Here's my survey and I got a great response from the teachers.

East-West Elementary PTSO Teacher Survey

Please take a minute and fill this survey out to help us improve our PTO. Please be specific and print. Turn in by May 26th. Thank you for all you do.

What do you see as a priority that we should look at?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you feel that the PTO is meeting your needs as a teacher?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you had one wish for your classroom, what would it be?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you could change one thing about our group, what would it be?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do teachers LOVE that we already do?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you wish we would do more of?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What are some ideas you have that would make the school a better place and enrich our student’s lives?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any suggestions for events or programs?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you have any suggestions or comments?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

(Optional)
Teacher:_________________________________ Grade:________

Thank you,
East-West Elementary PTSO

[ 09-14-2006, 07:15 AM: Message edited by: Renee S ]

Can someone post the entire page of the survey they've submitted to the teachers? That would be a huge help.

Just to add our first PTO meeting has alot of parents and it dwindles after that. So don't let that discourage you!!!!

Keep up the good work. You already sound like a PRESIDENT in the making!!!!!

Cindy

I had somewhat of the same scenario last year as a first time PTO pres and first time PTO board memeber ever.
First thing I did was a survey for the teachers. How long have you been here?, What would you like to see PTO funds used toward for the students and themselves?, What kind of activities for the students? How would they improve the PTO and be specific? What would they keep the same in the PTO? How would you improve relations with staff and PTO? (Some Examples)
I stated the goals stated at the first meeting saying how we looked forward working with all the students, parents, staff etc. I talk to all the teachers.
Could you form a couple liason person to work with both the PTO and the teachers. Also talk to the principal and see if she will work with you. Letting you know what the teachers are looking for. Our principal also has at least two teacher reps at the PTO meetings and then they go back and report to the other teachers. So not all teachers are having to give up that night each month, but they are all on the same page.

Good Luck

Cindy

Our school is very small (420 students), We do not have a lot of money. We do a fundraiser that earns about $5000 annually. We do as much as we can. The money comes from fundraising, and everything we do is incorporated in the annual budget. The Biggest is working with our teachers making our teachers happy. If they are happy our children are happy BUT we all know you can not make everyone happy.
We do not get the attendance that we would like to see at our monthly PTO meetings from parents or teachers. And we do not get the help from volunteers for activities so we come up with a method that tends to help(give & take approach).Our teachers are asked to submit a wish list. $200 is available to each teacher who submits a wish list. They must submit a reciept for all purchases- It is a reimbursement program so they can not spend more than they have.
They earn additional funding for their wish by helping with events and attending PTO meetings. We do cash/reimbursement incentives for the teachers to get them involved. Sad but True- Money seems to be a motivator.
-Each teacher has an opp. to earn $25 a month if a parent from their student/class attends a meeting. The parent signs in and indicates the teacher name so the teacher is put in a pool drawing. The more parents for that teacher the better the odds. (individual teacher can only be pulled 4 times a year; to make it a little more available to others).
-At the same meeting each teacher has an opp. to earn an additional $25 a month if they attend one meeting or one event a month. The Teacher signs in, and their name is put in a pool drawing.(individual teacher can only be pulled 4 times a year; to make it a little more available to others).
The students and staff also collect labels from products cambell's, box tops, ect). If there is something that might be on a teachers wish list we make it a goal to reach what they want from the catalogs provided by the manufacturer.
We do appreciation week for the teachers where we do little inexspensive things for them everyday through the week( apple, pen, $5 walmart card,) and at the end of the week the pto provides them with a luncheon which comes out of the budget also. It is not much but the feel appreciated.
As far as parent/teacher involvemet we've tried different approaches but there is always an excuse why they can not make it. My theory is they are afraid they may be asked to volunteer for something. The reimbursement incentives seem to work the best for those who use the program.
I registered here on ptotoday to seek help as you do, and so far I am liking what I see. Thank you!

The best thing about this forum is finding out that your PTO is just about like everyone elses PTO, with the same problems and issues.

We have lousy turn out among the teachers also, though they do try to make it to one meeting per year. (The one meeting is usually when they are requesting money for their special project.) But I agree with a earlier post that we aren't looking for teachers to show up every time, but to at least support us by handing out the flyers we make up, or reminding the kids that it is Wendy's night tonight etc.

As for the $100 per teacher, we have been giving out "teacher stipends" of $100 per teacher for years. We give it to them no strings attached, with the assumption that they use it for some of the out of pocket expenses they incur. (I would bet the parents who are outraged at giving them $100 are the same employees at work that fill out an expense report for mileage if they have to attend a seminar 10 miles away.)

In fact when I looked at our expenses for the last two school years, it broke down like this.

Teacher Stipends 24%
Computers and Technology 23%
Cultural Arts and Assemblies 16%
Classroom Books 10%
Other small categories with low % made up 100%

So that is what we do, whether that is the norm or not I do not know, but we feel the teachers do buy enough stuff with their own money that $100 is reasonable.