Chic-mom I was asking myself the same thing whether PTO dad was involved or not, especially if he had ever been an officer. I had added a few questions to him, but I edited and took them off thought I'd be nice give him the benefit of the doubt.

I have to wonder if PTO Dad is involved? We survey parents each year they say the same old, I work so we do night meetings, and they don't come! I don't have a sitter, so we provide one and they don't come! I'm tired too, I have a baby and a 5 year old, my husband owns a business and works long hours, but I come. We have 450 students out of that 200 parents will pay the $2.00 at the membership drive and join but only 30 come to the first few meetings then it dies to 5-6 parents. I think it's just a personality thing some people are leaders some are not, some get overwelmed easy & could not handle the stress of planninmg/or attending! It is frusterating! As for the President making the agenda, if their was no agenda the meeting would go on & on & on or nothing would be accomplished! We had a form at the school that anyone could fill out to be on the agenda!!! Also at the end of the meeting their is time for parents suggestions/ideas! I know for us personally we have to have a agenda to accomplish things and review what happened since the last meeting! I know this year I am letting it be know that even if parents can not attend meetings they can bake a cake for the bake sale , make reminder calls etc... Also I have noticed that I see the same parents running the PTA, coaching baseball, leading Girl Scouts, going on fieldtrips etc... Some parents do others just watch!

One of the best things we implemented in our PTSO to involve more parents and spread the work around was to really go after those parents willing to do tasks at home. Sometimes things would require a little prep time on our part, but I knew it would be worth it to get one more parent involved in a PTSO sponsored activity.

We send home our volunteer sign up at the beginning of the year and add a spot for parents interested in at-home projects. We had many parents check that off! Then throughout the year we send home lists of items we could have done at home. Some of the tasks we had completed at home - by a whole new group of parents we normally never see get involved - included:

1. Stringing Punch Cards for Our Jog A Thon
2. Placing Labels on Money Collection Envelopes
3. Making Signs for our Rummage Sale
4. PreCounting Tickets and Placing in Envelopes for Carnival
5. Filling goodie bags for our Fish Pond at the Carnival
6. Sorting Field Day Ribbons into Ziplocs for each class
7. Make follow up phone calls for donation requests
etc., etc., etc.!!! The lists could be endless.

Like I said, it sometimes took some prep time but we felt it was well worth it...many parents then felt more connected with the projects and events we are involved with in our school...we have so many parents willing to help but they have small children, work during the day, etc. This gives them another way of helping out.

We often send materials, supplies, etc. hope with the oldest child and then the projects come back with the child. Give a creative parent some die cuts and a roll of craft paper and you wouldn't believe some of the great signs we had returned for our carnival, sock hop, field day etc!!!

We are going to keep this going again this school year and hopefully involve even more!!!
[img]smile.gif[/img]

PTO_DaD-MI you have made a good suggestion. Two years ago I became involved in my child's elementary school. I, too, kept hearing the "nobody wants to volunteer" comments. So, I helped put together a survey form asking parents about their interest in volunteering. There were questions to determine their level of interest and what was keeping them from volunteering. It was also a tool to inform them of the various ways they could become involved in their school either during the day or at the PTSO events.

We had a 28% response rate, which is great for a survey. There were no big "a-ha's" Most responded that work kept them from volunteering. We have a lot of parents that work nights.

What I have found during the past year of being an Officer is that you need to grow your volunteer group one parent at a time. Get them in, show them you are an organized group with plans and goals, make it fun and they will tell their friends and so on and so on....

Most importantly in PTO-DaD-MI's message is don't assume you know the answer to the question if you don't ask it. One step at a time... [img]smile.gif[/img]

Yes, I have asked and I get the same answers as a lot of others: I'm to tired, I didn't know about it (flyer's go out, it's in the newsletter) I don't want to be that involved, I only want to work at school to help my child, I don't want to work with any children, I don't want to get volunteered for anything.

As for surveys. If you look under other forum headings you will see that several here do and even offer copies of the surveys that they send out.

