School parent groups, namely Parent Teacher Organizations (PTO), come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
And they also range in a number of other ways.
Some have a deep bench of experienced volunteers, ready to take on the work of the group.
Others may need a little (or a lot) support and guidance!
If you’re a Principal or school leader looking to improve your school parent group, it’s important to know exactly where the PTO stands.
Identifying areas to improve on is just as important as highlighting areas that are already working well.
Because your PTO probably isn’t facing on all accounts.
In most cases, there are some aspects of the PTO that are working really well, meaning focus and efforts can be concentrated elsewhere.
This means you won’t have wasted effort and can zero in to helping the group before things get too off track!
Let’s talk about six indicators for whether or not your school parent group—whether it’s a PTA, PTO, or some other name—is healthy or not.
Meeting Regularity
The very first question to ask as a health gauge: is your group having regular PTO meetings?
If not, then that could be a sign of dysfunction and disarray.
The whole point of meetings is to bring people together in the same room to discuss issues and next steps.
Members should meet to discuss what leaders and volunteers should be taking action on, making decisions as a group and making plans for upcoming events and programs.
And so, if you don’t have regular meetings, then that’s one indicator that things are off the rails.
Because if the group isn’t meeting to discuss things, then who is making decisions?
Without meetings, it’s likely a choice few are running the group and calling the shots.
But that’s not how healthy groups should work.
Running a school parent group should really a collaborative effort.
All parents should feel welcome and included in the process.
Event Participation
The next mark of a healthy PTO is well attended events and programs with good participation.
Are more than just the officers and their families coming to the PTO-sponsored events?
Are events being planned in advance, with sufficient notice given to families so all can attend?
The very best programs and events are planned well in advance, not just slapped together the month or weeks before.
Ideally, the group should be crafting a plan the summer before school starts, listing all events and programs for the upcoming year.
This allows for schedule conflicts to be resolved early, sufficient time to make the plans happen and for students and families to know about the plans.
Hastily planned events usually yield small attendance, which can be demoralizing for volunteers.
Financial Management
The next really important thing to look at for the PTO is how the finances are being handled and what level of transparency there is.
Does the group have a budget?
Is there monthly reporting going on?
Is there an annual audit?
Is there financial transparency?
Do you actually know what money your group has in the bank and where it is being spent?
Budgets are absolutely necessary for PTOs.
There’ one of the few absolutely for all school parent groups so that everyone knows how the money is being spent in a big picture way.
PTO budgets reflect the priorities of the group.
If the group is just willy-nilly spending without any consideration for how it’s being spent, then that doesn’t make for a long-term healthy group.
Having a regular audit is also part of financial transparency for the group.
Without an audit, money could go missing.
The absence of an audit makes your group really vulnerable to a bad actor coming in and stealing from the group.
Because this points to a lack of processes and good financial housekeeping.
Don’t discount financial theft or misappropriation as a possibility.
It happens all the time, unfortunately.
Without an audit, patterns of mismanagement aren’t brought to light and PTOs and their school communities suffer.
Relationships
The next indicator of a healthy group is the amount of drama between volunteers and members.
Are the meetings fraught because Becky and Amy cannot get along?
This will only make life miserable for everybody else.
Even if you are the sort of person that enjoys drama, I think your PTO meetings, that’s just not the time for it.
It’s going to drive other people away and make the group uncomfortable.
The PTO will be less likely to get actual work done because everyone will be distracted by the nonsense between Becky and Amy.
And that is going to drive not only the people who are already committed to the group away, but word will spread like a bad virus, and people will stay away from your PTO now and going forward.
And once that bad juju is kind of out there, it’s really hard to overcome.
Reduce the drama whenever you can, get rid of it, discourage it, request that people act professionally, and if they can’t, tell them to step aside.
Communication
The next factor of a health PTO is the level of communication between the volunteers and also the group to the rest of the school community, as well as the school itself.
Communication issues can affect every aspect of the parent group.
