Tales from the Steppes

2005-08-01

12:15 p.m.
Monday, August 1

God is a real estate developer
with office around the nation
- Michelle Shocked

I am the Master of Time and Space today. So far, at least. I guess something could still trip me on my voyage to schedule management mastery. Like an accident on the outer loop this evening...

This morning, I was at my desk at 6:15am, to finish some work for a hooha this morning, then home to pick up the EM to drive her out to Reston for ballet camp, and made it back to my desk in time to actually attend my portion of the hooha. I did not have to present anything personally but my notes and issues were presented to the applicant, so I wanted to hear the discussion. Especially since I am recommending denial. That sort of thing tends to put devloper's shorts in a twist. But making it back on time was a pretty major coup. Now I just have to pick up the boys over here and then back to Reston to get the EM by 6pm so I can be at a PTA meeting by 7pm.

Yeah, you read that right. A PTA meeting.

I'm not really a PTA kind of person, no offense to anyone that is. And I realize that these are GROSS GENERALIZATIONS, based purely on my limited experience. Which truthfully, were quite negative. More time was spent on internal politics than doing anything that promoted the well-being of the school. It is not that I don't respect the hard work of many of the members - it just seems that a whole lot more could get done and by more people if PTAs were not the little clubs they so often are.

The EM is going to a brand new middle school this fall so it needs a brand new PTA. I showed up at the first organizational meeting because the principal was giving out an update on progress on issues like the after school program, transportation, and other fun things. Only 12 people came out for this so we started talking about setting up the PTA. No less than 3 out of those 12 attendees had been presidents of their elementary school PTAs and knew just how we should do this. I watched in amusement as they so nicely one-upped each other, in their desire to establish their turf in this new organization.

I think I earned their ire when I pointed out that about 1/2 of the school was Hispannic and the group gathered was not even vaguely representative. Maybe we should do some bilingual outreach? Heh. I have continued in my work to be a thorn in the side of those who just want the PTA to be a continuation of the status quo. I have suggested that perhaps the PTA focus on the goals of the school, instead of just going off on it's own. Given that this is a magnet school for the performing and visual arts, shouldn't we be trying to support this?

I am sure some of them view me as being an obstructionist. How dare I ask them to think and be creative instead of just rubber stamping? A number of people have come up and thanked me for my comments. It is almost like they did not want to speak up because they didn't want to say something that the self-appointed leaders might be negative about. To hell with that. What are they going to do? Never speak to me or invite me over for coffee? I don't like to chat, unless I actually have something to say, and I don't drink coffee. No big deal.