This article is part of the following categories:
Committees
President
Secretary
Treasurer
Vice President
Volunteer Coordinator
16 Tips for Executive Board Members
What you should know about representing your parent group in the community, tips for working with school support staff, and secrets for a successful transition.
5 Things You Should Know About Representing Your PTO in the Community
- Always introduce yourself.
- Don’t speak on behalf of the school. You might have a great rapport with the principal, but you are not an official representative. Refer school questions to the principal; they are not PTO business.
- Don’t share your personal opinions on issues. When you are in your official role, speak on behalf of the PTO as a whole.
- Be polite.
- Give credit where credit is due.
4 Essential Tips for Working With School Support Staff
- Introduce yourself. It will be easier to ask the custodian, secretary, school aide, and audiovisual technician for help later if you introduce yourself today.
- Learn their names—and call them by name.
- Respect their school jobs. Remember that their primary responsibility is to the school. They are not there to do PTO grunt work. If you need substantial help from school staff, clear it with the principal first.
- Include them in staff appreciation events.
7 Secrets for Transitioning Your Office
- Clean out and organize your old files.
- Then hand over the files.
- Train your successor side by side.
- Introduce her around the school.
- Share your best advice (and worst experiences) about the job.
- Be accessible in the new year.
- But don’t hover; it’s her job now.





Posted by anne carmody on Mar. 10, 2008
Posted by Craig Bystrynski on Mar. 10, 2008
Posted by JC on Mar. 18, 2008
Posted by Lynn on May. 06, 2008
Posted by Michelle on Jun. 18, 2008
Posted by Patty on Jul. 23, 2008
Posted by Craig Bystrynski from PTO Today on Jul. 23, 2008