Tim, where do you get the 250 members per unit?

I've looked at the numbers in my state and they don't come close to 250 per PTA.

FLPTAMOM;127408 wrote: Tim,
$1.000.00 per year??????

Yes, the average PTA unit pays right around that number per years in dues that go outside the local unit.

The math:

Approximately 5.7 million PTA members in approximately 23,000 units = 250 paid members per unit.

National dues = $1.75 per member = $435 per average unit in national dues.

State dues differ by state. Some are as low as around $1 per member and some are as high as $4 per member. Let's call it $2.50. = $625.00 per average unit in state dues.

That's $1060, and that's before you add in -- for some groups -- county/council dues which range from a $25 per unit cost to perhaps a $0.25 - $0.50 per member cost, which can add up to over a hundred dollars per unit for county/council.

Basically, it's a fairly conservative number to say that the average PTA unit pays/forwards about $1,000 in dues in order to be a PTA. Not many folks realize that.

Tim

PTA dues are $3 $1.75 for National and $1.25 for local.

Tim,
$1.000.00 per year??????

I think the general conclusion of this thread (not thta everyone agreed 100%) is right on: the acronym makes very little difference.

There are PTOs with great involvement. And there are PTOs who struggle mightily to get parenats engaged.

There are PTAs with great involvement. And there are PTAs who struggle mightily to get parents engaged.

That engagement and building involvement is much more about communication and approach and some (sometimes difficult, yes) tried-and-true strategies for building connections with more and more parents than it is about the acronym.

And I think that's a conclusion shared fairly universally. You'll find a ton of articles and resources and programs all over this site with those strategies and tools laid out.

---

Now for an aside:

With that as the conclusion, though, it does beg the question: "If 1) involvement is our biggest goal/challenge and 2) acronym doesn't matter and 3) one acronym costs us $1,000 per year and one acronym is free......?"

Just a thought.

Tim

"I have alot of experience in both PTA and PTO schools, one letter dose not make people volunteer!"

This is the point. Dropping PTA for PTO will not improve involvement by itself!
The same is true of PTO's that change to PTA.

You must take a deep close look at what is going on in your group. Be objective.
You will find that the fact is paying or not paying dues has little effect on volunteerism.