Raise your hand if you’ve stepped up as a PTO/PTA volunteer, but you’re not clear on what comes next.
You are so not alone, my friend.
That’s exactly how I felt when I started.
If we haven’t yet met, I’m Christina Hidek, attorney turned professional organizer and PTO volunteer nerd.
The truth is that no PTO/PTA volunteer starts out knowing everything they need to.
Everyone needs help at some point.
You deserve advice that’s anything but generic from someone who’s been there and done that, plus tools that slash the workload, and ideas that inspire.
That’s just what you’ll get here!
How to Get Parents to NOT Ignore PTO Events
Look, I know I’m being a little cheeky with the title of this blog post, but in all seriousness, you’re working too hard as a PTO volunteer to have parents ignore PTO events. Â You’re putting in a ton of time to put together wonderful programs and events and it’d be a real shame if…Continue reading
Can You Fire PTO Volunteers?
You’re grateful for all the help that parents devote to all things PTO, but what happen when the volunteer doesn’t do their job? Â And what if the person not doing their job is in charge of something rather important, say managing the finances of your PTO? Â What do you do then? Â You can’t fire volunteers…Continue reading
Super Effective Teacher Communication for PTOs
One of the best ways teachers can support your PTO is to communicate with parents and get encourage students and families to come to PTO sponsored events. Teachers are super busy and have negative time to get everything done. So anytime you want to tell them something, it needs to be done smart and strategically!…Continue reading
How to Get Parents to Show Up for Your PTO Events
Have you ever planned an awesome PTO event and thought you’d have a ton of families show up for the event, but in reality, no one comes? So frustrating! One of the biggest reasons why parents don’t show up to PTO events is that they’re simply not finding out about they event! It’s not like…Continue reading
How to Partner with your Principal
One of the most effective ways to ensure your success as a PTO leader is to develop a good relationship with your Principal. A lot of times the Principal is the gatekeeper when it comes to communicating directly with parents and also for event approval. If you don’t have a good relationship with your Principal,…Continue reading
How Not to Recruit Leaders for Your PTO
There’s something we need to talk about. Something troubling that keeps happening in PTO land. It’s bad. Â Worse that most realize, or else they’d quit doing it. Before I tell you what it is, story time… Â Not so long ago, I was at my child’s school and was chatting with a fellow PTA volunteer…Continue reading
How to Plan a School Family Movie Night
Thinking of hosting a family movie night at your school for your elementary school? There’s a bit more to putting on a successful event than just choosing a date and any ole’ movie and calling it a day. Not much more is involved, but attention to the finer details is important! Choosing the Right Elementary…Continue reading
5 Ridiculously Inexpensive Gifts for PTO Volunteers
Looking for a thoughtful gift for your PTO volunteers and school staff? Â I have exactly what you need right here! Â Many of these ideas come with the bonus of being super affordable. Â Like pretty close to $1 a gift, which means that you can get one for everyone on your list! When…
How to Throw an Eclipse Party for your School
Planning school events as a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is easier when you lean into events that are already happening. Solar eclipse events are a fantastic event for your school parent group to turn into a fun school event. They present both a fun and unique opportunity for PTOs to sponsor educational event! Let’s dive…Continue reading
Quick and Easy Fundraisers for PTAs and PTOs
Need some great ideas for quick and easy fundraisers for your PTA / PTO school parent group? This post if definitely for you! I’ve got some great ideas that’ll make it pretty easy to add some money to your group’s bank account without needing too much lead time or time investment. Sticker and pencil machines…Continue reading
How to Get More PTO Volunteers
Is your PTO struggling with getting enough volunteers? You are not alone! All parent groups struggle with this issue from time to time, unfortunately. Here are some ways you can put an end to this problem. These are the same tactics that I use in my own parent groups to attract and retain volunteers! In…Continue reading
What to do as a New PTO Leader
Soooo…. you’re a newly-elected PTO Officer. Excited? Sweet. Freaked out or overwhelmed? Don’t be. In either case, this is the post for you! I’m going to tell you exactly what you should be doing right now, so no worries.. #1 Relax That’s right! Relax! I remember when I was first elected PTA President, I…Continue reading
Handling Mean Girls as a PTO Volunteer
If you’ve not experienced it yet, then there’ll be a day in your PTO volunteer experience when you come across a school parent who is not nice to you and somehow thinks Heathers was a primer on how to interact with others. So how in the world do you handle this type of person without…Continue reading
Low Cost Events Families will Rave About
Looking for an event to run for your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) or PTA but don’t have a lot of money to pull it off? You’re in luck since it is totally possible to organize an event that students and families will rave about, but at the same time don’t cost a small fortune to…Continue reading
57 Fabulous School Family Fun Night Ideas
Planning out family fun ideas can be overwhelming because there’s the pressure to be creative and put on a truly fabulous event that all will enjoy. The first half of that problem is solved with this huge list of ideas for school family fun event ideas! Â What’s truly fantastic about this collection of PTO…Continue reading
Staff Appreciation Themes They’ll Love!
Planning a teacher appreciation event soon and need ideas for a home-run event that the teachers and staff will absolutely love? Word on the street from some teacher friends I have is that they are soooooooo over apples. One now-retired principal pal of mind actually fake barfed when we were discussing a theme for…Continue reading
How to Recruit Leaders for Your PTO- Easily!
The second half of the school year is normally the time when well organized PTO / PTAs start looking towards planning for the future school year and looking around to see who will be the leaders of the group. And while it’s true that the task of filling the slate of officers for the…Continue reading
The Genius Way to Get Teachers Involved in PTO
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…Continue reading
8 Ways to Recognize Volunteers and Increase Involvement
Volunteers who give of their time or money deserve to be recognized early and often! It’s a great way to foster a positive experience and it leads to greater involvement. After all, when’s the last time you stayed involved when you didn’t feel appreciated? Ummmm… that’s right, you didn’t! Don’t make the same mistake with…Continue reading
5 Reasons Why No One Comes to Your PTO Meetings
Ah, PTO Meetings. Those in the know recognize they’re essential: An hour of discussion and decisions each month to set the group’s course. Despite their importance, PTO meetings can be some of the most poorly attended school functions! Here are five reasons why no one is coming to your PTO meeting and…Continue reading
How to be an Awesome PTO Leader
Over the years, I’ve served in the a bunch of roles in PTA land: President, Fundraising Chair, Family Events Chair, Membership Chair, Staff Appreciation Chair and more. I’m not sharing this to brag, but to show what a relentless volunteer I am and the breadth of my experience. And each of these different leadership positions…Continue reading