If there’s poor communication, then this can leave people feeling out of the loop, making it more difficult for them to volunteer or participate in the PTO’s events and programs.
But if you’re able to improve communication, then that could boost group participation over all, as well as raise fundraising levels and strengthen the group too.
Volunteer Turnover
The last indicator of a healthy PTO is low officer and volunteer turnover.
This isn’t to say that any amount of turn over throughout the school year is a cause for concern.
Sometimes families move out of the school district or transfer to other schools in the area.
The end of the school year usually brings a high volume of officer and leader turnover, so this is also normal.
If volunteer leaders are dropping off like flies throughout the school year and it seems to be unrelated to relocations or school transfers, then this could be a red flag.
Some reasons for high turnover include:
- Volunteers not being clear on “job” expectations
- Volunteers overwhelmed with the actual role responsibilities or time commitment
- Lack of support for volunteers
- Poor group dynamics (aka drama)
- Lackluster training
- Insufficient communication
Or a combination of all of those things!
And these reasons all indicate bigger problems for the PTO that likely won’t resolve themselves naturally.
Note that high volunteer turnover isn’t a red flag on its own.
But when combined with any of the other health indicators highlighted above, it transforms into something to be concerned about.
Now What
If reading this article has put you on notice that the PTO is not as healthy as it could be, then it’s time to get your group some training and some resources!
Most of the issues won’t resolve themselves on their own.
They’ll take some focus and work to resolve, namely with training and resources.
Resources You’ll Love
Transform your school’s parent engagement with the Powered Up Parent Engagement System.Â
This isn’t just a resource bank; it’s a comprehensive, all-in-one platform designed to elevate your PTO, Booster Club, and all parent groups.
Provide your volunteers with the exact tools and training they need, tailored to their specific roles. Â
Watch your parent groups thrive and your school community flourish.
This post has laid out 6 indicators to gauge the health of your school’s PTO.
This is a great start for identifying some top issues that are ripe for attention and support.
But there are even more elements to consider health-wise for all PTOs.
The assessment found inside the Principal’s PTO Partnership Kit, offers just that!
Empower Your School Community: Reinvigorate Your PTO/PTA.
As a Principal, you’re a leader in shaping your school’s future. Is fostering a thriving, engaged parent community a priority?
Post-pandemic, many schools are facing declining parent involvement. Don’t let this trend define your school. Take proactive steps to build a vibrant partnership.
The Principal’s PTO Partnership Kit provides actionable tools to assess your current situation, identify growth opportunities, and implement organizational strategies.
Reconnect with your parents and create a powerful support system.
Get your kit and lead the change today!
Tired of feeling like you’re playing catch-up with your school’s parent group?
Wish you could better leverage it to boost family engagement and strengthen your school community?
The Principal’s Parent Group Playbook is your essential guide to building, improving, or completely transforming a struggling parent-teacher organization into a thriving, effective force.
You know how crucial parent groups are, yet your professional training didn’t cover how to best manage or support them.
You dream of a true partnership with the group, but understanding how they work feels overwhelming, and figuring it all out on your own is simply not an option.
This playbook solves that problem.
It combines a high-level overview of how parent groups operate with engaging activities that reinforce key concepts.
Each chapter ends with actionable strategies you can implement immediately, whether your group is brand new, ready to level up, or in desperate need of a refresh.
This isn’t a dense manual covering every detail of running a parent group—that’s a job for the volunteers themselves.
This book gives you precisely what you need to know, explaining why it matters and empowering you to forge an authentic, powerful partnership that helps your entire school community succeed.
Get your copy of The Principal’s Parent Group Playbook here.
Watch this!
Over to You!
School parent groups like PTOs and PTAs have such a great capacity to do good things for their communities.
But it’s easier to be more effective with a healthy group.
Dysfunctional groups just won’t have the same level of impact, and the individual volunteer’s experiences will suffer.
Knowing what indicators are of concern is something every Principal needs to know to adequately support the group.
With this information in hand, you’ll be better positioned to offer the guidance and resources the group actually needs.
