I send out a wish list after we approve the budget for Teachers Request. We budget 1500.00 and I send them a wish list they can mark off and also I send them a letter letting them know the PTO has issued this money of them. I also, with the help of our Principal set up a teachers schedul for PTO meetings. Every month we have at least 4 teachers show up. The outcome is great this year. WE only keep our meetings to 1 hr. and I have a set agenda I send home 2 days before the meeting and I do stick to it.
As far as the PTO funding wish list items, we didn't do that. Teachers could come to us with specific requests and some years we did stipend for each teacher for supplies (like $50).
However the PTO used to publish a Teacher Wish List and send home to parents asking them to donate items. We had about 30-35 classes and could fit it on one piece of paper (front/back). It looked something like a calendar with rows of large squares. Each row was a grade and then each block had a teacher name and 5 or 6 bullets under it of wishlist items. The last row or two were specialty areas so included PE, art, music, library, special ed, etc.
We'd send the teacher a form with about 20 regularly requested items and ask them to check a certain number and they could also write in their own.
Common ones were always: markers, colored copy paper, post its, craft supplies, books, snacks,etc. Sometimes they'd list something really specific like a certain CD, book, or magazine subscription, a bean bag chair, or extra fan.
It was really popular. We'd encourage parents to look at the whole list, not just their child's class. Some folks are happy to buy a few odds and ends. Others may have extra supplies or items sitting around they'd like to get rid of. This made an easy way to contribute and they could take the tax deduction.
We did a wish list in our first year. We spent about $125 on each of 27 classrooms.
In the years since, we have run a classroom grant program. The only stipulations are that the teachers or teacher rep, if for an entire grade level, must make their request in person at a monthly meeting. The money can not be used for "consumables", other than paying for field trip treansportation. We have purchased a wwriting curriculum, science equipment, chess club t-shirts, etc over the past two years.
We don't advertise that we have this money available, other than through word-of-mouth from us to the staff.
The teacher allotments amount to about $5000 a year. We also pay for some assemblies, family events and special events for the kids, and purchase some other items the school may need(which can vary year by year).
What else do you all spend your money on? Are those allotments fairly generous, so as to take up all allocations, or do you spend your money on other things too?
We give our teachers an allotment each year and we also do a wish list program. We have the teachers put together a list by grade level of common supplies needed in the classroom and then we send the list with a letter home to parents asking if they would be able to supply some of the items.
