New Year’s is a time of fresh starts for a lot of people, but for PTAs, it’s the middle of the year. Your PTA doesn’t need a fresh start, but perhaps you could use a few minor “course corrections.” Here are three such changes your PTA should be considering now. Membership Your PTA got off … Continue reading Tweaking Your PTA’s Course in the New Year
6 Steps to Rebuild Your PTA’s Leadership
When schools closed in the spring of 2020 to fight the spread of COVID-19, many PTAs ran into difficulties. Closed schools meant shifting to virtual PTA meetings, and PTAs with spring officer elections often struggled with running virtual elections. When school started back up in the fall of 2020, many schools were still online-only or … Continue reading 6 Steps to Rebuild Your PTA’s Leadership
Grow Your PTA with Membership Mania
Every PTA needs new members. Perhaps your PTA is looking to find people to help out. Perhaps you want to grow your membership to meet your membership goals in the Illinois PTA membership recognition program. Whatever the reason, you need to check out Membership Mania from National PTA. Membership Mania is the update of last … Continue reading Grow Your PTA with Membership Mania
Make Membership Easy
You’ve used National PTA’s resources to plan out your membership campaign. You’ve got your elevator pitch down cold and can tell someone why it’s important to join your PTA in under a minute. You know that the main reason people don’t join PTA is that they aren’t asked to join. You’re as ready to recruit … Continue reading Make Membership Easy
You Belong in PTA
PTA leaders have long known that the reason most people do not join PTA is because they were never asked to join. While your PTA does great things in your school and community, talking about what your PTA has accomplished and inviting others to join you can be difficult. National PTA has created a set … Continue reading You Belong in PTA
Reach for the Stars with Our New Membership Recognition Program!
Illinois PTA has a new membership recognition program to honor PTAs, PTA Councils, and Regions that grow and support PTA membership. The tiered program will recognize membership growth not just in the 2021-2022 school year, but is also structured for PTAs to build on their success year after year. Rewards Recognition will be awarded based … Continue reading Reach for the Stars with Our New Membership Recognition Program!
PTA Membership Mythbusting
When asking people to join your PTA, you will likely hear a lot of reasons why they don’t want to join, and many of these reasons are myths about PTA. National PTA has created a flyer of 10 PTA Membership Myths & Truths that you can share with potential members to help with your membership campaign. The … Continue reading PTA Membership Mythbusting
Planning for Your PTA Year
Once again, PTA leaders planning for the coming year are faced with a lot of uncertainty. From the growing prevalence of the delta variant to breakthrough infections in vaccinated people and shifting recommendations on mask wearing, it is difficult to know how your coming school year will play out. Much of what Illinois PTA shared with … Continue reading Planning for Your PTA Year
National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
The pandemic has presented many challenges for PTAs—fundraising, online meetings, virtual events, and not the least, membership. National PTA has launched Zooming Into Membership, an initiative to support PTA Councils, districts, regions, and states in supporting local PTA membership efforts. The initiative is based on several years of work with different levels of PTA to develop … Continue reading National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 1: Basics
Last spring, Illinois PTA ran a series of articles on how to run your PTA when schools are closed. This fall, schools have opened in a variety of configurations, from online only, to all in-person, to some mix of the two, and may shuffle between those as local conditions change during the year. In addition, … Continue reading Running Your PTA in a Pandemic—Part 1: Basics
Inside National PTA’s New Membership Toolkit
As our children head back to school amid uncertainty about what this year will bring, PTA’s ability to connect families, teachers, and administrators and to support critical school needs is more important than ever. The key to PTA’s ability is its membership, and to help your PTA this year, National PTA is launching a new … Continue reading Inside National PTA’s New Membership Toolkit
How to Grow Your PTA Membership
Membership is what makes PTA go. Members are our volunteers and future leaders, and they amplify our voice when speaking to school leaders and legislators. Some PTAs, like many membership-driven organizations across the country, have struggled recently to grow their membership. Here are some tips and PTA resources to help you grow your PTA membership. … Continue reading How to Grow Your PTA Membership
News from National Convention—Engaging Hispanic/Latino Families
National PTA ran the Hispanic/Latino Outreach Initiative from June 2018 to May 2019 in ten states to develop ways for PTAs to connect and engage with Hispanic/Latino families. The results of the initiative will be packaged in a toolkit for PTAs to use that will be released in early 2020. At the 2019 National PTA … Continue reading News from National Convention—Engaging Hispanic/Latino Families
News from National Convention—Proposed Dues Increase
Early this year, National PTA proposed an increase in national membership dues of $1.50/member, raising the total National PTA portion of dues from $2.25/member to $3.75/member. The original proposal was to make the dues increase effective July 1, 2019, but National PTA moved the proposed start date to September 1, 2019 based on feedback. The … Continue reading News from National Convention—Proposed Dues Increase
Is Your PTA a Clique?
Today’s guest post comes from Washington State PTA with some advice on how to avoid having your PTA seen as a clique. Sometimes, the reason more people don’t join your PTA is because they feel unwelcome. Whether warranted or not, your PTA may have a reputation as a clique. Overcoming this common issue can be … Continue reading Is Your PTA a Clique?
PTA Membership Tips for November
Several months into the school year, your PTA is probably not attracting as many new members as it was during the start of the school year. Now is a great time to assess how your membership recruitment has gone so far and plan to build your PTA membership. Here are some tips to help. You … Continue reading PTA Membership Tips for November
5 Tips to Boost Your PTA Membership
Membership is critical to your PTA’s success. Members become your PTA’s volunteers and leaders, but most importantly members, even those who never volunteer, are sending the message that what your PTA is doing is important for their child, for their family, and for their school. Here are five tips to help your PTA engage with … Continue reading 5 Tips to Boost Your PTA Membership
PTA Celebrates Back-to-School Week September 17-21
Next week, PTAs across the country will celebrate National PTA Back-to-School Week. Each day of Back-to-School Week will highlight and provide tips and resources for the people who support our children’s learning and success. Monday, September 17: PTA Leaders Tuesday, September 18: Parents Wednesday, September 19: Students Thursday, September 20: Teachers Friday, September 21: Office … Continue reading PTA Celebrates Back-to-School Week September 17-21
News from National Convention—Membership
Membership is at the heart of PTA, so it’s not surprising that membership was the focus of several workshops and one big announcement at the 2018 National PTA Convention in New Orleans. The announcement? Every PTA leader who registers or logs in to the Local PTA Leader Kit(formerly the Back-to-School Kit) will receive a new … Continue reading News from National Convention—Membership
New Resources from National PTA
One of the advantages of being a PTA is having both a state and a national organization to help provide resources and tools to make your job as a PTA leader easier. National PTA has recently released two new resources to help you recruit new membersand to show your appreciation to teachers. New Membership Resources … Continue reading New Resources from National PTA
One Voice Illinois 