So you're someone who's been through the PTA to PTO change. Can you give me some guidance. We're currently raising this issue with members. Do you have to have all members agree to the change or is it a percentage of membership, or just officers? I'm attempting to get as much information as possible, as PTA will be presenting their side to the officers, but I'd like them to have a view on both. I myself am tired of paying $1200 a year in dues, plus insurance, plus council dues and ending up with less funds than we started with. I'm speaking of PTA/PTO at the high school level, where there is just too many different clubs to belong to. Parents usually decide to get involved in whatever club their child is involved with, leaving PTA a "wasteland." I get members (about 200 out of 1400 students and 120 teachers/staff), kind of pathetic, but I don't blame parents for wanting to support what their child is interested in. Sorry, I'm rambling. Can you give me some pointers on how to pursue this.

Thanks,
MaggieMack

lt ryan;126951 wrote: There is a lot of confusion between pto/pta. When I made the change, I felt like the state PTA was not helping my board enough with our new administration. I stumbled upon the pto today website and called them and recieved just as much if not more help. Then I formed a commitee and we looked at the pro's and con's. We then brought it to the membership and voted to go to a PTO.
The expences to being a PTO are much less(confrences, membership to pto today) since going to a PTO, Pto today has grown a lot. They still are very helpfull.
Good luck and rember let the membership decide with good research on the isue.
lt ryan

Hi Tim-

Seems you know an awful lot about the whole "To Be or Not To Be PTA/PTO Issue." I recently asked our state PTA CT) about this very issue and was met with very open hostility. Is there really that much of a difference between the two, other than the gross amount of money we pay in dues? Also, how labor intensive is it to change. Our current bylaws address nothing of this issue. I understand the draining the account step, but everything else is becoming a blur. Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated

I have been reading many of the messages about converting from a PTA to a PTO. They are very informative and helpful. I would really like to here more from Carpentermom on how having both PTA and PTO works at her school.

Wow! I have long wanted to change from a PTA to a PTO in our elementary school. I have a chance to be president next year, but I don't want to do it if it's still a PTA. I, too, have issues with the politics. I just want to focus on our school and in our area - I'm not out to save the world - just my little piece of it Thanks for the info. I've printed the PTAvsPTO articles and can't wait to present them at our meeting next week!!

Unregistered;127455 wrote: it IS *free* at some schools, to belong to the PTA. only if you want to VOTE, do you need to pay the dues. but you can particpate in ALL other ways without having to pay the dues (which dont directly benefit the school anyway).

Two things here:

1. It's free to belong to the PTA? Huh? That's just not true. Maybe what you are saying is that non-members still benefit from some of the efforts of the PTA at PTA schools. That's true. But folks who don't pay the membership dues can't vote, can't hold office and -- in may PTA units -- can't serve in any official volunteer roles with the PTA. Just clarifying.

2. Interesting that the dues "don't directly benefit the school anyway". Agreed.

Tim

Unregistered;127455 wrote: it IS *free* at some schools, to belong to the PTA. only if you want to VOTE, do you need to pay the dues. but you can particpate in ALL other ways without having to pay the dues (which dont directly benefit the school anyway).

LOTS of 'free' (no membership dues) ptos have members who never vote, either. in fact, seems the majority do NOT vote even when membership is free, so the whole membership issue (and TYPE of org) does not seem to influence voting, nor participation in the whole parent community, ie committee involvemnt, events and all the other things that make up the effectiveness of a parent grp

It is true some dont have dues (bylaws would cover this) at our school you can participate in any PTA sponsored activity without being a member and volunteer without being a member - to be a board member and/or have a PTA vote however you MUST pay dues.

The whole issue boils down to

1. DO you want to charge due?
2. Do you want to have member vs nonmember
3. Do you want part of your dues going outside school (ie state, national, lobbying etc)

Its whatever a majority of the members want- but dont ostracise the ones who

1. Dont want to be a member/ pay dues
2. Dont want lobbying
3. Dont want to vote

I am against the PTA's lack of coherent and effective lobbying and bad programs they decide to back, but I pay my $5 and attend mtg to make sure at least my school is helped effectively. I cant do anything about the lobbying but rail against it (and make my opinion known) that doesnt mean our PTA is ineffective (they're are GREAT) I just dont always agree with thier policies or ideas all the time. Its the only gig at the school so I go with it. Acronyms dont need to be a big deal.