How To Archive

Step-by-step instructions and tips on key PTO and PTA topics, including fundraisers, budgets and bylaws, playgrounds, and more. Find more resources and articles in the Topics A-Z.

Earn Rewards When Buying Back-to-School Supplies With TeacherLists
Parent groups can help teachers earn rewards through top national retailer rewards programs by using TeacherLists to buy back-to-school supplies. (Your PTO can earn rewards, too!)
School Fundraising in the Coronavirus Pandemic
Yes, you can still hold a fundraiser even if your school is virtual. Check our 13 great ideas.
How To Book a Guest Speaker for Your Next School Program
Thinking of bringing in a speaker or enrichment program for your next school assembly? Start by asking a potential guest speaker these questions.
How To Make a Balloon Arch
Are you thinking of making a DIY balloon arch for your school parent group’s special event? We have tips from leaders who have done it—and have the photos to prove it—to help you learn how to make a balloon arch, too.
PTO Leaders Cheat Sheet
Real leaders’ questions about parent involvement, bylaws, and more, with the advice, information, and tools you need.
10 Tips for Taking Better Photos of School Events
Photos are a great way to generate interest in your school and group events. Our tips can help you take photos that pop.
How To Make a School Supply Cake
A school supply cake makes a great Teacher Appreciation gift. Follow along with our video and instructions to make one yourself.
How To Do a School Holiday Shop Yourself
If your PTO has enough time, strong organization, and enthusiastic volunteers, a do-it-yourself holiday shop event can be a success!
How To Run a School Readathon

