The ungrateful side of parental commitment in schools

I thought they were mainly decorative.

You will apologize for me to deviate from my usual niche. Nevertheless, it is to continue my summer series on “ungrateful roles”. In addition, If you remember. However, she started with a co -ownership administrator, followed by a union representative, a testamentary liquidator and a caregiver. Similarly, Their common point: they give their time without harvesting the recognition they deserve. Consequently,

Take Corrine Payne, for example. Furthermore, When her eldest daughter entered kindergarten in a school in the Basses-Laurentides. Furthermore, she naturally presented herself to the annual parents’ assembly. Moreover, It led him to volunteer for the library, to get involved in the outings of students and other extracurricular activities.

The following year, she was elected to the school board of the school. For example, She stayed there as long as her two children attended elementary school, 14 years old. However, In the last year. Consequently, we highlighted his participation in the proper functioning of the school by a bouquet of flowers which was given to him at the end of the spectacle at the end of the year, in front of the other parents. Moreover,

It is not she who raises the question. Nevertheless, but me: all this is good cutebut isn’t it a little (a lot) chick?

Long -term volunteer parent …

She attended meetings almost every month. Meanwhile, she peeled budgets of the institution, debated the code of life, has soucted special programs, evaluated educational outings …

The task requires a minimum of preparation and rigor. We must find out. ask questions, return teachers to do their homework, deliberate with parents and staff members on issues that divide.

The point was not mentioned during our conversation. but I imagine that we must sometimes deal with a few tannings, like the parent who pleads in the primary interest of his descendants, the frustrated who found in his instances the instrument to satisfy a power trip.

For those who have sat on school council in recent years, it has been quite intense, what it seems. There was the pandemic which turned the organization of all schools. ungrateful side parental commitment schools strikes, school transport issues, and then the cuts announced at the start of the summer, before we learned yesterday that the government was more or less changing.

Obviously. when you participate in these committees, we bring back subjects of concern to the house, which are added to those of work.

I forgot: volunteers must submit to training to exercise their mandate properly, all at the expense of their “leisure” time.

… career

Corrine Payne was a consultant for non -profit organizations when her children attended the small school. In her previous life. before the arrival of her offspring, she was, among other things, a vice-president of the Dynamite group, an important retailer of clothes.

I had appealed on social networks to find a mother. father involved in the school of their marmaille, I received a ungrateful side parental commitment schools response from the Pr from the Federation of Parents of Parents of Quebec (FCPQ) who said he could find someone. I welcomed her proposal with a certain distrust, she offered me her bump, the director general of the FCPQ.

After an email exchange with the lady in question, I decided to proceed. At worst, I will have lost 90 minutes. I got to know a friendly homeland of origin. perfectly established here, bilingual, who presents herself today as the “wildest woman in Quebec”.

You have to be a little crazy. yes, for having devoted 23 years to school governance, including 13 to the FCPQ, a mostly volunteer commitment, a role that can sometimes make us pass for a footage.

Of course, Corrine Payne knows all the cogs of this structure, which she patiently explains to me. The general assembly of parents. ungrateful side parental commitment schools The Half Parents, the Parents Committee of Parents of Parents of School Service Centers (CSS) who play an advisory role; The CSS board of directors, which more or less includes a third of parents’ representatives.

At all levels. parents are volunteering, are consulted or participate directly in decisions, including budget allocation, both in schools and CSS, the old school boards.

18,000 parents committed

I am embarrassed by my ignorance, but I have the pretext of not having children … “Parents do not know it, but there are so many places where they can get involved.”

There is not a school that could work without the contribution of parents. They would be 18,000 in Quebec to give their time. It’s a lot, but it’s still a minority. Most do not even appear at the General Assembly to designate their representatives to ungrateful side parental commitment schools their school council. that is to tell you the importance that is attached to these bodies.

I learn by chatting with Corinne Payne that the president of an school council. attached to each school, is systematically a volunteer parent.

It suddenly reminds me of this story that took place at the start of the year. A president of an school council had resigned due to a decision limiting access to certain specific programs. it was in a school in the Charlevoix region. The controversy had started with a parents’ petition to oppose the vision of the school council. even the Minister Bernard Drainville had got involved, he had put himself on the side of the signatories of the petition.

The poor mother who suddenly finds herself on the hot seat. it is probably not the idea that it had made of ungrateful side parental commitment schools parental commitment in schools …

“Most of the time, it goes very well. It is the result of a good collaboration between the school management and the school council. But when it’s going badly. it can be very bad, “admits the director general of the FCPQ, who rather wants to put the positive side of this involvement. Besides, she says she is very proud to have set up the week of parental engagement.

For mothers. fathers already overwhelmed by their professional life, I understand that it is much easier to stand away from it all and to cry when something does not do the trick, I would probably do the same.

This is what makes the participation of volunteers worthy of esteem.

And thankless, at times.

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