Our PTA has three general membership meetings a school year. We hold "grade" programs in conjunction with our meetings. We ask 2 grades to perform. i.e. Kindergarteners and 6th graders sang Halloween songs in costume at our October meeting. They had 15-20 minutes for each grade. We conduct PTA business first and then we turn the program over to the teachers. I am happy to report that at all three general membership meetings-it was standing room only!
Be honest and up front with people. Send home a notice a week before the meeting stating that you need help, that you are looking for new and fresh ideas and this is the time to be heard no matter what has happened in the past. That the future of the PTO activities and the organization depend on parents coming with input to help ALL the children in the school.
You will not get hundreds but you just might get the ones that you need.
-Illinos- I really like your idea though! Our teachers don't like to come for the fear of an angry parent pinning them done because "Johnny" got an "F" and they want to know WHY!! (Sadly this has happened!
it works for us. Have a teacher/pta board meeting following the regular pta meeting the following week during lunch time. Only the teachers and pta board. Everyone brings their own lunch and you get to sit around and relax as you talk about the meeting prior to the teachers meeting. Just ask the teacher which day they would prefer to do this. it works great and i bet almost all the teachers will show up. They feel important and they stay informed as well as your board. And its only 1 time a month they meet with you. good luck
One of the things that worked well for us was to change the time of the meetings. As a parochial school most parents pick their children up at the end of the day. We schedule the meeting 1 hour before the kids get out since most of the parents are there anyway. It made a big difference in parent attendance.
As for Teachers, the last thing most of them want to do is come back to school for a meeting at night. We have Class Representatives (parents) contact each teacher prior to the meeting to get a short report (verbal or written) on what each class is doing, and what they may need. The Rep then presents that at the meeting and reports back to the teacher.
I'm the new PTO president. Our meetings lack parents and teachers! Any suggestions to get them involved, fun ideas to peak their interest or at least get them to come to the meetings?
