One of the biggest challenges of running a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is getting and retaining volunteers. Most school parent groups don’t have enough volunteers and are constantly on the lookout to get answers and the solutions to keep their group afloat with enough helpers. That’s just what we’ll focus on in this blog post....Continue reading
Worried that getting parents to attend your monthly PTO meetings is going to become a challenge? The truth is that most parent groups totally struggle with meeting attendance… for a myriad of reasons. So whether you’re struggling with this issue now or not, at one point, this issue will probably pop of for your group....Continue reading
Does your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) have trouble getting volunteers for events and programs? Do you find that it’s the same 5 or 10 parents pitching in each time and it’s a struggle to get new volunteers? Unfortunately, this is a really common issue facing all volunteer organizations, not just PTA/PTO school parent...Continue reading
Volunteers are the what keep groups like PTAs and PTOs running! Without them, none of the wonderful things parent groups do for their schools would be possible. Forget about the extra assemblies, room parents, playground additions, and volunteer and staff appreciation luncheons! While not impossible to achieve all of those wonderful extras to the...Continue reading
Times are not normal and the fallout can be felt on all different levels of life right now. What 15 months ago seemed like a certainty is now up in the air. So it makes sense to wonder how to address some of the uncertainty of the upcoming school year. This post will cover ideas...Continue reading
The easiest way to get new members for your PTA or PTO is to set up a Membership Table. But knowing what is best to have on the table in order to attract new parents to first come over and second, actually join isn’t always clear. This post will walk you through what’s involved with...Continue reading
The one question that I hear all the time is how in the heck to get parents involved? Now to you, being the fearless PTO leader you are, this is an honest question. You really want to know what to do to bring more parents in to be actively involved. Because for you,...Continue reading
One of the biggest concerns about putting on a big PTO event is being able to recruit enough volunteers to run the event successfully. Here are some things to take into consideration before you start planning your event! Have a Plan First, make sure you know exactly what you need to put on the...Continue reading
Getting people to first come to your PTO meetings or events, takes one set of strategies. But getting these same parents to come back to volunteers and be part of the PTO time and again, well, that takes an entirely different set of strategies altogether. This post is going to walk you through some of...Continue reading
There are so many different ways to get parents to sign up to help as volunteer for PTO events: All of these methods for getting parents to sign up to volunteer are great options, except for the last one mentioned. If you’re using a program like Sign Up Genius to track volunteers, then you probably...Continue reading
Last week, I started a conversation about PTO Board shirts. Since that post was so fun to put together, I decided to hunt down some sillier options. And now for some T-shirt eye candy for when you’ve had a rough day in PTO Land! Most of these are funny, some are sincere, but all...Continue reading
Ask any PTO what they need and their first answer will be more money, followed shortly by more volunteers. And there’s good reason for both of these answers! While there are over 60,000 PTOs in the United States alone, parent engagement and involvement in groups has shrunken. There are less volunteers doing the work of...Continue reading
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
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
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
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
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