Category: Leadership

When you are elected PTA secretary, you know your primary job is to keep the minutes at PTA meetings. But the role of the secretary goes beyond the minutes. About Those Minutes The PTA secretary keeps the minutes not only for the general membership meetings, but also for the meetings of the executive committee (officers) … Continue reading PTA Secretary: Beyond the Minutes

Vice presidents don’t get a lot of respect (see US Vice President John Nance Garner’s infamous quote that the position was “not worth a bucket of warm spit”). If you are a newly-elected PTA vice president, you may be wondering what exactly it is you’re supposed to do. The answer depends on your PTA president. … Continue reading What the Heck Does a PTA Vice President Do?

Last year’s PTA president said it was an easy job, just run a few meetings, so you said yes and got elected. But now they’ve dropped off this big box of PTA files and sped away like they had robbed a bank, and maybe you’re beginning to wonder what you’ve gotten yourself in for. Don’t … Continue reading What Have I Done? Surviving Your First Few Months as PTA President

Your PTA needs volunteers to be successful, and as we begin to have more in-person events, your PTA’s need for volunteers is likely growing over what you’ve gotten by with during the pandemic. If your PTA is struggling to find volunteers, here are ten secrets to getting and keeping them. Toot your PTA’s horn. Make … Continue reading 10 Secrets to Getting and Keeping Volunteers

The start of the school year is always a busy time, and even more so if you are a PTA leader. In addition to all the usual back-to-school activities, you’re also juggling all your new PTA duties and learning to work with your PTA team. Here are 8 steps to get your PTA year off … Continue reading 8 Steps to a Successful PTA Year

Illinois PTA is continuing its efforts to support our PTAs and PTA Councils by answering questions you may have about running your PTA in this unprecedented situation. Our previous parts of this ongoing series are here: Part 1: Meetings & Elections Part 2: Fundraising & Unused Funds Part 3: Audit & Budget Part 4: Additional … Continue reading Running Your PTA When School is Closed—Part 5: Wrapping Up the Year

The COVID-19 pandemic has closed schools across Illinois, and as of this writing, it appears that schools may be closed for the remainder of the school year. That has left many PTAs and PTA Councils wondering how they can handle their business when school is closed and in-person meetings are not permitted or advisable. Like … Continue reading Running Your PTA When School is Closed

Getting people to volunteer at your events is a continual struggle for many PTAs. In fact, fear of being asked to volunteer is one of the reasons people don’t join the PTA. While PTA membership doesn’t require someone to volunteer, we still do need some folks to step up to run things. So how do … Continue reading Solving Your Lack of Volunteers Problem

As the school year wraps up, many PTA presidents will soon be ex-PTA presidents. And while the job description for an ex-PTA president sounds simple—stop running the PTA—some PTA presidents struggle to do that, especially if they are still at the school where they were president. Here’s a handy guide to being a successful ex-PTA … Continue reading A PTA President’s Guide to Being an Ex-

Perhaps you’ve just been nominated or elected president of your PTA. Maybe you’re thinking about running for PTA president next year. Or maybe you’re headed into your second term and want to do things differently this year. However you’ve arrived at the position, being a PTA president will require you to develop your leadership skills. … Continue reading Building Your PTA Leadership Skills

As a PTA leader, you probably know that you are supposed to use parliamentary procedure in your meetings, but looking at the more than 800 pages of Robert’s Rules of Orderin the PTA materials the previous PTA president passed on to you might have you thinking, “Really?” Yes, really, but parliamentary procedure isn’t nearly as … Continue reading Parliamentary Procedure for Beginners

One of the critical roles given to a PTA’s general membership is the election of its officers, a process that begins with the election of the nominating committee by the general membership. Nominating and electing a good slate of officers is essential for a PTA’s success. Nominations and Elections Timeline Because the nomination and election … Continue reading Nominations and Elections—A How to Guide for PTAs