Hi I'm new to this forum. Having lived in the Dallas area all my life I had never heard of a PTO until my family and I moved out of state for a while. Now we have moved back and I would like to have a PTO in place of the PTA at our school. How can I go about changing that? I mean where do I start? Do I bring it up at a PTA meeting? Do I try to generate intrest with flyers or meetings? Has anyone else started a movement to PTO from PTA? Any advice will be helpful. Thanks.

Hi penteco -

As a matter of fact, we have heard of that.
Roughly 75% of the K-8 parent g roups in the country are now independent of the PTA, so what you're thinking is not unusual at all.

Try doing some reading here:

http://www.ptotoday.com/ptovpta.html

...as a start. I think you want to get educated and then talk informally among the various leaders of your local group. If there's interest then, then it's time to look into more formal parts of the process.

One bit of homework? Find out how many members were officially in your PTA last year. From there you can figure out what your group is sending out in dues to council, state and national PTAs. You'll need that number if you do a cost-benefit analysis.

Tim

OK...Why? If the PTA is working, why change? If the PTA is not working, will the change help?
Identify your concerns first.

Then you can ask to address the PTA with your proposal. Then if more people agree with you the PTA can get information out on both PTA and PTO and the membership can decide.

Find out how many members were officially in your PTA last year. From there you can figure out what your group is sending out in dues to council, state and national PTAs. You'll need that number if you do a cost-benefit analysis.
Yes Tim; and in order to do a true cost/benifit analysis; figure in the "cost" of the training opportunities, resources, and programs offered by PTA.
And figure the benifit analysis of the work PTA does on NCLBA, IDEA, rescuing recess, healthy lifestyles, and in your state legislature.

Count ALL costs and ALL benifits.

Roughly 75% of the K-8 parent g roups in the country are now independent of the PTA, so what you're thinking is not unusual at all. Hi Tim;
While 75% of K-8 schools are not affiliated with the National PTA, that does not mean that they chose to leave PTA!
And remember that the 75% figure included some schools that have No formal parent group at all.

Originally posted by SAFin RI:
If the PTA is working, why change? Well, if you think it could work just as well without spending $1200 or $1400 in dues, that would be a pretty good reason.


If the PTA is not working, will the change help?At the very least, you'd be up $1,000. If there was no change, you'd still have a disfunctional group, but you'd have an extra $1,000 with which to help your school. If it did work, even better. The original poster never said things weren't working, just that -- after experiencing a PTA and a PTO -- she believes that PTO is the better option for her school. Sounds like an informed opinion.

Tim

I do not want my money going to support political lobbyists. 100 years ago most folks did not have the level of access to communication lines that we now have. We don't need representation on a national level in that capacity. I don't need some group taking money away from my school to grease campaign funds for their agenda. Here in Texas we've been seeing problems with school funding. I want to see changes that are more central to local control over those funds. In my experience with talking to many parents I find that they suffer from the "Herd" mentality; they all follow but no one wonders why. Where is all the money going we are giving? Why are our kids taught to be "door to door salesmen" 8 times per year? And many more questions like these. Heck I can't tell you how many parent members of the PTA are unaware that there is a national level beyond the local level.

No one seems to ask questions anymore. They all presume that the other guy has their back. I didn't know until a few years ago that the PTA money didn't all go to the school. Why should it go to some national organization that does not have my school's best interests in mind?

That is my problem. I'm tired of hearing the educators complain about lack of funds and knowing tat the PTA is giving my money to somone I've never met and do not support. Every penny counts, whether the school has 250 kids or 2500 kids.