My children attend a private Christian school. Today we had orientation and a new "rule" was brought up to us. We are required to volunteer 10 man hours for the school and if we do not meet those requirements we will be billed $20.00 per hour for each hour that was not completed.

How do you feel about this?

Let me just say, that I have always volunteered tons at their school and I LOVE the teachers and the school itself. Up until last year, I was there almost every day doing something. Well, last year I started working part-time, but still volunteered. I will not have a problem getting my ten hours in, but what about the parents that have to work full-time? Yes, it was stated that parents can do work at home for the teachers, but I bet these parents are already too busy getting dinner ready, going to aftershool activities, and getting homework finished. I am completely for this new rule when it deals with those moms who are financially well off, do not have any other children at home, do not work, and do not volunteer~~hopefully it will help get them to volunteer. I truly don't know how I feel about this new rule and don't even know why it is consuming my mind since it will not be a problem for me. Maybe I am having a problem with the authoritative feel. Just wondering how you felt about it.

My kids also attend a private Christian school and this year we are also required to put in so many man hours. But, only if you are on scholarship. They are paying you $25.00 hour and then figure out how many hours of time you have to put in to "pay" for your scholarship.

I think that this can be a good thing but I also think that because we are such a small school that all parents should have to volunteer some man hours, as we have quite a few that don't show up for anything other than the programs.

I am not sure how I feel about the whole thing. Like you, I love the teachers and the school. So, hang in there, it is happening in quite a few places it sounds like!!

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Thanks for sharing that, Sarah. Maybe it is something that is catching on. When announcing this today, they did state that they were hoping to see NO money from this, so maybe they are promoting this in the best interests of the children and/or teachers.

I think we have come down to a society where there are people who don't ever want to have to help. They just want their kids to be able to go to private school without lifting a finger. So, the administrations are having to force people into volunteering so that those of us that ALWAYS volunteer for everything don't get burned out. Sometimes I feel like I live at the school, because no one ever wants to help out for field trips and such!!

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Isn't that an oxymoron......required volunteering? I see what both of you are saying in all directions, and Julie, I agree that it WILL be hard for those parents who work full-time outside the home. Of course, 10 hours is only 1 hour a month, so maybe that will make it a little easier, but I think that it is crazy to require it for everyone. Also, is that per child? If I had 3 children in that school, would I have to do 30 hours? What if all the schools start this and I have 3 in 3 different schools? It could really get out of hand.

I think that they should just try to organize a PTO that would recruit members to help with volunteering. That seems to work for my school. I hope it all goes well for both of you.

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I agree with Jeanette!!! I don't think that is something that could ever be done in public schools either! I do have 4 children in 3 different schools this year, plus a little one at home and a part time job!! I am all for helping, but that could get really hard!!!

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~Happiness is a large family~

We are required to volunteer 30 hours either at the school or church. If the hours are not fullfilled it is $10 per hour.

I managed it last year but this year with just having a new baby, I am stressing out that I will not be able to do it. So, now I am trying to budget in $300 to have to pay at the end of school!

I love to volunteer at school and always have. It is the parents who NEVER help who made this new rule happen. It sucks.

My kids attend public school, but I must admit that sometimes when they were in elementary school it would bug me that it was the same 20 or so parents who did all the volunteering at the school. Don't get me wrong....I loved going on field trips and doing parties,etc with my children, but somehow it just didn't seem fair that other parents did NOTHING. But on the other hand I'm with several of you that in that I don't like being dictated to. I agree that mandatory volunteering is sort of contradictory. I can sort of see it in MaggieMay's situation esp in private schools for scholarships (sort of that Habitat for Humanity mentality), since the school is really just recouping it's investment. I guess after all this rambling, I'm saying I'm not sure....an interesting thing to think about.

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Wow, Aliadam! I never saw you do the fence-sitting routine. !!!!!!! Just kidding, of course.

I would love to volunteer in my sons' classroom, but I am at work the same hours that they are...even earlier. I'm thankful to the mothers who can volunteer in their classes, and I wish that I could do it, but I just can't. So far there haven't been evening events for me to help with, so I will be one of the parents who never helps out. Just a sad fact.

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Yes, I'm usually pretty definite in my opinions, aren't I?!?

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