PTO Today

I like that response too. I'm not sure how many of our teachers actually use computers and e-mail, but maybe we can give them a memo and cc it to the principal. In the past we've left it up to the principal to let the teachers in on everything the PTA is doing and that hasn't been successful. Maybe this way will work better.

Thanks for your help and enjoy Harry!

Our PTC is going to try something new this year. Normally in the past we have had a teacher rep however, this past year it was hard to keep one teacher rep all year. So this year we are going to spotlight a grade level at each meeting and then the teachers from that grade level are asked to come to that meeting and there will be a period of time that they will discuss what is going on in their classes and we will even go through their classrooms. I have heard positive things about this. That way we are only asking one night from them a school year! I will let you know how this works if you are interested. Our principal actually presented this at a staff meeting and they were all for it! I hope this helps!

That sounds like a great idea! Besides teachers I think it will help to get more parents involved, if only for a night, then they might come back again.

Please let me know how this works.

We have a teacher liason who comes to every meeting and reports back to the teachers. We try to get them more involved by making them feel special. Throughout the year, we send them treats, have doorprizes, have a wishlist contest where two entries are chosen and they get $50.00 for whatever they wished for as long as it has to do with chldren. At our fundraisers they try to donate things or volunteer. We have a Burger King night and try to get teachers to attend. The kids love to see them. We weren't getting many teachers so after polling them, this year our hours will be earlier. Don't get me wrong, it still is hard to get them involved but hopefully our incentives help.
Motonmom

What do you do when any event held at school requires (per principal) teachers to be there because they are "certified" but teachers do not want to have anything to do with PTO activities outside school hours???

The principal does not seem to excited to have parents attend PTO activities after school. She would rather have things during school without parents.

But the parents ask to have activities such as sock hops, fall festivals, ice cream socials, etc. Last year the PTO had 1 activity parents could attend with their children and that was because the school half sponsored it with the PTO.

Does anyone have any suggestions, I am currently the PTO president and new at this school, inexperienced, with an all new inexperienced board. HELP!!!! We want to have fun and get parents involved, which they want also!!! ColoradoPTOMom where are you I need your input!!!!!

I'm here!!!!! But I'm busy starting up the new school year and getting our PTO thru triage - the previous PTO's have left it in a severe state of deprivation! I do have a few ideas/tricks that are working for us - when I can take a breathe I'll get back on!

While reading these posts I was a little concerned. As a parent of 2 children at our school, a teacher during the day, and a softball coach, travel baseball manager, taxi driver, gymnastics coach, team mom, tutor, etc. at night....I'd like to know exactly what everyone is expecting from teachers. I do attend PTO meetings, try to help out for an hour or so at carnivals, etc., and am on the nominating committee for our new officers. After hours, I have a second job I go to. It's the job of mom (like most of you). I have two very active kids and very little time to myself.
It seems like everyone is very quick to ridicule and criticize what teachers are doing, but have no understanding of our life once we leave those doors. Just because we are teachers doesn't mean that PTO gets to dictate what we do after 3:30.
Maybe I am reading this wrong (and hopefully I am). My life is pretty scheduled as it is, and "forcing" other things on me isn't a way to get anything out of me. Asking me (and understanding the times when I can't help) is going to get you farther.

Wow -- this is really re-starting an old, old thread. But it's an always-important topic.

Here's a column I wrote on this topic:

http://www.ptotoday.com/pto-today-ar...teachers-teach

(Momandteacher -- I think some of my perspective on this one comes from being the son of my own "momandteacher".)

You know "mom and teacher", I've stayed out of this thread, but see how you could feel the way you do after reading some of the posts. I think that many times parents think that it's part of the teacher's job to be involved in everything related to the school and they forget that teachers have lives outside of that building. That is a crucial thing to remember when a parent group plans any event or program for which they want teacher involvment. As a parent who served for many years on the exec. board of parent groups, I will say that having your teachers available to give you feedback at meetings is a huge help in planning school activities and your group's budget. I think it all comes down to working as a team to do what is best for the students in your school. Here are my thoughts:

Keep in mind what the ultimate goal of your parent group is-to make your school a better place for your children.

Parents: Remember that teachers are people just like you. They have families and committments and their own lives outside of the school. Plan your programs and events accordingly and don't get upset when every teacher in the school doesn't get deeply involved in your group. Every parent doesn't get involved either and they have a vested interest in the success of the school-their children.

Teachers: Remember that you are sometimes the BEST source of what is needed in the school and what programs and events will and won't work for your student population. You know the children and their parents. Having a successful parent group means having the best information so you can plan programs/events that will be enjoyed, will educate, and will be successful financially.

All in all it means working TOGETHER to find ways to achieve the things you want in the school.

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Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat.

I am not sure how things are done at the school that you teach at and what the PTO is asking of you.

At our school, we have tried to plan things for evenings and Saturdays because a lot of our students have 2 parent working families or 1 parent families. That being said we have said, (though there is are only 4 parents on the board , 2 of us do work full-time) we are willing to take on the whole responsiblity of running and manning an event. We are not allowed to do things after school hours without teachers being present. Believe me we know that it is your free time and we appreciate that you have other responibilites. We have said it's ok we can do it we don't need the teachers to come or just a hand full maybe and we are told NO. If the teachers can't make it we can not run the event.

So, this may be why you are being asked to do so much extra. The PTO parents may really want or need to run the events and that is the only way it can be done.