When my oldest started kindergarten last year, I knew I wanted to be a part of that experience and help his school in whatever way I could. I had heard about the PTA and PTO from other mom friends and knew right away that I wanted to join. As a stay-at-home mom, I have the privilege of having a flexible schedule and enough time on my hands to get involved. PTO/PTA seemed like the perfect opportunity to meet other parents and simultaneously help make my children’s school experience even better!
What is a PTO/PTA?
The main difference is a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is part of a national organization, while a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is an independent group. And thanks to portrayals in movies, there’s a PTO/PTA stereotype of pushy mom cliques who guilt trip you into helping with a bake sale. But, don’t let that fool you! Yes, we can throw a mean bake sale, but PTO/PTA is so much more than that. We are responsible for much of the behind the scenes work done at your child’s school.
While each group is different, most are made up of a mix of parents and caregivers, school staff, and administration. A board of volunteer executive members are responsible for creating a budget, brainstorming fun ideas for fundraisers, and figuring out how to help meet the needs of the students with any money they raise.
What does the PTO/PTA do?
My favorite thing that the PTO/PTA does is host fun school events. My local PTO does a big Trunk or Treat event in the fall and a carnival event in the spring. Some events are fundraisers, and some are just to build community, at little or no cost. PTO’s/PTA’s typically partner with local businesses to raise money to support teachers, students, and school initiatives. These new initiatives could include materials/enhancements for the students’ learning environment (new playground equipment, assistance with field trips, and other learning resources/curriculum), for example. Teachers can make requests when they need things too, and the PTO/PTA will try to help. They also organize teacher luncheons and teacher appreciation days throughout the school year.
Benefits of Joining
Children benefit: Being involved and engaged in your child’s school helps them perform. By getting involved, you will also get to play a part in your child’s education. This involvement also means that you get to help make decisions about what goes on at the school.
The school benefits: The PTO/PTA supports the school’s teachers and administration, fostering a supportive environment for learning.
You benefit: Volunteering your time, talents, and energy with the PTA while socializing with other parents is fun and rewarding. In addition, you can develop positive relationships with teachers and staff, allowing them to put a face to the name if you ever need to reach out with questions or concerns.
How to Get Involved
For my local PTO, we ask that you start by attending a meeting. Sometimes we meet right after school pick up and other times we meet at night to try to accommodate different parent schedules.
I remember going to my first PTO meeting feeling a bit intimidated. I worried that I didn’t have enough to offer. I was worried I wouldn’t fit in. Although I have the time to help, my schedule can get crazy with three boys. What if I simply could not help or could not help enough to be a part of the group? Everyone seemed to know each other already. They seemed to know what was going on and I certainly did not. But, I was welcomed with open arms!
If you are not able to attend the meetings, we have other ways you can get involved. For example, we always need volunteers for our events. And we send out a sign-up when doing meals for teachers and staff so those who are interested can help bring food items.
If you are thinking of joining your child’s PTO/PTA, reach out to one of the executive members to find out the best way for you to get involved.
