Getting Involved With Your School's PTA

As the first month of school draws to a close, most local parent-teacher association (PTA) boards have conducted their first meetings and look forward to focusing on the needs of their students, teachers, and schools in the months ahead.  PTAs encourage all parents to make an investment in their children by getting involved as members or volunteers for school functions.

Staying Informed

 “The Key PTA provides a setting where parents, teachers and administration can work together to improve the lives of our students through programs and events that address education, health, safety and family concerns,” Liz McGhan, PTA president of Key Middle, notes. “As many of our parents move into middle school they don't know how to communicate with these larger schools and how to become involved.  The PTA provides a vehicle for that.”

Most PTA presidents concur that membership helps parents stay knowledgeable about their students’ education.  Kim Torrance, president at Hayfield Elementary observes, “[Attending monthly meetings] is an excellent way to hear about what is going on, be involved in the planning process and communicate directly with our administrators.”  She urges parents to join the PTA because it creates a sense of community in the school.  They’ve used the PTA logo to stand for Programs to Enrich, Tools for Learning, Activities That Foster School Spirit and hope parents will support these goals through participation.

“The best support that we can give to our own children is to stay involved and informed about their schools,” Patricia Charlton, president at Cameron Elementary, agrees.  “Getting to know the principal and teachers, working with other parents, and showing our children the importance of education, are wonderful ways to ensure that our children receive the very best education possible.”  At Cameron, the PTA makes an effort to reach out to parents who are bilingual by publishing all documents in English and Spanish and offering translations at meetings. 

The Origin of PTAs

Parent-teacher associations (PTAs) originated as a means for parents and other caring adults to affect positive change for children. The National PTA was founded in 1897 in Washington, D.C. as the National Congress of Mothers, by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Early objectives included the creation of kindergarten, child labor laws, and mandatory immunization.  Today’s National PTA, headquartered in Alexandria, continues to advocate for children through anti-bullying initiatives and the promotion of healthy lifestyles for children and their parents.

At the high school level, PTAs expand to include student support and are called PTSAs.  “Kids may be taking steps towards adulthood, but it is just as important that parents continue to be involved in school,” Dawn Stoffelen, president at Lee High emphasizes.  As parents begin to support their students’ band or sport boosters, her PTA organizes quarterly “All Lee” meetings so booster group representatives can “share information and volunteer needs and work together to reach out to the community.” This fosters a sense of unity among the diverse groups and helps strengthen school community. 

At Edison High, President Dallice Joyner notes that parents who participate in the PTSA provide an external strength and the students and teachers who join reinforce the school’s internal strength.  Her board focuses on “educational equality” to ensure every student gets what he or she needs, regardless of learning differences or socioeconomic status.  They host a “State of the Student” seminar to review student performance at Edison.  Other initiatives include a homework hangout on Saturdays and a mock SAT program to help students gauge their skills. 

Some schools have opted to move away from the traditional PTA.  At Mount Eagle Elementary, parents can join the PTO (parent-teacher organization) which is not affiliated with the national or state PTAs.  Lorton Station Elementary changed to a School Home Partnership a little over a year ago, also considered a PTO, and encourages parents to pledge two hours of volunteer time at the school in lieu of paying membership dues.  These organizations have similar goals to traditional PTAs—providing students with positive educational experiences and promoting strong school communities.

Supporting Students and Schools

PTAs and PTOs support schools in numerous ways through membership dues, fundraising and volunteer efforts.  Their endeavors range from funding after-school enrichment programs, fitness clubs, and field trip transportation to teacher appreciation events and professional development.  Mount Eagle PTO will sponsor a Bingo Night in December and a dance in March, according to president Melissa Downey. Lee PTA will sponsor the 25th annual All Night Grad Party this year.  This year Cindy Savage’s board at Garfield Elementary hopes to offer scholarships to students to defray costs of enrichment activities they might not otherwise be able to afford. 

“We really felt that reading is such a fundamental,” Carilyn Waterval, president at Franconia Elementary, asserts.  Last year her PTA invested $7,000 to subsidize new books for the school library, whose budget had been cut by 75% in recent years.  This year, they’ll promote a Readathon to replace traditional fundraisers like gift wrap and to focus on reading. 

PTA President Cynthia Paul, at Forestdale Elementary, is excited about a new initiative, Kid Pan Alley.  Students will collaborate with members of the retirement community to write songs about each other’s life stories.  The partnership will culminate in a performance of these songs.    

Jenny Grigsby, president at Rose Hill Elementary, and her board will use funds to supply a mobile laptop cart that can be transported from classroom to classroom.  She looks forward to their free Fall Family Fiesta, to include a mariachi band, on October 21 at the school.  She emphasizes that many of their events are not geared towards fundraising; rather they aim to support the school and bring families together. 

Nanette Henderson, SHP president at Lorton Station, reports, “On October 1, the third annual Station Celebration will be held, which is like a fall festival—it’s a great way to meet other families in our school.”  The SHP sponsors several enrichment activities such as classes in robotics and a knitting club.  They’ll host a Health and Safety Fair in November for all members in the community. 

Ms. Charlton is excited about “many family-friendly events, such as bingo, a Spring Fun Run, Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets and more,” the Cameron PTA sponsors.   Some PTAs, like that at Hayfield Elementary, fund fitness clubs like Girls on the Run and Boys in Motion and supply Smart Board technology to their schools. 

Using Social Media

Many PTAs rely on social media to help disseminate information encourage parent participation.  For example, Clermont and Gunston PTAs can be found on Facebook, while Lane Elementary PTA and Hayfield HS PTSA employ both Twitter and Facebook to spread the word about events and volunteer opportunities.  While many PTA web pages are included on school websites, some groups, like Lee High PTSA, use blogging platforms to share updates.  Others like Lorton Station and Garfield utilize Google Sites to create their own websites.  However a PTA or PTO chooses to communicate with members, the message is clear—all parents are needed to sustain a strong, nurturing school community.