Who Knew?

It all started when I enrolled my oldest child in preschool. It was a good preschool, with a montessori based curriculum. The new teacher was hired, and parents had to volunteer one morning a week. We were allowed to pay another parent to substitute for us. The pay was five dollars. We did not live so close to the school, so we took the bus to get there. For that reason, and to be involved in my child's schooling, I helped out every day of the week. Most days the pther parents needed me to substitute, other days I helped in the library or went to visit with the other parents. It was the first public school in the district to offer montessori based classes. I am now guessing that this is the reason that parent volunteers were not turned away! Who can imagine teachers and principals saying that they do not need or want parent volunteers? Or that our role is simply to collect funds for the PTA? At that time, I did not know whether or not this school district was a good one, with most students graduating high school and moving on to college. I only knew what I read in the paper, and heard from other parents.