I'm a new PTA parent and need some advice. What I'm getting from the state and national level folks is just too formulaic and won't work at our school.

I'm the community outreach coordinator for the PTA at a Fairfax County elementary school. We're a diverse school and have had trouble getting participation in events from Hispanic parents. They just won't sign up to help with the functions. In fact, it's rare that more than 2 or 3 even show up for the bi-monthly PTA meetings.

Our school is about 40% hispanic kids but if you were to attend any random PTA meeting you'd think the school was 75% white, 20% black, and the rest asian.

We've tried everything from printing the fliers in both english and spanish, bringing in spanish speaking presenters, even had one of our spanish speaking parents call all of those with hispanic last names to get them to participate.

Nothing seems to work.

And what's frustrating however is while we never see them at the PTA meetings or volunteering to help with functions when we have our end of year carnival for the school the place is overwhelmed with hispanic parents and their kids. Where were they when we were planning and asking for volunteers?

I don't mean to be mean, but it's kind of frustrating and we're trying to build an atmosphere of inclusion.

Please, does anyone have any experience with bringing more hispanic families into PTA and having them become active in helping?

Free corona

i love mexican people

i love muslims too

ilegals yooo Wrote:
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> Free corona

You need to provide more variety.

The hispanic community is typically at WORK during school hours. Some on their second job of the day.

It is simply a TIME/CLASS issue. Lower class people (of ALL RACES) don't have the TIME since they need to make MONEY to SURVIVE.

If I were a poor person had the luxury of being free during the times the meetings were held, I would gladly go- but if rent needed to be paid and I had to go to work- guess what gets priority.

Simple logistics and social class (in terms of working class/job type) is all it is.

Yes.

2 things that quickly attract the most hispanics:

-yard sale (the bigger the yard sale sign, the more that will show up)
-mariachi music (the louder the music, the more that will show up.)

keptreal Wrote:
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> The hispanic community is typically at WORK during
> school hours. Some on their second job of the day.

What sort of stooge-like ignorance and bigotry is THAT??? This is Fairfax Underground, you know. There are rules around here, and if you can't post as some stooge-like ignorant bigot, you're breaking them.

keptreal Wrote:
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> The hispanic community is typically at WORK during
> school hours. Some on their second job of the
> day.
>
> It is simply a TIME/CLASS issue. Lower class
> people (of ALL RACES) don't have the TIME since
> they need to make MONEY to SURVIVE.
>
> If I were a poor person had the luxury of being
> free during the times the meetings were held, I
> would gladly go- but if rent needed to be paid and
> I had to go to work- guess what gets priority.
>
> Simple logistics and social class (in terms of
> working class/job type) is all it is.

I used to hear the same kind of bullcrap when I lived in Arlington too but at night the bars/restaurants along Columbia Pike were packed with parents.

The brown locust is here to TAKE, not to give or contribute to anything.

If they were giving something away for free at those meetings, you can be assured that their fat asses would be there by the hundreds.

Juan Valdeez Wrote:
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> I used to hear the same kind of bullcrap when I
> lived in Arlington too but at night the
> bars/restaurants along Columbia Pike were packed
> with parents.

That's more like it. Dumbass phony racist bullshit. FFXU applauds you as a true shitfaced asshole.

amigos Wrote:
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> The brown locust is here to TAKE, not to give or
> contribute to anything.

They come here to work. What do YOU do, goober?

> If they were giving something away for free at
> those meetings, you can be assured that their fat
> asses would be there by the hundreds.

Like a Ted Cruz bobblehead, maybe? God, you people are a bunch of dumbfucks.

Community Organizer Wrote:
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> amigos Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The brown locust is here to TAKE, not to give
> or
> > contribute to anything.
>
> They come here to work. What do YOU do, goober?
>
> > If they were giving something away for free at
> > those meetings, you can be assured that their
> fat
> > asses would be there by the hundreds.
>
> Like a Ted Cruz bobblehead, maybe? God, you
> people are a bunch of dumbfucks.


I don't work. I have no need to.

My ancestors came here in the 1830's to escape religious persecution. Some of them did very, very well here. Hence, my not needing to work. And I will pass their assets on to future generations of my family.

oh, and go fuck yourself.

