affect parent groups in more ways than fundraising. As families begin to struggle financially, you may see those stay-at-home parents heading back to jobs or school and the parents who are lucky enough to still have jobs may be working longer hours or heading to school to improve their chances at keeping or getting a better job. That leaves fewer people with less time to be involved in the schools. Parent groups may have to rethink the programs and events that they offer and the volunteer requirements needed to pull those programs/events off.
Some thoughts that come to mind in the volunteer area: switch to utilizing middle school and high school students, reach out to community service organizations and senior/retired groups, do more joint events with other schools in your community.
I'm having the problem finding new leadership in that I find great parents to help but.... they are going to school for their bachelors or masters degrees and can't help out.
It's a new audience out there these days. Parents are working, parenting AND going to school.
If you're unclear of your duties, then your parents may be unclear as to the purpose of your group.
Do you have clearly defined goals for your group? If not, start there. Figure out what your group wants to accomplish for your school. Do you want to raise funds for specific programs? Do you want to have a program for volunteers in the classroom? Do you want to hold events to bring families to the school?
Once you have goals and programs/events you would like to establish then set up committees and/or officer positions to handle coordinating and seeing those programs/events through. Now communicate what you want to do to your parents. Send out a newsletter that lets them know what areas need help and give them contact names and numbers and schedule a meeting for anyone interested in being a chair or committee member.
Make it easy for parents to be at the meetings: have babysitting for the children, try to do it on a night and time that is convenient for most of your parents(not an easy task, I know), have an agenda for your meeting, and try to keep it to one hour or less.
Keep communicating with your parents on a regular basis. Send out a monthly newsletter: include an abbreviated version of your agenda for the next meeting so parents can see what topics will be discussed, brag up successes, let parents know where the money from the fundraisers is spent, thank volunteers, add fun tips for new parents, anything you can think of that gets parents interested and lets them know what your group is doing in the school and where they can be involved.
It can be hard sometimes to reach parents and every school seems to have its' own little issues. If you're at the school at drop off/pick up times don't hestitate to strike up conversations with other parents who are there. Introduce yourself, chat them up, ask them what things they expect from your group and let them know that you want and need them to be involved.
