Thursday, July 31, 2008

Control Freak

I tend to be a joiner and, just maybe, a little bit of a control freak. When I attended the introduction meeting for my son's new elementary school in May I stayed around for the PTO meeting to see what it was about. I went into this determined to be only a distant participant, volunteering perhaps to bring muffins or cookies to bake sales from time to time but not committing to anything (a lesson I learned a long time ago). The meeting opened my eyes to the PTO and how effective they are at getting things done within the school. I learned that my child, while attending this school, will never have to sell anything. I learned that the PTO is board-driven and, as such, the only people with a vote are those that are actually on the board. The last little tidbit made my heart skip a beat. What? No vote? I can't just attend the meetings, give my feedback and raise my hand at vote time? It took me all of .5 seconds to decide that I HAD to get on the board. So much for no commitment.

During the course of the meeting, next year's PTO president mentioned that there was one position that needed to be filled by a Kindergarten parent: a Kindergarten liaison. Sounds simple enough right? I knew it was mine. I asked a ton of questions during the meeting (control freak anyone?) and got up immediately after it was finished and handed my card to the president, offering to be the Liaison, thus cinching my right to vote and be heard. I wasn't sure if I "got" the position until yesterday when I received a call from the PTO president. She welcomed me to the group and told me that the first activity was a teacher breakfast on Monday. She asked me if I could bring something to the school at 7:30am. 7:30AM! Geez. What have I gotten myself into? All of this so I can exert some level of control of the decisions made by my son's Parent/Teacher Organization. Was it worth it? That all depends on whether I am voting on parade floats or technology upgrades for my son's classrooms. The next 10 months will reveal the answer to this question. I'll keep you posted.



9 comments:

  1. Greetings from someone who understands the whole tendency toward control freakishness. And good luck, Madam Liaison. Oh - and guess what you'll be voting on? What color to decorate the float that you will be building. But kudos to you, you go getter you. Remember when you are eight months pregnant and running the fishing game at the school carnival right before you run home to sew costumes for the school play and make the 23 teachers homemade what-nots for teacher appreciate week that sometimes we control freaks are willing to give away a little control by the time it is all said and done.

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  2. Yikes, I think Becky's comment just summed up what I was going to say. Good luck with your commitment! I hope you don't end up needing to be commited when it's all said and done. LOL!

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  3. Good thing someone out there is willing to do all this stuff, because it sure ain't me...

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  4. I think I always fell in line somewhere behind suburbancorrespondent, while Grandma was always there to bake the cookies, teach at V.B.S., go to the PTO meetings, be the Den Mother, etc,etc,etc. The games don't change a lot, just the players. Enjoy, it sounds as if you and Aunt B. are both Professionals now!!!

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  5. Julianne, I Beg of you please wear your Louis Vuitton velour jump suit to the school PTO meetings.

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  6. Control Freaks unite! I started the same way and by my son's third grade, I was practically running the whole damn school. Just a warning to you...

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  7. Might want to call ahead so Panera has a nice bag of goodies waiting when you zip in the door. I'm not sure what time they open but it seems like you should be able to make that 7:30 meeting.
    And now for one more good reason to home school. You're not on the board, you are the board. You don't have a vote, you have dictator rights. :P

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  8. I do this too. I go in to be all uninvolved and just listen and then I end up running things. When I left my last school I was handed a farewell t-shirt, it had one thing on it, a huge, "NO". I can send it to you if you like. :)

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  9. This was me at my son's old school. It took tons of my time and caused me lots of stress. At his new school I am simply a room mom (not the head one either). I have learned my lesson. Hope yours goes better than mine!

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