Anonymous wrote:Our PTO is all about selling junk and collecting boxtops so they can buy things parents don't really care about. What I'd like to see is more actual communication - many parents in my school are very unhappy with some of the behavior management strategies in place and would like to see that change, and would also like some changes in teacher attitude (some of them really suck). These are serious issues at our school, and I wish we could address things that actually matter instead of just raising funds for more crap the school doesn't really need.

Do they not let you vote on what to spend the money on? Do you attend the meetings? Typically the principal has a say in what is bought. Could it be that this is where the decisions are coming from? The PTO isn't going to talk about teachers sucking. That is a principal issue.

Our PTO is all about selling junk and collecting boxtops so they can buy things parents don't really care about. What I'd like to see is more actual communication - many parents in my school are very unhappy with some of the behavior management strategies in place and would like to see that change, and would also like some changes in teacher attitude (some of them really suck). These are serious issues at our school, and I wish we could address things that actually matter instead of just raising funds for more crap the school doesn't really need.

Interesting. Our PTA meetings revolve around new programs for school, like having guest authors come in to talk about their books. We got the parks department to bring in some raptors and teach the kids about them. We got a local high school science team to demonstrate their award winning robot at our STEM fair. That type of stuff.

I am on our PTO executive committee and we find that the best turnout comes when we have speakers. We believe that we are also there to help support families. Our family is at a small Catholic school.

When we do this we do the business portion of the meeting in the beginning to leave room for the speaker.

Recent topics have included: Cyberbullying, homework solutions, and high school transition process.

Anonymous wrote:I think there are two types of PTA meetings, and both can work well for different purposes.

09:56 advocated for an executive meeting - that's where business is discussed, reports are heard, budgets approved, new business handled. You don't care if 100 people come or just the leadership of the PTA.

Everyone else is advocating for information sessions. These are planned meetings with outside speakers, designed to do a couple of things: 1) inform parents of an issue; 2) attract parents to "PTA meetings" with the hope that new parents will get more involved in the business of the PTA; 3) demonstrate to parents that the PTA is organizing things that matter to parents; etc.

I think a good PTA balances both types of meetings. The executive type meeting isn't of interest to a large number of parents - they like knowing people are working on the PTA stuff but don't care about the ins and outs.

If you combine the two meetings, you often don't have enough time to do the executive one well and you bore people who hate those kinds of in the details meetings.

Wow, PP, where do you live that you have the luxury of having two kinds of meetings? Where I live, we are lucky if we make quorum!

Anonymous wrote:I think there are two types of PTA meetings, and both can work well for different purposes.

09:56 advocated for an executive meeting - that's where business is discussed, reports are heard, budgets approved, new business handled. You don't care if 100 people come or just the leadership of the PTA.

Everyone else is advocating for information sessions. These are planned meetings with outside speakers, designed to do a couple of things: 1) inform parents of an issue; 2) attract parents to "PTA meetings" with the hope that new parents will get more involved in the business of the PTA; 3) demonstrate to parents that the PTA is organizing things that matter to parents; etc.

I think a good PTA balances both types of meetings. The executive type meeting isn't of interest to a large number of parents - they like knowing people are working on the PTA stuff but don't care about the ins and outs.

If you combine the two meetings, you often don't have enough time to do the executive one well and you bore people who hate those kinds of in the details meetings.

The problem with never doing executive meetings is that parents then start to not understand what the PTA does. Also, I think volunteerism dies down because people think everything is already covered. Our school has a light executive meeting prior to a presentation plus gets a copy of the meeting minutes from the previous month where a longer executive meeting was held, so this way, they get to hear a topic and get to see the new business discussed over two months.

I think there are two types of PTA meetings, and both can work well for different purposes.

09:56 advocated for an executive meeting - that's where business is discussed, reports are heard, budgets approved, new business handled. You don't care if 100 people come or just the leadership of the PTA.

Everyone else is advocating for information sessions. These are planned meetings with outside speakers, designed to do a couple of things: 1) inform parents of an issue; 2) attract parents to "PTA meetings" with the hope that new parents will get more involved in the business of the PTA; 3) demonstrate to parents that the PTA is organizing things that matter to parents; etc.

I think a good PTA balances both types of meetings. The executive type meeting isn't of interest to a large number of parents - they like knowing people are working on the PTA stuff but don't care about the ins and outs.