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Tips and tools for putting together a readathon or other educational fundraiser.
How To Get Local Media Coverage for Your PTO or PTA
Having your parent group events and achievements covered in the local media can benefit your group in several ways. Here's what you need to know.
How To Write a Winning Contest Entry
Read these commonsense tips and reminders before you spend time writing your parent group’s entry.
How To Prioritize PTO and PTA Involvement
Why parent involvement matters—and how your group can make it a priority.
How To Hold a Successful Restaurant Fundraiser
Restaurant fundraisers are a relatively easy way to raise money for your group. They’re also great for building community.
How To Be an Effective PTO or PTA Volunteer Coordinator
A well-run volunteer program comes down to organization and communication.
How To Make a Gift Basket
Step-by-step instructions on how to make a gift basket for parent group auction events, plus clever theme suggestions for school auction baskets.
How To Give an Awesome Back-to-School Speech
Communicate with parents about your parent group and the importance of involvement! Use our video, sample script, and tips to deliver a speech that will make a lasting impression.
How To Close Out Your Financial Year
A few must-dos to wrap up your finances and close out the PTO or PTA books for the year.
How To Run a School Store
Creating a PTO Mission Statement in a Few Easy Steps
How To Do a PTO Duct Tape Fundraiser
Everything you need to hold this fun and popular fundraiser: step-by-step video, detailed instructions and photos, and more.
How To Set Up Musical Cakes
A rundown of the basic steps needed to organize and execute a successful musical cakes activity at your next PTO event.
PTO Officer Transition: Making It Work for the New Folks
School’s ending and that means transitions for kids, parents, teachers—and PTO leaders. For many new leaders, it can be a scary time if there’s no transition strategy to bring them up to speed.
How To Plan a School Field Day
Tips for organizing and running a day of outdoor play, with involvement from parents and teachers.
PTO How-To: Make Committees More Effective
Best practices to help your committees run themselves, efficiently and without conflict.
My Tip of the Week: Dealing With Difficult People
One of the most popular search terms on ptotoday.com -- all year round -- is "dealing with difficult people." Whether it's the folks who always complain about what the parent group does but never seem to step up to help, or the ones who are willing to give their time but make everyone else's life miserable in the process, these difficult people cause a lot of headaches among the leaders we talk to.
How To Run a Successful Family Night
Make your School Family Night a hit with these planning tips, ideas for themes, and more.
How To Run a PTO Garage Sale
Valuable step-by-step tips and advice for a smooth, profitable PTO or PTA garage sale.
How To Be a Successful PTO President
Tips and advice for new PTO and PTA presidents.
Weekly Q: How Do We Handle a Difficult PTO President?
We have a president but he doesn't seem to care if the group has a different idea about how to make things for events. It's really his way or the highway. We have a good group of people that I don't want to get discouraged about being on the PTO. We need these people.
My Tip of the Week: Make Your School Food Drive Even Better This Fall
Are you involved in any kind of hunger-fighting work this fall? If you are, please take a second and connect your school with Schools Fight Hunger and the Fall 2011 Child Hunger Ends Here campaign. It's completely free for schools and PTOs and PTA.
Get Your PTO Up and Running
Follow this road map for how to create a successful PTO or PTA. We outline key steps to success, beyond the organizational basics.
7 Tips To Get Your Playground Ready for Spring
As the weather starts warming up, make sure your playground is safe for students with this simple checklist.
Best Practices for Your PTO's Facebook Page
Creating a Facebook page can be a great way to keep in touch with parents and build community. Use these guidelines to set up a successful Facebook page for your group.
How To Take Meeting Minutes
What to write down and what not to, plus tips to make the job easier.
How To Choose a Fundraiser
There’s more to fundraising strategy than finding the biggest profit. Here’s what you need to know to pick a program that’s right for your group.
How To Choose a Fundraising Company
When it comes to fundraisers, one size doesn’t fit all. Finding a vendor that will help meet your school’s specific needs and goals is key.
How To Use Twitter To Build Parent Involvement
Did you know that by the end of last year approximately 18 million people were using Twitter? Many schools have jumped on the bandwagon and are successfully using Twitter to get the word out about school events and get quick feedback on issues. On a personal level, it's a great way to stay on top of news and trends that matter to you -- like parenting.
My Tip of the Week: Read Your Bylaws
My Tip of the Week: Support Your Teachers During Parent Teacher Conferences
How To Write PTO Bylaws
Straightforward guidelines to help you write bylaws for your PTO or PTA.
How To Write a Press Release
Get more publicity for your next event with these simple steps for contacting the media.
Switching From PTA to PTO
Key steps if your group is planning to change from a PTA to an independent PTO.
How To Start a PTO
Step-by-step tips for getting a new parent group up and running at your school.
Are Men Getting More Involved?
Yeah, I think so. I certainly feel a bit less unique these days as a dad in the PTO and PTA world. And this story from the Chicago Trib adds some more color to the dad involvement issue.
Stop the PTO Drama, please....
This recent column of mine on diffusing PTO drama has been garnering a lot of feedback, so I thought I'd highlight here in the blog, as well. Seems to have struck a chord with many.
Tim's Update on the New PTO Today Community
Learn how to get the most out of our site, connect with other PTO and PTA leaders, get personalized tips, and receive special product offers for your group... Watch Tim's latest video blog.
Video Tutorial: How To Increase PTO Meeting Attendance
Tim answers the Question: how do you increase PTO or PTA meeting attendance? He also provides some tips on parent involvement.
Video Tutorial: Who Is the Boss of Your PTO?
Who decides how our PTO money is spent? How do I deal with a controlling principal? Should the principal have the final say on what goes into our newsletter? We get questions like these -- and many more -- on our site all the time. The basic question is who's the boss? This week Tim addresses this question in his video tutorial, where he talks about the importance of making the principal your partner.
Video Tutorial: How To Combat Parent Group Drama
Maybe it's because we have a few months of school under our belts and people are feeling more comfortable.... or maybe it's because the holidays are upon us and patience is wearing thin due to overload... but it seems that we've been hearing about an awful lot of drama going on in parent groups lately! That's what promped us to do a video tutorial on how to combat PTO or PTA drama.
Belkin on Dads Getting Involved at School
I always find Lisa Belkin's pieces on parenting and school interesting, and the discussions that follow are almost always lively and thoughful, too. Good stuff.
PTOs, Over-Reaction, Bad Policy, and the Backpack Express
What was once a very minor annoyance is becoming a more common challenge for many PTOs and PTAs. We've tracked several communities where school parent-teacher groups (PTOs and PTAs) have been banned from using the backpack express to communicate with parents. I'll explain below, but cutting to the chase -- this is horrible policy that does harm to schools. And it doesn't have to be this way. Nuance and a backbone are both wonderful things.
How Not to Manage Volunteers
I love Twitter! It's such a great place to stay on top of the latest trends, news, and also to find some talented bloggers. Today I found a link to this blog post about a PTO wannabe. If the post wasn't so infuriating it would be funny!
PTA Power Moms?
While I certainly don't agree with all the opinions in this linked blog post, I do think it's very important for PTA and PTO leaders to think about impressions all the time and work to combat the too-common idea that leaders are cliquey and not open to new and/or more casual volunteers. How do you work against that impression?
A Principal on PTOs
We have an interloper in our midst! Just kidding... but we do have a principal who's posted a really interesting question and perspective on our message boards.
Bonus Tools
More resources for you and your group.
Procedures Book: Your PTO's Instruction Manual
Helpful information and resources to create policies and procedures books for your leaders.
How To Inspect Your Playground
Playgrounds take a lot of wear and tear. Here's what to look for to make sure your playground remains a safe environment for kids.
How To Manage Your Budget
These basic bookkeeping procedures will help you keep your PTO budget in order.
How To Choose School Performers
Enrichment activities and school performers bring fresh insight and perspectives. Find the best fit for your school.

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How To Archive