Happy New Year! January brings a fresh month and another set of tasks to get done to stay on track as a leader for your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
This post will highlight the top tasks to address during the month, but isn’t going to be a comprehensive list of everything you could be doing because, of course, every PTO is different.
But generally, you can use this as a guide for the big-level things that you should be taking care of during the month of January.
What To Do as President in January
In January, as a President, you really want to be looking at the rest of the school year and figuring out your big picture game plan.
Check in with the individual officers to make sure they’re on track.
See if they need help and don’t assume everything is good because they haven’t reached out.
Sometimes, people don’t know how to ask for help, so it’s good for you to ask them if they need that help and then either help them personally, or hook them up with another volunteer who can help support them.
Then, you’re going to want to fill any open positions on your PTO’s Executive Board or Committee Chair and then look at starting to plan out for next year.
Now, January is a fantastic time to start planning for the upcoming year because the Fall semester is totally fresh in your brain.
You can figure out what worked and what didn’t work.
Go ahead and use the event planning and summary guides that are in the President’s Success Kit so that you won’t have to start from scratch next year.
Because, believe me, isn’t it funny how we can remember some things so clearly, and then other things vanish out of our heads.
So, I really encourage writing everything down. It makes life so much easier.
As you move through the Spring semester, you’re going to want to discuss with the rest of your Executive Board a mini review of the year so far, noting:
- What worked
- What didn’t work
- What should be repeated?
- What should be ditched?
- What tweaks need to be made?
- How can everything be improved?
And it’s good to fill in your calendar for the following year with the events you want to repeat because no one likes to start with a blank slate.
It makes planning for the future that much easier when you have some of the events and dates penciled in already.
Top resources for Presidents
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Form a Nominating Committee in January
Now is also the time to start thinking about next year in terms of volunteers and leaders for your group.
So, you’re going to want to form a Nominating Committee.
If you’re a PTA, then this is likely a job responsibility to be taken care of by your Vice President of Membership.
If you’re a PTO, you might not have a separate person to do this, but basically, you just want anybody but the President to serve on the committee and be recruiting new leaders.
You’re going to want to reach out to the current volunteers and see who wants to stay on if they’re not term-limited and then ask what, if anything, they want to do.
I always start thinking that they’re not going to do anything and then actually come out and straight up ask what they want to do.
How I word my asks is that I say, “Hey, PTO Rock Star, I’m in charge of the Nominating Committee, and we’re filling out the slate for this following school year and are looking for leaders for next year. What, if anything, are you interested in doing?”
Because that gives someone an instant out.
If they’ve had a change in circumstance or life, like maybe they got a new job or a family member is ill and they need to prioritize how they’re spending their time, then they may not be able to continue as is with their volunteer role.
Asking them in this way, from the position of assuming they don’t want to do anything, gives them a way to gracefully say no without guilt.
You want potential leaders who are wavering to take the easy out when offered because you don’t want someone being guilted into taking a position.
Because a person who feels pressured into serving in a role, won’t perform nearly as well as something who doesn’t feel that same obligation.
And it’s just not the right way to handle things.
Give this article a read for more on how to handle PTO elections.
What To Do As PTO Fundraising Chair in January
Next up is the Fundraising Chair, and you’re going to want to take a look at your budget and maybe talk with the President and the Treasurer and see where you are financially to start the month.
Do you have a budget gap that needs to be filled?
Is there an opportunity that has sprung up that you would like to pay for, being your group
If you need to do an additional fundraiser, then get to it.
You definitely want to be getting that fundraiser done before Spring Break because, in my personal experience, I found that people totally check out after Spring Break.
The end of the school year seems near, and they’re already thinking about why they should support the current school, instead of the school that their kid is going to be attending next year
Just be mindful of your timing for Spring fundraisers.
Top Resource for PTO Fundraising Chairs
Ready to dive more into the work of PTO and school fundraising, but wish you could have a plan of action ready at your fingertips?
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What To Do As PTO Family Programs and Events Chair in January
Finally, for your Family Fun Event or Family Programs Chair, you’re going to want to be lining up volunteers so that you can have fully staffed events.
This means you won’t be running around like a harried, frenzy person.
So, go ahead and look at your programs and events that are coming up and pass around a sign-up sheet at meetings for all of the events left for the rest of the year.
Give an opportunity for people to learn about the events, sign up to help whenever they can, and get all the details about how what’s involved.
Be sure to note on the sign up sheets , how they can volunteer, if they can bring kids or not, and any other details that they’ll need to decide whether or not they can volunteer.
Because really, people need to hear about things well in advance so they can take off work or adjust their schedules or get child care.
If you’re running like a last-minute Lucy about trying to get volunteers, then people just aren’t going to be available.
So, you really need to start recruiting helpers earlier than you think you should.
Watch this!
This video dives into what PTO and PTA leaders should be taking care of during the month of January.
Over to you
And that’s a wrap for what you and your PTO should be doing in January.
The main focus of this month is all about laying the groundwork for a strategic plan that will shape the upcoming semester and set the tone for the following school year
January is like the canvas where PTO leaders get to sketch out a plan for teamwork, involvement, and common goals.
It’s the moment to bring together all the creative brains in your PTO, grab that group energy, and direct it toward fantastic projects and program that’ll really stick with the school community.
This month is all about looking ahead, making smart plans, and building a vibe of togetherness among parents, teachers, and students.
Cheers to a January full of good vibes, teamwork, and the excitement of a super enriching learning adventure for everyone!
Related Reading
Want to know what’s coming up next month? Read all about the tasks to handle each month as a PTO volunteer right here!
