Hi Im the president of the pco. Im new to all this and as president I still dont know what my duties are. Me and the vice president do mostly all the work. I dont know what else to do to get these parents involved or to the meetings. Can someone give me advice on how to run these meetings?

I hear you that's my biggest issue right now. We have a small school (about 300 kids K-5) and this is my 3rd year on PTO and my 1st full one as president and it's so hard to get parents involved. Do you do a newsletter or have something on the school's website? That could be a start...

If you're unclear of your duties, then your parents may be unclear as to the purpose of your group.

Do you have clearly defined goals for your group? If not, start there. Figure out what your group wants to accomplish for your school. Do you want to raise funds for specific programs? Do you want to have a program for volunteers in the classroom? Do you want to hold events to bring families to the school?

Once you have goals and programs/events you would like to establish then set up committees and/or officer positions to handle coordinating and seeing those programs/events through. Now communicate what you want to do to your parents. Send out a newsletter that lets them know what areas need help and give them contact names and numbers and schedule a meeting for anyone interested in being a chair or committee member.

Make it easy for parents to be at the meetings: have babysitting for the children, try to do it on a night and time that is convenient for most of your parents(not an easy task, I know), have an agenda for your meeting, and try to keep it to one hour or less.

Keep communicating with your parents on a regular basis. Send out a monthly newsletter: include an abbreviated version of your agenda for the next meeting so parents can see what topics will be discussed, brag up successes, let parents know where the money from the fundraisers is spent, thank volunteers, add fun tips for new parents, anything you can think of that gets parents interested and lets them know what your group is doing in the school and where they can be involved.

It can be hard sometimes to reach parents and every school seems to have its' own little issues. If you're at the school at drop off/pick up times don't hestitate to strike up conversations with other parents who are there. Introduce yourself, chat them up, ask them what things they expect from your group and let them know that you want and need them to be involved.

Don't give up!!

I'm having the problem finding new leadership in that I find great parents to help but.... they are going to school for their bachelors or masters degrees and can't help out.

It's a new audience out there these days. Parents are working, parenting AND going to school.

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You know, the economy may begin to affect parent groups in more ways than fundraising. As families begin to struggle financially, you may see those stay-at-home parents heading back to jobs or school and the parents who are lucky enough to still have jobs may be working longer hours or heading to school to improve their chances at keeping or getting a better job. That leaves fewer people with less time to be involved in the schools. Parent groups may have to rethink the programs and events that they offer and the volunteer requirements needed to pull those programs/events off.

Some thoughts that come to mind in the volunteer area: switch to utilizing middle school and high school students, reach out to community service organizations and senior/retired groups, do more joint events with other schools in your community.

You know, the economy may begin to affect parent groups in more ways than fundraising. As families begin to struggle financially, you may see those stay-at-home parents heading back to jobs or school and the parents who are lucky enough to still have jobs may be working longer hours or heading to school to improve their chances at keeping or getting a better job. That leaves fewer people with less time to be involved in the schools. Parent groups may have to rethink the programs and events that they offer and the volunteer requirements needed to pull those programs/events off.

Some thoughts that come to mind in the volunteer area: switch to utilizing middle school and high school students, reach out to community service organizations and senior/retired groups, do more joint events with other schools in your community.
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We've been seeing this alot. For the past three years, we had at least three moms who spent every single school day in the school doing whatever was needed. All were SAHM who had no intentions of working outside the home. This past year, all of them had to get jobs when their husbands were laid off or hours were cut, etc.
We were averaging about 500 volunteer hours a month, without those moms, and it's more like 300 this year. That's a HUGE difference.
I've been lucky and had good response from our high school's Key Club and National Honor Society. I've used them for book fair, help at our dance, childcare at meetings, etc.

As far as getting people to meeting, all I can tell you is good luck. I've been doing this for six years, tried every trick mentioned on this board and we still don't have anyone coming to the meetings. I ask parents directly, keep inviting folks, put it in newsletters, post signs, moved dates and times, have childcare, served dinner, served refreshments, have drawings for really cool prizes, halved the number of meetings, sign up sheets for teachers, do surveys, ask opinions, impliment some of those ideas, meetings never run more than 45 minutes-except the first of the year is about an hour, and STILL, we get our four board members and *maybe* two parents and one teacher from one school. It's frustrating, sad, disappointing and infuriating at times. Sorry to not be positive about it but I just don't get it and probably never will. :confused: I guess if the parents who actually participate in our fundraising are ok with four people deciding how the money is spent, then I should be ok with it also. It does lead to burn out though.[/FONT]