This is simple.

PTO

P=parents
T=teachers All in one room, for one hour, for our kids, and it's for our school.
0=organization

I'm a mom, not a rocket scientist. Everyone is just as busy as the next person. These children are our future. These schools are going to be our grandchildrens. Let's just just make them better together. Teachers do need to be there, they know what's happening while we are at work.

WOW...as for the money we give the teachers, I really do hope they appriecate it. Our kids do a lot of door to door sales to earn that money. And I do alot of counting money that has been turned in for a whole week of my life that I volunteer. (for each fundraiser)

The comment was made that parents attend even though they have been working all day, so why should teacher's not attend as well. Consider the fact that they are not going back to their same place of employment where they just left that afternoon AND probably took work home (papers to grade, plans to make, etc.) I do not feel that for most teachers it is "just a job". They went into the vocation because of a love for children and a call to help them learn. Even the best teachers get burned out when pulled in too many directions. Also keep in mind that many teachers work part-time several evenings a week due to low salaries and/or take evening classes required for their recertification, along with taking care of their own families. I'm not preaching, just trying to shed some light on a teacher's view....

Our school has a teacher rep on a rotating basis for each grade level that attends PTA mtgs. Keep in mind that teachers have families too. My husband and I are both teachers at different schools. We have 2 children at 2 different schools (high school & middle school) Even though we live on 2 teacher salaries, we joined 4 differerent PTAs! There's no way we can do it all. Of course, not all teachers have this same situation, but most have children at different schools from where they teach. I typically attend 1-2 PTA functions at the school where I work, but I'm a mom first, so I give more evening time to my children's schools.

Originally posted by Shawn:
This is not a knock on our teacher, I love 'em all and would trade 'em, unless the new staff looked like Shania Twain, Gretchen wilson, Terri Clark and also cooked and talked like Paula Dean.(rolled into one)

This sounds like Jenine Turner, and my kids would definitely be transferred to that school!

To the point, when I was teaching, I'd be there from 7 AM until 3 or 4 each day, and would often have work to bring home, depending on meetings, etc. To ask me to come back at 6:30 for another meeting, even once a month would have been a lot. Something pretty important would have had to be happening at that meeting.

That being said, at our meetings, we usually have one rep per grade level at least -- more if they have a 'Wish List' request in or something else to ask of the PTO.

Like someone else said, the teachers aren't getting funds from us to buy jewelry for themselves. They are doing their best to make their classrooms better for students.

I think as a group you need to determine what is important. Our school feels that the PTO is there to support the teachers and make the school the best it could possibly be. We give our teachers $300 each over the summer to redo their rooms and get ready for the year. Normally their is a teacher representative at each PTO meeting. This year we will try and change the meeting times so their will be more attendance from the PTO which could possibly eliminate a teacher attending. Why don't you give your teachers a questionaire about items they would like answers too. The PTO/PTA can discuss them and get the answers back via email to the teachers or post the minutes. This way they may feel more involved.

Probably enlisting the principal to do a bit of verbal marketing for the PTO (encourage teachers to get more involved in, whethere it be events pariticiaption or meetings) at staff meetings would go MILES towards better turnout/help from staff.
If your principal however goes to meetings more out of a sense of duty, which some clearly do (ie they are on the board so they only go to things they have to go to), then its not surprising that teachers arent gung ho about PTO involvemetn.
Reading these boards one senses there are some principals out there who dont have stellar rapport with the PTO (the post Principal Controls Money comes to mind!), and surely, his/her own feelings about PTO rub off on teachers and if s/he is positive about pto involvement , teachers WILL do more.
Its about politics, human behaviour, management, and rallying the troops. What better person to help your cause in increasing inviolvement, than the 'top dog or cat'?
Its clearly not the 'job' of the principal to do this, however, increased involvement from teachers can only be a positive all around for the school, something every principal should want.