If you combine the two meetings, you often don't have enough time to do the executive one well and you bore people who hate those kinds of in the details meetings.

One meeting I remember:
Drug abuse --where it starts--inhalants and that type of thing. This was geared to prepare elementary parents for middle school age kids. Mine were small, but I learned a LOT. I was sitting next to a mom who had a MS son and she learned something that shocked her. She connected some dots she did not know existed.

This meeting prepared me for the future and I think I was able to head off some issues. Also learned that teens metabolize alcohol quite differently from adults and that early drinking can really set a kid up for alcoholism.

Another good meeting: career counselor came from the high school to talk about colleges--not to encourage pushing ,etc, but just how to be sure your kid has that as a goal. Suggestion--drive through colleges when you are on vacation just so a kid gets a good idea of what a college looks like. Practical stuff.

^ level of enthusiasm dies down

Our PTA does not have the committee chairs report on anything - they just let the Board know directly.

Best meetings:
Explaining the curriculum 2.0 shift and philosophy
Discussing ways for parents to get the new approach to math so they can help their kid
"Town Hall" session designed to solicit input on ways to improve certain things including on the PTA side (this was an awesome idea but held in spring when I think at our school at least some leve of enthusiasm does down for participating so suggest doing an open input meeting in the fall instead.)

I actually don't like the outside presenters that much although sometimes it does draw more parents to the PTA meeting which is good. What I think a lot of parents really want to hear from is the principal and the teachers if any of them could ever stay for a meeting. The best PTA run event I attended was regarding language arts at the school. A typical PTA meeting has a principal's report, a president's report which includes reflecting on last month, a new business time for people to discuss new ideas or concerns, committee reports, and a budget report. Sometimes these are followed by a short presentation by someone. I find it all very interesting.

The most useful PTO meetings involve outside speakers at our school. We've had the aftercare coordinator come to give a presentation on the program and answer parents' questions, our state Board of Education rep come to talk about her priorities, representative of summer programs come to discuss options for families. We are a very low-income school, so fundraising gets just a few minutes after the speaker makes a presentation and answers questions.

Anonymous wrote:I actually have never attended a PTA meeting at my sons' school (bad I know), but I do see the agenda each time. They usually bring in a speaker either from the school or the county to discuss something specific - gifted program, middle school transition, foreign language program, the library and what it offers, after school enrichment, etc.

I caution the use of guest speakers as it might end up taking over the meeting and make it stretch too long. They are often there because they want to sell something or ask for funding and it gets tiresome.

I highly encourage you to read the by-laws. Go over with a highlighter. It will make it very clear how you should structure your meetings.

1. Your fundraising ideas should be formulated over the summer.and voted upon by your first meeting of the year .Why are you all discussing fundraising ideas throughout the year? This sends the message to your members that all you care about is $. You are first and foremost there to advocate for the students. Fundraising is the way to get there.

2. Committee chairs should be there to present their plans for their activities, which should get voted on by the Executive Board, if they haven't already done so.

3. If there are ammendments to the budget after the main budget gets approved, whether income or expense, you should be voting on it at your meetings.

4. Committees should fee free to update the members/Exec. Board on how the plans are going and this would be a good forum to seek extra help: volunteers, equipment, etc. If there are proposed changes to their plan, then they should be voted on.

5. Work on ways to improve your PTA by soliciting the opinions of your members. Don't operate in a vacuum. You are a facilitator, not a dictator. You are handling their money and their aspirations. Likewise, seek ways to run more efficiently: less fundraisers, poorly attended activities. Don't be afraid to put that on the agenda and solicit ways to improve. If you add an activity, seek to remove two.

I actually have never attended a PTA meeting at my sons' school (bad I know), but I do see the agenda each time. They usually bring in a speaker either from the school or the county to discuss something specific - gifted program, middle school transition, foreign language program, the library and what it offers, after school enrichment, etc.

I have attended my elementary school PTA meetings last 3 years, every months (7 meetings/year). They always discussed the same topic, fundraising. I understand the need to plan and solicit ideas but not at every meetings. The best part of the meetings is the update from the principals. I joined the board and will help set the agenda for the meetings next school year. What's on your PTA meeting agenda? What topics would you like your PTA to discuss?