How to Organize a Parent Teacher Group at Your School

Many schools have parent-teacher groups that plan activities, organize programs, and generally find ways to enrich the student experience. There are parent-teacher organizations (PTOs) and parent-teacher associations (PTAs). While they sound similar, they're not exactly the same. A PTA is a local sub-chapter of a national group. However, a PTO is an independent entity, with its own bylaws, and is formed by the parents and teachers themselves. Typically, a PTO is a non-profit organization. Here are some tips on how to organize a parent-teacher group at your child's school.

Things You'll Need

  • Volunteers

Instructions

    • 1

      Check with administrators at your school to see if there are any rules that parent-teacher groups need to be aware of. Many school districts have certain guidelines in place that all PTAs must follow. In addition, each state has different requirements, so be sure you consult with someone who can fill you in on these. The last thing you want is for your group to fail to qualify as tax-exempt because someone made a mistake.

    • 2

      Consider joining up with a larger group for advice. Organizations such as PTO Today offer members information about how to form a group, how to write bylaws, and ideas for structuring your membership. You can also talk to PTOs at nearby schools for pointers on what to do, and what not to do.

    • 3

      Begin recruiting parents and teachers to get involved. In addition to the general membership, you'll need to have an Executive Board. This includes a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary. Depending on the size of your school, you may want to split some of these positions up, such as having a Vice President of Fund-raising and a Vice President of Programs. The Executive Board is responsible for drafting a set of bylaws, as well as for making legislative decisions that concern the group.

    • 4

      Draft your bylaws. These should include a mission statement outlining what your PTO's purpose is and how goals will be achieved, as well as procedural information, such as how votes are counted, who gets to be a member, and if membership dues are necessary to be part of your school parent-teacher group. You'll also need to set a budget for the upcoming school year.

    • 5

      Apply for non-profit status. You'll need to fill out paperwork for the Internal Revenue Service to obtain 501c(3) status. There's also a fee involved in processing, and it does take several months, so be sure to allow yourself plenty of time. Make sure that you have someone in charge of your finances who will take good care of your books.

    • 6

      Finally, be sure to communicate regularly with staff members and parents. After all, if you organize a parent-teacher group, it's important to keep both parents and teachers involved.

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