As for communication. We started to bridge that gap last year. The only thing parents would ask at our meetings was "where is our sign". The past PTO had raised money for this, not us, but it had never been put up. I went to the principal to see what the hold up was and then to the superintendent, when I found out he was the hold up. He wanted it bricked in the shape of the school. I had my son draw a diagram to show him just how big his 5x10 foot sign would end up after adding the brick. We got our sign by the end of school and it wasn't bricked. The teachers wanted steps going down to our playground, because teachers and students had fallen. I went to the superintendent on that and we're suppose to have them this summer while other renovations are being done. If not I will go back next year. Parents,teachers and staff saw that I wasn't afraid to step on toes and that I could get things done. They started coming to me with issues, and I wasn't even the President. Just an officer (rather I held 3 offices) and willing to work hard to make a difference and help them. They seemed to need a voice. There was a lot of talk between "groups" but no on to bring that talk or groups together.

"I also wonder about presidents and their "agendas". It is the members of the PTO that (should) determine the direction of the PTO The president, it seems to me, is elected to facilitate the smooth functioning and day to day business of the PTO. While the president should want to influence the membership, the President should not be forcing a personal agenda on the membership. The president should appear, and be, impartial."
Last year we had no agenda. Just the President introducing herself as "Hi I am THE PTO President" once even saying that her and I were the PTO. We had a discussion on that. I am not the PTO. I am just an officer that organizes, writes the newsletter and such and pays the bills. The parents and teachers are the PTO and I will introduce myself as Hi I'm YOUR PTO President. She would then tell them what we were doing and sit down for the children to sing. It will be different this year. I will have an outline of things to discuss at meetings, but I don't plan to force anything, I am in there almost daily seeing things that most parents never will. I will gather what issues are needed to be addressed and get them in front of the members. When you say "PERSONAL" agendas it makes it sound like we are only trying to do things for us and our way. I believe that for the most part if a member has a better way to do something it would defiantly be considered. If they just want to back stab and be rude/crude, yes I would ignore them. I will have an agenda so that the members might have an organized idea of what will be discussed at the next meeting and there is an open forum to deal with other issues. You make it sound like we should be seen and not heard. I also write the newsletter for our school. I have almost finished our first one, here is our agenda... please feel free to tell me if you have a problem with it.... the first item on that agenda is known only to me, the principal and the 3 that had to resign, but being summer there reallyis no way to get that information out any earlier or better.

Agenda for Sept.10th PTO Meeting @ 7:00 pm

* Hold nominations and elect
new Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

* Open discussion on:
* Doughnuts for Room Parents (idea credited to Ms. JanaXXXXX)
* What you would like to see this PTO do.
* How to work as a team to reach these goals.
* Open forum for any other issues that you would like to discuss.
* The Fund Raising events.
* Answer any questions on upcoming events, incentives, and gather game ideas for a
couple of our fundraisers.
* Form committees and elect a chairperson for these committees
* Offer PTO Membership $3.00 per family
and Calendars with school and local events, $3.00 each
* Draw for door prizes.

For the most part parents are uninformed until we bring things to their attention. We had parents that would call and say their child needed to ride a different bus, I took one of those calls, I informed her that I was sorry she was to late, that school had let out an hour before. This was after Christmas. It's a two way street. We do what we feel is right, what we can to inform them, but the parents have to try also.

[ 07-22-2002: Message edited by: PTOmomof5 ]</p>

I am interested in the "why" of why more parents do not come to meetings. Has anyone taken the trouble to really find out? It almost seems, no offense to anyone, that the same old reasons are always passed around. Does anyone survey the parents to find out likes/dislikes, other approaches, ideas etc.? What about outgoing parents - it seems that they may be in a good position to report on what is good or bad in the organization. Is their "wisdom" ever considered?

I also wonder about presidents and their "agendas". It is the members of the PTO that (should) determine the direction of the PTO.
The president, it seems to me, is elected to facilitate the smooth functioning and day to day business of the PTO. While the president should want to influence the membership, the prez should not be forcing a personal agenda on the membership. The president should appear, and be, impartial.

Maybe, someone should actually listen to the complaints. All members deserve their say and should be taken seriously and treated courteously. It seems that often people are labeled and grouped and thereafter ignored. People need to feel a part of the "team". They need to feel comfortable and that they are important. Maybe an attitude shift, on the part of the PTO, will help. Whose fault is it if someone does not know all the facts? Does that indicate better communication is needed?

I write these things, in part, from personal observation and , in part, to stimulate responses. I find it interesting to listen to past/present presidents and what occurs from their perspective.