Most PTA leaders have met a couple of Illinois PTA State Board of Directors members. Maybe you’ve called your district or region director about a problem in your PTA or have gotten a reminder from them to make sure your tax form is filed on time. Perhaps you’ve gotten a call to action from the … Continue reading Inside an Illinois PTA Board Meeting
Why Don’t Volunteers Stick Around?
It is generally agreed that no one of us can motivate another. The most we can do is to stimulate others to action, but individuals must provide the motivation for themselves. Volunteers are obviously motivated by something other than a paycheck, such as self-esteem, recognition, approval, acceptance, and pride in a job well done. A … Continue reading Why Don’t Volunteers Stick Around?
Reflecting on Your PTA Role in the New Year
With the school year at the halfway point and many of us making New Year’s resolutions, it’s also a good opportunity to take time to reflect on how you are doing in your PTA role. Use the self-assessment questions below as well as those to ask of others on how you are doing to reflect … Continue reading Reflecting on Your PTA Role in the New Year
Thanking Your Volunteers
The holidays are a time for reflection and gratitude. It’s also the midpoint of the school year, which makes it a good time as a PTA leader to take a bit of time to think about what you’ve accomplished so far and what lies ahead. A good part of your PTA’s success depends on your … Continue reading Thanking Your Volunteers
20 John Wooden Quotes to Share with Your Child
Legendary UCLA men’s basketball coach John Wooden accomplished a lot on the court—10 NCAA championships in 12 years, including an unprecedented seven in a row, and being named national coach of the year six times. For his players, though, it was what he taught them off the court that had a greater effect on their … Continue reading 20 John Wooden Quotes to Share with Your Child
What is Illinois PTA University?
The Illinois PTA University is an incentive program to encourage leadership development. The program is divided into three levels—Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree, and Doctorate Degree. Each level recognizes the accomplishment of PTA members who have completed its requirements. Those requirements include attendance at a variety of workshops, training courses, and PTA events. Any PTA member … Continue reading What is Illinois PTA University?
Planning and Running Your First PTA Meeting
If you’re a new PTA president, you probably have your first meeting of the year coming up soon. Here are some tips to get you ready to run that first meeting. Planning the Meeting Make sure your meeting date doesn’t conflict with other events. Get announcements of the meeting out early. Remember that not everyone … Continue reading Planning and Running Your First PTA Meeting
Top 10 Tips for Middle School PTA Success
Middle school is different from elementary school for kids—they’re changing classrooms, managing a locker, and meeting new people from other elementary schools. It’s different for parents as well. New activities like band or sports may pull parents who have been involved in PTA at the elementary level away at the middle school level. Here are … Continue reading Top 10 Tips for Middle School PTA Success
Plan Now for PTA Success in the Fall
With the school year coming to a close and summer activities to look forward to, many PTA leaders may be looking to put their feet up for the next few months. But summer provides an excellent time for PTA leaders to make their lives easier once school starts back up. By doing some planning for … Continue reading Plan Now for PTA Success in the Fall
News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Incoming President’s Speech
At the conclusion of the 2017 Illinois PTA Convention, incoming Illinois PTA President Brian Minsker addressed the delegates. Following the speech, many in the audience urged us to share his message with all Illinois PTA members. I’m willing to bet that almost every person in this room would say that they got involved with PTA … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Incoming President’s Speech
7 Keys to Successful Delegating
Even if you’re not a PTA president, December is a busy time of year, filled with holiday shopping and decorating, end of semester projects, holiday concerts, and more. If you’ve got a PTA meeting and a PTA event or two, it can be overwhelming. The key to avoiding burnout as a PTA president is to … Continue reading 7 Keys to Successful Delegating
4 Things Not to Do When Dealing with an Angry Volunteer
From the National PTA president down to the local unit, PTA is a volunteer association. PTA can’t do what it does without volunteers, and Illinois PTA has shared information on: Getting more volunteers Overcoming objections Making the most of your volunteers Recognizing your volunteers Most of the time, PTA volunteers are happy to share their … Continue reading 4 Things Not to Do When Dealing with an Angry Volunteer
Illinois PTA Launches PTA Essentials Video Series
Illinois PTA offers free training, both in person and online, but realizes that not everyone’s schedule aligns with training opportunities. Today, Illinois PTA launches its PTA Essentials video series with two financial help videos on its YouTube channel: Handling PTA Funds The PTA Audit PTA Essentials is a series of short videos that provide critical … Continue reading Illinois PTA Launches PTA Essentials Video Series
Master the Art of the PTA Meeting
We’ve all attended them—PTA meetings that seem to drag on forever, don’t get anything done, and leave you dreading the next meeting. Poorly-run meetings can drive away potential PTA volunteers and leaders. If you’re a new PTA president, or even an experienced one, here are some tips to help you master the art of the … Continue reading Master the Art of the PTA Meeting
The PTA President’s Guide to Happiness
So you’re a new PTA president getting ready to start your first term. Maybe this is your first position with the PTA; maybe you’ve been involved for years. Either way, leading your PTA is a big new step. Here are our suggestions for finding happiness as a PTA president. You Can’t Do It All Yourself … Continue reading The PTA President’s Guide to Happiness
News from National Convention—Partnering with Educators and School Administrators
One critical component of running a successful PTA is working well with the teachers and administrators in your school building. A workshop at the 2016 National PTA Convention in Orlando focused on what those teachers and administrators want when working with their PTA. The panel discussion was moderated by Deb Strauss, National PTA Vice President … Continue reading News from National Convention—Partnering with Educators and School Administrators
National PTA Back-to-School Kit Now Available
It's that time of year again! The 2016-2017 National PTA Official Back-To-School Kit launched on Monday, June 27. As always, it's jam-packed with tools, resources and info—all specially designed to help you run your PTA. It's a one-stop click for everything you need to know. For the second year, the kit is completely digital and … Continue reading National PTA Back-to-School Kit Now Available
How High-Poverty Schools Can Engage Families
Academic achievement is often correlated with students’ socio-economic status—students from wealthier families tend to do better. But there is an increasing amount of research that shows that high-poverty schools can have students who achieve at the same level as their wealthier counterparts. The key is family engagement. High-poverty schools have additional hurdles to overcome when … Continue reading How High-Poverty Schools Can Engage Families
10 Great Ways to Get More PTA Volunteers
PTA is the largest volunteer organization in the world focused on the welfare of children. From the person sitting at a registration table at open house on up to the National PTA president, almost all of the work done by PTA is done by volunteers. Here are XX ways your PTA can get more volunteers. … Continue reading 10 Great Ways to Get More PTA Volunteers
Recognize Your PTA Volunteers to Keep Them Coming Back
One of the most important ways a PTA can get the most from its volunteers is to acknowledge their efforts. Perhaps your school had a volunteer recognition event back in April during National Volunteer Week. As your PTA year wraps up, be sure to thank your volunteers both publicly and privately for their work, and … Continue reading Recognize Your PTA Volunteers to Keep Them Coming Back
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