Sunnigirl - Welcome to the PTOtoday boards!!! You're going to find all kinds of friendly folks here and get tons of good advice.
Take some time to look through the Message Boards FAQ and use the Search Message Boards function too. And definitely check out the Bonus Tools section!
I'd suggest starting with the following:
1. Meet with the principal. He/she may already have experience working with parent groups.
2. Inform parents and teachers via a newsletter article or note home. Not only are they informed and part of the process but you may also find folks with parent group experience.
3. Have an informational meeting. If the school has an upcoming Open House, perhaps you can have something set up in a common area like the library, foyer or cafeteria.
This is an exciting opportunity! Good luck to you!!!
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."
"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the true perfection of one's character."
Sunni--do a search on starting a PTO and you'll find tons of good ideas. The first thing is having interested parents...then there are things like choosing positions, seeing if someone wants to volunteer to fill them until there is a vote (or for the first year if you all agree) then work bylaws up on how you will run. It's nice to be on the ground floor. Good luck...d
Hello!!
I am a parent of a fourth grader that is attending a new charter school in the Maryland area. How do we get a PTO started? Anything you can suggest will help!!!