I have to agree that getting in touch with the principal with your academic concerns and attending BOE meetings and speaking out. Not just to yell at them for what you want, but ask them what they are doing to fix the academic back fall of the school. If you get it on the record and in the minutes of a BOE Meeting, they are held accountable for their response. If they say we'll look into it, then at the next meeting, you bring it up again and again and again. Talk to other parents and see if they have the same concerns and do it as a group of parents at the BOE meeting.

Another way to enforce change is to elect new BOE Members. In our district, they are voted in, not hired. So the community controls who is on the BOE and you have to elect in those who have the best academic interest at heart for the students.

So, yeah, PTO/PTA is a great way to get parents involved. Talk to your child's teachers and talk to the principal. Then take it to the next level.

Academics don't have much to do with fundraising, so don't worry about the fundraising organization part, just do your part about the academics and you'll know that you have left a lasting change for the better in your school. GOOD LUCK!!!

I would suggest you arrange a meeting with the principal. The success of any efforts to affect change rests with the establishment of a collaborative relationship with the school's leader. If you don't have a PTA/PTO, you may want to start a small working committee to address your concerns.

This year we added forums to our PTA meetings focusing on two grades levels each month. We will also hold forums on specific topics, such as math for the 5th and 6th grades. We devoted 1 hour to the forum, and the rest of the meeting to general business. The format that seems to work best for the forums:
- 20 minutes on teacher presentations and Q&A
- break into smaller groups with teachers and parents in each group. 20 minutes brainstorming and exchanging ideas on how parents can help the children learn.
- 20 minutes spent with each group presenting their ideas to everyone.

The ideas are written up and distributed to all parents through the PTA newsletter.

Parents groups are not just for raising funds. In many schools they are a vital part of the success of the school.

Connect with other like-minded parents and teachers, involve the school's leadership, be tenacious, keep a sense of humor, and roll up you sleeves. It will take some work to address the issues, but solutions generally start with at least one concerned parent, and it looks like you are that person.

Our school has a SPMT-school planning and management team-which is open to anyone. It's where all the schools groups send a rep to keep everyone up on what's going on and to make sure we are all heading in the same direction. Is it possible that your school has something like this? Or maybe you could just talk your child's teacher or just someone in the school that you could voice your opinions to? I know every school is different, but our PTO really doesn't have anything to do with the day to day dealings with children other than to supply funds to the classrooms. Good luck.

Hi Vaughn's Mom!

Welcome to an EXCELLENT resource to help you on your way.

Now, before I go any further, let me tell you there are people on this site who are very pro-PTO and very pro-PTA. There's lots of reasons why, but let's not digress with that.

Here are some ideas in getting you guys going (and, by the way, congratulations already for your positive attitude to want to be more involved; all parents should be! [img]smile.gif[/img]

1) Are there any other schools around you (in your county/city if public, in your neighborhood if private) that already have a PTA or PTO in place? Possibly, someone (like a Board member or Past President) would volunteer to assist you in your start-up process.

2) Get together with your core group and write out specifically the main mission and goals of your group. This will go a long way in helping you determine the type of organization you need to be.

3) Visit www.pta.org to get ideas on that group. They are structured as a national organization with state and area councils. There are specifics as to what you can and cannot do, yet at the same time they offer programs that can be taken advantage of by schools across the country; you'll need to see if those programs will help your cause.

At the same time, be advised you will have to charge dues as a PTA for you will have to pay a portion of those dues to the National PTA, State PTA, and possibly a local council.

For PTO information, investigate this site and talk with Tim, the founder of this group. He can offer invaluable information and insight.

At the same time, be advised as a PTO, you do operate as an independent group; so if being part of a "bigger whole" is important, then PTA is the way. If autonomy is important, then consider PTO.

The great news is there are thousands and thousands of great PTA's and PTO's across America, helping millions of our kids. I hope your adventure/foray into this is most fruitful and most successful!!

PS--IMPORTANT---Fundraising will be an important part of a PTA or PTO, due to obvious need for money to fund programs, tutoring, whatever your group wants to offer. The good news is, it does not have to be the group's primary focus, and as you do it, make sure you've had the foresight to already show everyone what the money will go for, since it's possible, based on your situation, there could wind up being a "battle" for fundraising $$$.

If everyone there is mature (fingers crossed) a peaceful co-existence should occur. [img]smile.gif[/img]

[ 01-29-2005, 08:34 PM: Message edited by: blue67ccm ]

Look,

I am new to this. I feel my school is lacking in acedemic focus, not badly, but could use some direction. Personally, my kids are starting to get lost in the system and I want them to be involved in the system. I am trying to find out information about how to go about affecting some changes. We have some parents that are interested in this as well. We already have a fundraising group, although not a PTA or PTO. They raise funds for multicultural events and give left over monies to classrooms, the gym, the library and so on.
We want to focus on acedemic issues and events to promote change.
I am sure a lot of you have had these issues as well. How have you dealt with them? Or is this only a fundraising kind of organization?
Please understand I am not trying to be a jerk, but the avenues we have tried including the BOE here isn't getting us very far. I don't know anything about this as my oldest is only 7 and again, we don't have a PTA for me to be familiar with.
Look forward to your input. Thanks.