March 2008

Podcasts

Parents at two Dallas schools who can't make it to PTA meetings can download podcasts of the proceedings. Highland Park Middle School and McCulloch Intermediate School share a building and hold joint PTA meetings. Group leaders also post meeting agendas, handouts, and files of presentations given during the meetings.

The parent group at Scarsdale (N.Y.) Middle School podcasts “virtual meetings,” which consist of people reading the reports given by PTA officers and school administrators at a previous gathering.

Blogs

Parent groups are increasingly creating blogs instead of building their own websites or putting pages on a school's site. The Chestnut Elementary PTA in Painesville, Ohio, uses a blog to post meeting minutes and event notices. The Cesar Chavez Elementary PTO in Madison, Wis., invites parents to ask questions about events and fundraisers on its blog.