Juan Valdeez Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> keptreal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The hispanic community is typically at WORK
> during
> > school hours. Some on their second job of the
> > day.
> >
> > It is simply a TIME/CLASS issue. Lower class
> > people (of ALL RACES) don't have the TIME since
> > they need to make MONEY to SURVIVE.
> >
> > If I were a poor person had the luxury of being
> > free during the times the meetings were held, I
> > would gladly go- but if rent needed to be paid
> and
> > I had to go to work- guess what gets priority.
> >
> > Simple logistics and social class (in terms of
> > working class/job type) is all it is.
>
> I used to hear the same kind of bullcrap when I
> lived in Arlington too but at night the
> bars/restaurants along Columbia Pike were packed
> with parents.


All of the smart ass comments aside (I knew I'd get a few here), but you're right about the restaurant thing. We do restaurant night a few times a year and every time we do it's packed, especially with our hispanic families. But when it comes time to ask to help organize them, not one hispanic volunteer.

And I know for a fact most do not have second jobs in the evenings. When we had our one hispanic PTA volunteer do the calls last year she reported back that less than 1 in 4 had evening jobs that kept them from participating.

Do not assume that because people are not volunteering for the PTA, they are not volunteering. People may be volunteering for activities they feel are of more immediate concern to them, which fit their skill set or time availability better, or which they feel more comfortable with.

That said there are those out there who have an entitlement attitude when it comes to education. It isn't limited to any racial, ethnic or socio-economic group, but you do find more of these people on the low end of the income scale. Unfortunately some school administrations seem to willing to coddle these. In schools with large numbers of volunteers this merely causes resentment. In schools with a smaller pool of volunteers this drives even those stalwarts to quit.

Hey guess what

Most adults have better things to do than buy cupcakes put up decoration or whatever other crap you guys do

Let go of your HS SGA glory days

No one gives a fuck about any of the shit

Thats why you dont get volunteers

Signed,

A white educated person with a life

Frank would be a classic example of whatI am talking about.

Field Judge Wrote:
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> Juan Valdeez Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I used to hear the same kind of bullcrap when I
> > lived in Arlington too but at night the
> > bars/restaurants along Columbia Pike were
> packed
> > with parents.
>
> That's more like it. Dumbass phony racist
> bullshit. FFXU applauds you as a true shitfaced
> asshole.

Check it out for yourself. Get back to us with some pics.

ilegals yooo Wrote:
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> Free corona


that didn't take long.

What kind of dumbfuck would post some silly bullshit about how do I attract more beaner parents to the fucking PTA like you are going to get constructive suggestions here?

Offer Welfare benefits. That is how the US attracts Beaners...

I could always use another pair of brown hands to pick my cotton! Send them down yonder to my plantation.
Attachments:

keptreal Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The hispanic community is typically at WORK during
> school hours. Some on their second job of the
> day.
>
> It is simply a TIME/CLASS issue. Lower class
> people (of ALL RACES) don't have the TIME since
> they need to make MONEY to SURVIVE.
>
> If I were a poor person had the luxury of being
> free during the times the meetings were held, I
> would gladly go- but if rent needed to be paid and
> I had to go to work- guess what gets priority.
>
> Simple logistics and social class (in terms of
> working class/job type) is all it is.


Teacher at a low income school here too.

If you want to get more Hispanic parents involved, have a spanish speaking person invite them to participate over the phone. Lot of work up front, but pays off in the end. Another thing to realize about cultural differences, many cultures think it disrespectful to "interfere" with the school - they need to know that's not how things work in the US. Also, there's a fair amount of embarrassment, not only because of their own struggles communicating in English, but because many are illiterate in their own language.

"but because many are illiterate in their own language"

Wait. If they're illiterate in our language and they're illiterate in their language then why the hell are we importing them in record numbers? We already have enough native born illiterates that we don't need any more.

