Hi dearborn -

FYI -- You've been here for just a couple of days and every post you've made has been in the "PTO v PTA" section.

You say: "...so set up a link to have parents discuss something else thats productive and successful in their individual schools"

I guess I'd just point to:

www.PTOtoday.com/forum -- that's this forum which now has more than 18,000 posts in it, fewer than 3% of which are on the PTO v PTA topic.

Or I'd point to: www.PTOtoday.com -- that's the home page for this site, which now has more than 75 articles on it as well as resource links and this forum and our Yellow Pages and the latest news page, etc., etc. Without counting, I'd guess that this site is less than 1% devoted to the PTO v PTA issue.

I hope you'll feel free to share what's worked for you and your group in the many other sections of this forum. We love to get best practices and program ideas and good opinions. It's what this site -- and PTO Today -- is all about.

Tim

just because PTO's can't lobby to congress doesn't mean we don't care about our kids as much as PTA's. It sounds as if that is your best way of supporting kids then go for it. I have a hard time with paying dues so that they can me misused for other things besides helping at a local level.Our school has had both and we will never go back to PTA ...they want to much politics and not enough heartfelt emotions. Just read the forums that schools have had disbanding their PTA's ...that should tell you something. If they are totally for the kids then why is it so hard to end when a school decides a PTO would be better. seems like they would wish them luck and not fight it.I have never been involved in a PTA but have a hard time why they are always defending themselves. Either way the kids are suppose to be the whole meaning of the work.Right?

PTA Vs PTA is a waste of time. Who's the best??? This is ridiculous. Don't you people have better things to do than bash each other. Join whatever group you want that works for you. This web site needs to educate their parents on other issues PTO may not lobby for childrens rights so I doubt you will educate us on goings on in Washington, so set up a link to have parents discuss something else thats productive and successful in their individual schools.

Glad you like the magazine, dearborn.

Most folks I talk to don't think the PTO v PTA comparison is apples-apples. Most agree with you that PTOs and PTAs are different. That's a good thing. Gives groups options.

The real question in my mind is what a particular group is organized for or looking to accomplish. If lobbying and being part of the national organization are a key focus, then PTA is a great option. Seems, though, that more and more groups are making the decision to focus their great work locally.

Tim

I read the publishers "Powerful history", which by the way is not 100% accurate and somewhat bias. Give credit where credit is due! We are not talking about apples and oranges. All parent groups volunteer for their schools and their children. PTA volunteers for ALL of our children and PTO concentrates on their own. There is no comparison. PTA works on a much larger scale and GOD forbid that anyone would have to pay dues to be a member of the largest Volunteer group in the world. As far as declining members. That is everywhere. There may not be necessarily bad people out there, but there is very bad parenting. Let someone else do it. PTO takes care of their own, and PTA takes care of the bigger picture. When PTO can sit before Congress to lobby for All our children than we will compare apples to apples. But for now its apples to oranges. Keep up the good work on your magazine, it has some good ideas for everyone to use.

Very informative thread even if you have to sift through a lot of useless chatter.

Our elementary school has 338 students. The PTA membership ($3.50) is just a tad over 125. We had a husband and wife team working very hard for most of the first half of the school year just to get that. Writing letters, calling people who expreesed a desire to join but hadn't yet, filing our numbers with the National and State PTA, etc. They are burned out and may not return to do the job next year. After all that work, all of the time these two great volunteers could have dedicated to other projects, we got to keep $93.75 for our kids. If you take into count overhead expenses - stamps, envelopes, etc - it is even lower.

Other than $93, what have we gotten in return for all that effort other than an a set of bylaws, a "not for profit" status, the reflections program and a "how-to guide" to run a PTA? I don't know the answer to that, but we have appointed a committee to research it and bring it before the full PTA for further study. Maybe it will serve us to stay a PTA, maybe not, but being a PTA may have cost us two valuable volunteers who worked hard all year only to see the money leave our school.