Question: Help

I have taken over as President of the PTO of my son's school, and I'm really lost. Past PTO all left school and parent involvement is poor. There is only me and one other member. I need help and really don't know what to do and where to begin. Please help.. I'm a single mom who works full time. Sincerely, Amie M.

Asked by Butterflygrl

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Rose H writes:
Hi butterflygrl,

So, there are only two of you. Well, that's a heck of a lot better than none! And kudos to you for stepping up and trying to do something. Our advice is to start small, go one step at a time. With just two volunteers, there really is a limit to what you can do and if you try to cover every base, you'll be exhausted in no time. So, school is starting up now, here are a few things you can do:

1. Meet with the principal. Let him/her know what you'd like to do, how building a community of involved parents helps the students and the school.

2. Think about holding a first meeting. You can put out a simple flyer asking parents to join you for a morning coffee (or maybe an evening meeting would work better). Call it a brainstorming session. Let parents know you want to hear their ideas of what they'd like to see happen at the school. Hey, if you only get 2 parents to show up, you've doubled the size of your group! Small steps!

3. Aim to do one community building event this fall. A pot luck supper might work. That way, your expenses will be minimal and it is a great way to get people connecting and start building a real sense of community.