Should your P&C gather feedback and opinions from parents?

Reader question:

Do you think it’s more important for a P&C to get feedback and opinions from as many parents as possible (who aren’t active members) or to have a small group of members to make decisions and accept help where they can?

Here are some thoughts from our Facebook community on whether or not you should get parents opinions and feedback:

I think it is important to get as many parents opinions and feedback as possible so you are truly representing the parent body. However, making decisions should be left up to the people who are active members.

We try to get as many opinions as possible so we make the decisions and if parents then complain. We even have a suggestion box, but it’s never been used! That way they can leave suggestions if they aren’t able to physically be there. Remember you’re never going to please everyone.

As many parents as possible, then nobody can say they weren’t consulted. Then it’s up to attending members to decide after the feedback is received.

Every parent is invited to meetings to discuss things and have their say. Unfortunately, we only have a few parents who do come along, so we hope that we are making the best decisions.

Your meetings are for you to decide. Parents can always send in an agenda item for discussion and implementation. Surveys only show you how many different opinions you can get from a group of people who are not actively involved in implementing their request.

This is a good idea to keep up communication:

We have a facebook page and we put out notices on Schoolstream about when we are having meetings. Especially the first ones of the year where we plan our events calendar and decide what the money is going to be spent on. We never have a response from either notification. I encourage our members to talk to their friends and any parents they know to get the real feel of the land. I make an effort to go out of my comfort zone to welcome new parents and encourage them to get involved.

Our committee makes the decisions as they do the work! In saying that though, if support of the events/fundraisers started dropping off, I would definitely be surveying the greater population to try and find out why. This year we started off with surveying parents about meeting times/days etc and in what particular areas they want to help out in.

Occasional whole school survey monkey about big-ticket items or succession planning once every year or so.

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Originally published 2 November, 2018