I'm going to pretty much echo alot of what has already been said. While the "T" in PTO does stand for "teacher" I really believe they already do their part by getting the word out to students and their families, collecting money for the fundraisers etc. And I can honestly say that in the instances when we have asked for their help with something specific I have yet to have a teacher say no. The demand on the teachers is so great right now with the laws and demands of what they are required to teach, how it needs to be taught and getting test scores up. If you were to give me a choice of what I want my childs teacher to do...help the PTO or give my child the very best education possible my choice is simple.
I am happy to do a little (OR ALOT) extra to support these wonderful teachers!
Our teachers help "get the word out" on events, send flyers home in backpacks for us and we usually get a couple of teachers at each meeting for different opinions and ideas.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it" - Ferris Bueller
We typically have about 12 attendees at each PTO meeting. Of those 3 are teachers. These three ladies are wonderful! One runs the Safety Patrol and the other two collect items year round for our Carnival/Raffle night.
When our recent Carnival made more than we had hoped, our teacher reps went to the other teachers and asked for wish lists. They then compiled them into a Top 5. The PTO was happy to be able to grant all 5 of those wishes, from extra field trip money to play ground equipment to 12 new combination DVD/VCR players (that one is spread out over 3 years, 4 each year).
So because we have strong participation from the techers we are more than happy to grant their special wishes, when possible. It's give AND take, not just take.
In the past, our teachers haven't been that involved either. They come to a meeting once in a while but only stay for 15 minutes. I'm the president for next year and am holding out hope since my VP is a teacher's aide and maybe she'll have some pull with the teachers.
It would be nice if they helped but we're still going to do things for the kids.
Our teachers attend 2 events per year at Barnes and Noble. They sign up for a 20 minute time slot and read their favorite story for the kids. Some of them team up and do a little skit. It draws in the kids; which is great for sales. They also staff the games at our annual Fun Fair event in February. Teachers also help us with ideas for assembly programs for the kids & make the time during the day to bring the kids down for our bagel sales, book sale & holiday sale. They cooperate with us & are involved quite a bit throughout the year and we express our thanks via Teacher Appreciation Week, luncheons & our mini grant program.
Making a positive difference one project at a time <img src=images/smilies/smile.gif>
CC provides great tips and info. Our teacher participtation is pretty much the same as what she describes except that we don't have reps on our board. We do typically have at least 3-4 teachers at every meeting. A couple because they also have children in the school, but there are many others who attend at least a couple of times a year.
Having teachers involved in your group can be a wonderful asset. The views and knowledge they bring can be invaluable in helping your group make decisions on programs and events, because they know what will and won't work from a classroom standpoint and they know the parent base of the school.
One must remember though that teachers have lives outside the school and your group's meetings and events may not work with their own personal schedules.
Have you tried a teacher survey? I know I have seen samples on this site. It could give you some insight on why teachers may not be as active in your group, what they expect from your group, and what they are willing and able to do to help your group in its' mission within the school.