And also Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> keptreal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The hispanic community is typically at WORK
> during
> > school hours. Some on their second job of the
> > day.
> >
> > It is simply a TIME/CLASS issue. Lower class
> > people (of ALL RACES) don't have the TIME since
> > they need to make MONEY to SURVIVE.
> >
> > If I were a poor person had the luxury of being
> > free during the times the meetings were held, I
> > would gladly go- but if rent needed to be paid
> and
> > I had to go to work- guess what gets priority.
> >
> > Simple logistics and social class (in terms of
> > working class/job type) is all it is.
>
>
> Teacher at a low income school here too.
>
> If you want to get more Hispanic parents involved,
> have a spanish speaking person invite them to
> participate over the phone. Lot of work up front,
> but pays off in the end. Another thing to realize
> about cultural differences, many cultures think it
> disrespectful to "interfere" with the school -
> they need to know that's not how things work in
> the US. Also, there's a fair amount of
> embarrassment, not only because of their own
> struggles communicating in English, but because
> many are illiterate in their own language.

What do you mean interfere with the school? A lot of hispanics arent fresh off the boat new as media likes u to think. The eembarassent is true though a lot dont like to speak english because they think theyd be made fun of.

Fairfax Parent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm a new PTA parent and need some advice. What
> I'm getting from the state and national level
> folks is just too formulaic and won't work at our
> school.
>
> I'm the community outreach coordinator for the PTA
> at a Fairfax County elementary school. We're a
> diverse school and have had trouble getting
> participation in events from Hispanic parents.
> They just won't sign up to help with the
> functions. In fact, it's rare that more than 2 or
> 3 even show up for the bi-monthly PTA meetings.
>
> Our school is about 40% hispanic kids but if you
> were to attend any random PTA meeting you'd think
> the school was 75% white, 20% black, and the rest
> asian.
>
> We've tried everything from printing the fliers in
> both english and spanish, bringing in spanish
> speaking presenters, even had one of our spanish
> speaking parents call all of those with hispanic
> last names to get them to participate.
>
> Nothing seems to work.
>
> And what's frustrating however is while we never
> see them at the PTA meetings or volunteering to
> help with functions when we have our end of year
> carnival for the school the place is overwhelmed
> with hispanic parents and their kids. Where were
> they when we were planning and asking for
> volunteers?
>
> I don't mean to be mean, but it's kind of
> frustrating and we're trying to build an
> atmosphere of inclusion.
>
> Please, does anyone have any experience with
> bringing more hispanic families into PTA and
> having them become active in helping?

Hispanic parents have little time to be with their kids let alone go to a pta meeting and waste kid bonding time. Usually especially if they are new to the us or just few years in they are busting ass working 2 or 3 jobs each parent. Theres no glorified fake boobed stay at home mclean hispanic housewife unless she married for security. Thats the reasin why theres no latin parents at your meeting. Maybe try your luck with the kids grandma or someone who also lives at home but does not work in the hispanic household or arrange that meeting on their day off.

Okay my honest opinion. We need people to work and want to strive for greatness in our country. I have noticed that many (not most) Hispanics take away jobs that require average skills that our students and young people can do. We don't need more people to pay for fucking free Obama phones or reduced lunches. I vote more Republics and Smarter People

amigos Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The brown locust is here to TAKE, not to give or
> contribute to anything.
>
> If they were giving something away for free at
> those meetings, you can be assured that their fat
> asses would be there by the hundreds.


+ one million

Worked in the schools for years. Loved to look in the classrooms of ESOL classes on back to school night and the only person in there was the teacher. Come here for a better life? What a joke

Also if you really want more how about ya contact Obama im sure he'd be glad to ship illegals over. We don't need anymore I'm sorry I'm a highschool student I am well educated, come from a good family and most of my school is Hispanic and Black maybe 50% white and I'm sick of hearing spanish in the hallways and ghetto people that acting like they are the shit. My generation is fucked up they are all uneducated and it's dissappointing. We don't need more but hey if you want more move to Annandale. Bring on the smart people not the uneducated :)

johnny ringo Wrote:
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> "but because many are illiterate in their own
> language"
>We already have enough native born
> illiterates that we don't need any more.


Good point! Even my own lilywhite kids were born illiterate. So I sent them to El Salvador. Fuck those dumb little shits.