What do you DO on a preschool committee then?

[flamesparrow]

I seem to have signed up to be on it (a minion, not a "title")... What am I gonna get roped into??

[Furball]

With our one, I attended bi-monthly meetings, usually at someones house and there was always wine and nibbles! The chair would bring up any problems or future fundraising, or future events etc, they would be discussed and a decision made. You don't have to volunteer to help but you will find that something that someone wants sorting, you seem know about etc. It's not a bad thing, honest!

[redshoes]

Attending meetings, voting - but more importantly volunteering to do something that needs doing. You will almost certainly be involved in fund-raising and you are probably a trustee of the charity (if that's what it is).

[ghosty]

I am a minion on my DD's preschool committee ... I go to meetings once a month, have no idea WHAT they are going on about, get really riled with the prat of a 'Secretary' who acts as if he is on the Board of some Multimillion $ Corporation ...
All I have done is buy the cheese and wine for a cheese and wine evening .... phone some bloke at the local community centre to tell them that our committee agreed with his proposal and I gave an hour of my time at a fundraising bring and buy sale ... oh and take part in a Business Strategy Meeting which meant we had a sub committee that met at my house to go over one teeny aspect of something ...
I have volunteered to type up letters for them and put things onto the computer (takes minutes) ...
I have refused to take any official role as I know I would hate it and feel resentful but am happy to 'help' ... And I get 10% off 'fees' for being a committee member ....

No big deal really ... but won't be signing up for school PTA or anything like that ...

[flamesparrow]

No such fees bonuses - its not a private one and DD is now on her gov't sessions anyway

I'm the kind of person who seems to inadvertantly get involved in events anyway (school headmistress has been eyeing me up ever since my mum - who works there - let slip that I liked playing with face paints ).

Sounds like it should be ok Thankyou

[ghosty]

Ha ha ... DD's preschool not private either but this is in NZ and here there is no such thing as a free education

Love the idea of headteacher eyeing you up ...

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[Furball]

Orinoco - you could ask if someone will share the load with you. Thats what they did with all the main posts at my playgroup, so it didn't take over their lives.

[Clayhead]

Is it a Committee run Pre-School?

If so, the committee does pretty much everything in terms of staffing, budgeting etc. as it is responsible for the management of the Pre-School.

IME this is OK until a staffing issue or something else major crops up and needs sorting.

[FrivolentDemon]

We seem to be ok - the main body (chair, treasurer etc) of the committee are the staff, so most of the work work is done by them

Argh Orinoco

[Clayhead]

That's interesting, do you not follow a PLA constitution? Ours states that:


5.8 All Members shall be eligible to stand for election to the Committee, except for paid
employees of the Pre-school, who cannot be Committee members or vote at Committee
meetings. They, or their representative, can be invited to attend any or all Committee
meetings in an advisory capacity, but need not attend the whole of such meetings. Paid
employees of the Pre-school may hold Family Membership or Affiliate Membership and
may attend General Meetings of the Pre-school in that capacity, but may not vote on
matters relating to their terms and conditions of employment with the Pre-school.

[FrivolentDemon]

Oooh I don't know anything about that... we had the meeting, they said who had been standing before and asked if anyone wanted to take over (amidst mumbling and people looking intently at their hands ), then got renominated by 2 parents...

First meeting is the beginning of Dec so I guess I'll find out more then!

[Clayhead]

Worth looking into! I think it is designed to stop a conflict of interest - since the committee set the terms and conditions and wages and the staff receive them!

[Crackle]

Orinoco, you have my sympathy. I was lumbered with the treasurer role for 4 years and it was an utter nightmare. It was only when we were facing closure and were applying for emergency grants that my dh and I realised that I and the other committee members were entirely liable for the debt that would be caused by making our staff redundant. This ammounted to over £4500.

The responsibility is ridiculous for what is meant to be such a relaxed, grass-roots type of co-operative organisation. Now that nurseries and schools compete so heavily for kids and their vouchers, a lot of pre-schools struggle by on a wing and a prayer.

My advice would be to resign sooner rather than later. Frankly, the stress to my family was enormous and the rewards were none. After I left the pre-school managed to find a retired book-keeper to take on the role as a 'paid' person so that the book-keeper could avoid being liable for the debt. My request to be paid 50p per year for the same reason was refused. Now they pay over £500pa, money which should benefit the kids.

Still gives me the heebie-jeebies now. All that wrangling with people to try and get them to pay the fees in time to pay the staff. Ack.

[Orinoco]

Message withdrawn

[geogteach]

We have joint treasurers, one deals with incoming money and one with outgoing and it seems to work ok.
Has anyone done their staffs appraisals? I have to do this on Monday and can't say i'm looking forward to it.

[redshoes]

do you have the PLA staff appraisal forms to use? (I have some, but haven't looked at them yet!