A New Model of the Parent Volunteer

This ethnographic case study explores parent volunteers at two Jewish American schools and two Israeli schools of similar ideological background. It is an attempt to understand parent involvement in general ‐ from the viewpoint of the parent him or herself ‐ as well as the influence of volunteerism on school culture. It offers a new categorization of the parent volunteer: the uber volunteer, the recruitable volunteer, the per task volunteer, the will not volunteer, and the frustrated volunteer, offering practical implications and applications for the school setting. It is hoped that administrators, principals, teachers, and most importantly, parents will be able to glean the fruits of these findings and in so doing, enhance and enrich the overall school experience for all players involved.