A parent council meets monthly, a handful of dedicated volunteers making decisions that affect the whole school community. Another parent wants to participate but can't make daytime meetings or evening commitments on top of work and family demands. Another attends once and feels excluded by insiders who've been involved for years. Parent Advisory Councils (PACs), School Councils, and similar parent organizations are supposed to represent parent voice—but whose voice do they actually represent, and how much do they actually influence?