As K entered Kindergarten, I wanted to make a concerted effort to be involved. Granted as a parent who has a second full-time job in corporate America ... being involved can sometimes present some challenges, particularly of the scheduling variety.
However, one thing I figured I could commit to is attending the monthly Parent/Teacher Organization meetings. One hour a month, that shouldn't be too hard, right? So, tonight was the first one of the school year. I arrived about five minutes early (because I like to be prompt) and at first wasn't sure what I was getting myself into. It was a small group, and they all clearly knew each other and were deep in conversation. (You know introverted me, I'm not exactly going to break into dialogue.)
Fortunately, right before the meeting started a familiar face came into the room. So ... in a nutshell, the PTO meeting definitely had some pluses and minuses. On the plus side, wholly information! I am so glad I went to hear about the Talent Development program (often known as gifted and talented programs) and state testing and hearing directly from the principal her goals, and some of the things she is focused on for the year. It's also amazing what kind of power the PTO has ... the group has a budget, and they get to determine how it is spent. So ... on behalf of all parents, the group of people who elect to show up get to determine how the money will be spent. I was sort of amazed and shocked by this power. (And D and I agreed that one of us should always try to show up at the meeting.)
The only major minus was, when you're used to the efficiency of meetings in corporate America, meetings outside of CA can feel a bit disorganized. I just wasn't used to a group that wasn't trying to drive forward some major agenda and was a little more relaxed. Probably a good thing for me to see how the rest of the world operates.
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