Nationally, PTA has not been a strong supporter of public school choice. The remainder have chosen to go or remain independent. Published : June 10, Category : Charters in the News. We see the same thing now in AARP, which is facing a revolt by its members.
Holly Sounds like there's more accountability with PTA. Also sounds like PTO's eventually mess up the overall school budget with their independent purchases. No real advocacy for children in that regard. I'd like tp put in a request to have my personal budget messed up in that way. Dee As a long time PTA member at the unit, council, and state level it is amusing to see the nasty comments about one or the other.
If we are all parents concerned about the future of America's youth We should all be working for the same cause We should all gang up on the parents who are not involved at all instead of sniping over whether a PTA or a PTO is "better".
It depends on the needs of your school and is and should remain an independent decision based on the facts that are relevant to your building. Be peaceful and good role models for your children. Recently, I helped to organize a PTO at my own son's school. I agree with the folks who have said that in this country, isn't it great to have a choice?
There are difference between PTO and PTA and each group can determine which is best for its own members and the school. Most importantly, these are two type of organizations that share an interest in our kids. Get off the sniping and focus on why they both exist.
I really don't understand the need of a PTO. Without sending money to a national organization for children's rights, there will be no legislation. This is a tragedy. The movie industry did not do that on their own, it was the national level of parents joining together to fight a major cause for all benefit from. Only thinking of a school wanting all the money is so sad when there are larger issues for children needs.
What happened to the PTA's fight for seat belts on school buses. PTA you get the best of both worlds. Major safety changes for America's kids and money for the individual school. Sherry My children attended a private school for the last 12 years where only the PTO was available, my youngest is now in a public school where a PTA is used. I personally think both are good and parents and teachers will only get out of what they are willing to put in it.
That being said, does anyone know how often they are to be audited? Mary I will say that after a year of being involved in our kids' elementary school's PTA, what I have seen scares me. PTA at our school seems to attract these self-proclaimed "messiah" types who verbally abuse volunteers and officers and bully them, all while pushing some agenda of their own -- or perhaps that of the principal.
I say if the PTOs require adults to act like adults -- i. Cliques went out in high school. We all grew up, or didn't we? Just because a national organization doesn't have its sticky fingers in the local school's money put there by the tax-paying PARENTS, so what. Your volunteers will continue to grow in numbers. After all, that's part of what keeps volunteers coming back However, that involvement needs to go beyond a single organization.
Jtest01 This was incredibly informative. Rick Well, I am ashamed! I have been an active member of my sons' elementary school PTO for six years. I never once stopped to consider what those dues were buying me and more importantly my kids. I feel as though I and the leadership of my kids' PTO have been short sighted here. For an additional five bucks, we can be supporting the wonderful work national PTA does in the areas of child protection and advocacy.
I for one will strongly urge my school to make the change to a PTA. Rockne Hi Rick -- Saw your comment. For the record, what you mention is basically what I've always said about PTA. I think that parents who both support the PTA and choose to personally make the PTA one of their causes should do that directly.
From what I've seen, very few are taking that option, but I think it's good that that option is there. That's a good fit for some groups. And not a good fit for others. I've never heard a parent group member of any stripe say that he or she is "ashamed" of volunteering for kids and schools in any form. That certainly seems like a major reach. That's where the money is that is essential to USA's educational efforts!
No other organization has representatives advocating for children's education at the National Level. And the National PTA does it for so little! Show you care for ALL children who will be your chidlren's future friends, neighbors and co-workers And your caregivers when your old. Margaret I like the idea of PTO because I don't like to give money to groups that lobby positions I don't agree with at all. I found this on both the state and national level and have stopped joining the PTA.
I give the money directly to the teacher to help other kids with their needs. I don't want to support lobbyists, period. I don't want the PTA lobbying for movie ratings, or music ratings, or what have you.
I don't want to support a political agenda, one way or the other. How wrong is that?? So, PTA has my membership, but only under duress. Tina I've been at schools that had both forms of organization. Personally, I prefer a PTA. Both schools were in relatively affluent areas of their respective states with plenty of at-home parents to get involved.
I think the difference really stemmed from the PTA's ability to collaborate and get ideas from other PTAs and from the state and national levels. The PTO felt much more isolated, and you had no idea what other PTOs in the area were doing unless your child happened to know a child at the other school and you asked the parent, who happened to be involved.
That's a lot of "ifs. Tina continued The PTO was run about as efficiently as my homeowners' association, also an independent c 3.
Things got done, but not with the same level of turnout or parental involvement as with our PTA. Our PTO did some activities, but quite honestly, it just felt "bush league. Rockne Hi Tina - Good feedback. Glad your PTA experience went so well. It's been much more about the habits and people at the local level than it's been about the acronym or affiliation.
In looking for ways to increase this, we visited the PTA's website and found their pros of membership. Better yet, participating in such activities only serves to enrich the educational experiences that children gain in the classroom. Every parent wants the best for their child in the classroom, and PTO involvement can help parents make noticeable, long-term improvements on behalf of their child and many others. Seeing a parent in the classroom affirms this, and both sides benefit from a mutual understanding throughout the educational process.
Socializing with other parents in the district via PTO involvement helps parents overcome these questions and concerns, and lets them relate to others who either share their concerns or have a reassuring answer to share.
Studies have shown that kids with more involved parents are less likely to act out in the classroom. The PTO is also a wonderful resource for community outreach and support. It can organize parties to fill backpacks with school supplies before school starts, giving trees during the holidays, or weekend snack packs of non-perishable food items for students who receive free or reduced-priced meals during the week.
A giving tree organized by the PTO, in particular, allows all parents to help give back to the school community. Each winter, I grab a few tags from our school's giving tree that request particular items for families each year, and then I go with my son to shop and fill the requests. Not every parent has the time or energy to be part of the PTO, and that's fine—a group that's too big can get bogged down.
But parental involvement is important to student success. Check in with your PTO members at the beginning of the school year to create a plan for giving other parents the tools they need to help their students with homework and classroom routines.
Then check in to see how well it's working as the school year goes on so you can make adjustments to keep everyone informed and involved. A parent teacher organization works best when everyone has a clear idea of what goals they're working toward. Set your school's PTO up for success by providing specific projects to focus on and keeping lines of communication open during monthly meetings and through e-mail between meetings.
These steps will make working together easy, enjoyable, and productive.
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