I agree that the principal and one or two teachers should be able to represent the sschool staff on the whole.
What I did find out at the strategy meeting was that some teachers felt uncomfortable bringing up their ideas at staff meeting. Sometimes the cliques that exist within the staff prevented a teacher from suggesting ideas that were contrary to the majority. The strategy session had 8 parents, 9 teachers and no principal.
The board then met to rank and discuss the issues raised at the meeting with the principal and moved forward on the ones we felt were most important to the entire school community.
I am still getting input from staff so I will update you as I know more.
Would your principal allow you to go to the monthly faculty meeting?
Our pricipal allows me, as PTA pres. or another officer, to attend the first thirty minutes of the monthly faculty meeting. He starts off asking the teachers if there is anything they feel I or PTA should be made aware of. If there is nothing then I leave. What they bring up at the meetings, I take with me to the PTA meeting and we discuss it there as well.
I like the strategy session idea - I've asked for this in the past of our princple who did not find it necessary. He feels that the teachers and him that are on the board should be able to represent the whole. I somewhat agree, but the more people in that type of meeting, the more we'll find out. So, here I still am, wondering how to close the gap.
What are others doing to close the communication gap between teachers and families? What are your biggest issues?
Our school is has just completed it's 3rd year. Our teachers and staff are very involved, but sadly do not come to PTO meetings. I am taking over as president again next year (a position I held during our first year) and spoke with the staff last week about this issue.
Our bylaws state that the principal and one teacher must sit on our board. I asked each grade level to committ to sending a representitive to next years general meeting. My request was well received and I have since received several comments for the staff that they really didn't feel or know they were welcomed at these meeting. While they are very appreciative of our PTO's efforts (we run over $200,000 a year through our PTO) they really have come to think of us as a PARENT'S CLUB .
Since my invitation to become more involved I held a strategy meeting and had 9 teachers show up (I only invited 6). They are very excited about next year and are looking forward to using the PTO to help them in ways we, as parents, would never have thought of alone.
It appears that it only took a formal invitation and showing genuine interest in the teacher's ideas and goals to get ours more involved.
Now the challenge will be to keep everyone motivated after returning from summer break!
Yes, we have a monthly newsletter. It's previously been an update on fundraising, what family events are going on, a review and photos from events that just happened and a section on community news that highlights things in the community. We do a "staff profile" each month as well that is a Q&A with a different staff member each month, which has received great feedback from the kids, parents and staff. I think a Teachers Corner would be a great addition next year!!
Do you have a monthly newsletter? Our PTA puts out a monthly newsletter, in there all teachers have an opportunity to write a little something about whats happening in their classrooms or voice any concerns they may have.
At any given point if there is something that they feel needs to be addressed and they don't want to do it, well then its up to me or our principal to bring it up in our reports in the newsletters. This system works extremely well for us.
Newsletters are a very powerful tool,parents may not have time to attend meetings but they do make the time to read the newsletters.
