Looking to get more support and involvement from your teachers and staff, but you don’t know how? Or afraid of asking in the wrong way?
Read on for the info you need to get teachers involved and acting as ambassadors for your PTO!
Create a Teacher Representative/Liaison position
Make it clear that you welcome and need teacher and staff involvement by carving out a specific teacher PTO leadership position for a teacher rep in your parent group!
By having this position, you are directly signaling to the staff that you want their input and support.
Every PTO needs to have a teacher or staff position who is responsible for providing a report of what is going on in the school and also can act as a go-between for parent volunteers and staff.
This is crucial to getting the staff on board as part of the PTO team.
Go to Staff Meetings
Talk with your principal and see if they are willing to let you, or another PTO leader, come to staff meetings at least once a month.
You don’t necessarily have to make a presentation at the meeting, but it is super helpful for staff members to know who the PTO leaders are and have an easy way to ask questions.
And it couldn’t be easier if you’re there in person to field questions.
Once staff are equipped with information, they can help spread the word!
Add them to your email list newsletter list
Make sure to add all staff members to the same email list or newsletter list so that teachers can stay in the loop.
If you only send home fliers, make an extra one for all staff members.
Again, make it easy for them to stay in the know about PTO happenings.
Make specific asks
Instead of just sending home flyers with information and hoping teachers will share it with parents, make a specific ask of the teacher to include it in their class newsletters or websites, or emails to class parents.
The ask doesn’t have to be verbal! Write a little note on the flier to the teacher and tell them how they can help.
Also, if you need teacher volunteers at an event, don’t put out a blanket request and hope someone will step up.
Instead, specifically ask a teacher.
But make sure to keep in mind that teachers have lives and responsibilities outside of their job so they may not be able to help.
The best type of support the teachers can provide often and consistently is to help parents know what’s going on with PTO and help encourage their involvement.
Communicate early and often
Don’t wait until the last minute to let teachers know about an event.
Right after details have been finalized, send an email to staff or ask that the principal make an announcement about it at the next staff meeting.
When people have enough notice, they can work in communications to their parents as their schedule permits.
Plus, they won’t be irritated by last minute requests and will be more likely to help!
Also, don’t send mile long emails.
Get to the point, quick!
Give the essential details (who, what, where, when) in all communications with teachers.
Teachers get a ton, and I mean a TON, of emails.
They really do want to know what’s going on with PTO stuff, but they need the details quickly.
Short, concise and clear emails are sure to get read and acted on.
Look for big and small ways for teachers to be involved
A great way to foster a good relationship with your teachers is to get them involved in many ways, whether it be on a small level (reminding parents to come to the next PTO meeting) or on a big level (helping to staff a booth at the PTO Carnival).
Watch this!
Over to you!
What other techniques have you used to get your teachers and staff involved in PTO?
Resources You’ll Love
Wish you had a real training manual for your parent group role?
The Powered Up Parent Engagement System is something your Principal can provide for your entire parent group, and it’s been built specifically for volunteers just like you.
Every leadership role gets its own toolkit: templates, training, and step-by-step guidance so you’re not stuck guessing or making do with whatever the last person left behind.
If you’ve ever wished someone had just handed your PTA/PTO you a clear playbook, this is it, and it’s something your school can give your whole team.
It might be worth mentioning to your Principal, especially if your group could use more structure or support. Show them the Powered Up Parent Engagement System →
Being PTO or PTA President doesn’t come with a manual. That’s basically why I built the President’s Success Kit.
It’s the actual binder, planner, and meeting agenda templates I wish I’d had my first term as President… plus an insider secrets guide covering the stuff nobody tells you until you’ve already made the mistake.
Everything’s ready to print or load into your favorite planner app, so you’re not building your own system from scratch at 11pm the night before a meeting.
Grab the President’s Success Kit and make this the term everyone wonders how you’re so on top of it!
Meetings don’t have to be the thing everyone dreads.
Stop wasting an hour on a meeting that could’ve taken twenty minutes.
The Meeting Success Kit hands you the agenda template, the invitation flyer, and the actual step by step for running the thing (so you’re not winging it in front of a room of parents).
Say goodbye to meeting dread and hello to a room that shows up… and leaves on time.
Grab it now and reclaim your time!
