Ideas for getting more parents involved in PTA

[Furzella]

I've got nobbled to be co-chair of our local primary PTA next year (dd1 will be in Year 1, dd2 is going into nursery). We've got a good and active PTA with a core membership of about 20 invloved families who are consistently the ones to organise events, bake the buns, man the bouncy castle at events, etc etc. The school, however, is large - about 60 children per year - and we'd like to get more parents involved with the PTA. We'd like to increase the diversity amongst the parents and to have a broader base of involved parents so that the things we get involved in really reflect the concerns of the broad body of the school. Also, frankly, it would be good to have some extra bodies to help at events, although this isn't the only driver. We try to make sure that there's a good balance of events and that none of them are expensive or exclusive.

Does anyone have any ideas for getting parents involved? Has anyone tried any incentives for involvement? If anyone is part of a really active PTA, how do you get the new parents at the beginning of the school involved?

All ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Gobbledigook, I'll probably be exactly where you are in a couple of years time (if it takes that long) but am still trying to be a super-keeny new girl! And I'm always surprised at other people's definitions of "busy"!

I'm only 6 months in and I've had it.

I'm sure people are busy, and if they don't want to do stuff that's fine. I just hate the excuses, the moaning and complaining. Just be honest and say you don't want to and then shut up and stop moaning.

My advice (again)
Delegate, delegate, delegate.
Always give thanks.
Always take feedback.
If it's doing your head in, leave. It will still go on without you.
Don't let it get cliquey.

Oh 'Gobbledegook' you could be me - I know exactly where you are coming from. We are a smaller school (140 total) but the same issues. Only 7 of us on committee plus about 4 regular 'helpers' but it is always us who have to do everything aswell as all the planning.We are also the ones who spend the money and some of our events would be 'no shows' without us. I took on 'chair' because one lady had done it for 3 years and had had enough and no-one else would do it. Been doing it for a year and want to stand down but again, no-one else willing to take it on. They are all happy to reap the benefits of the funds raised but won't actually do anything to help.We want to try the class reps idea but don't hold out much hope and will probably end up having to be the reps ourselves.

We had a major problem a few years back with attendance at our PTA meetings, and got fed up of same few people doing everything. We cancelled one of the children's most treasured annual events. That got the parents back involved in droves and then we appointed class reps. It's been much easier since then, but experiencing similar problems to Gobbledigook with adult events. Not sure what the answer is TBH ( it gets harder with secondary school PTA, btw)

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Brief breakdown of how we're organised. My boys' school is a registered charity here. We've set up committees, each headed by a parent member of the board with staff members too. We approach individuals to help on the committees - facilities, communication, fundraising, etc. We have regular Java Mornings/Afternoons. Class parents to email the news to all parents/mail etc. Monthly newsletters, volunteer board in the school. It's a very small school, but is very much a community .

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Doodledootoo, we don't do anything in this term that targets the children moving up from nursery to reception and I think it's a great idea and will suggest it for next year. Even if we don't pounce on parents for the PTA then, we could invite them to an early welcome event in the Autumn term.

I would make it clear from the start that each class needs two class reps and would they like to put their name down.

They don't have to commit themselves to PTA meetings then, but you can call on them when you have decided how to proceed. If you invite them later on they may not be able to attend a meeting or not want to go to one.

I really would be there right from the start. In reception many parents want to get to know new people and this way you should be able to get a good list of parents right from the start.

The first thing you can get them to do is to get together a contact list for all parents. This really helps social networking and particularly if they have email, reps can contact parents that way with updates on what's required for an event.

Doing contact lists would also be a good way to recruit from the older years, giving the PTA a contact (or two) for each class.

If any of them then come to the committee meetings, so much the better, but I wouldn't advise depending on meeting attendance to recruit new parents.

Best of luck,
MM

Thanks MrsM. We're thinking about doing a free coffee giveaway for new parents in the first week of term as we've managed to cultivate some links with one of the local coffee giants and might use that as an opportunity to collect email addresses and contact details. You seem to really have your act together with the class reps. We've always had them but I'm sure we could get it working better.

doodledootoo - just need to point out that teachers are often parents too - and want to get involved in their own child's education ...

And as for getting more people involved, our pta (for ds's primary school, not the school where I work!) sent out a questionnaire on brightly coloured paper, asking about what help people felt able to give, and how they thought the money should be spent ... from that, people who who had said they were happy to do x, y, and z were contacted, and took part in whatever they felt most suited to.

It's also meant that this year's events have been the best supported ever, as parents don't feel that they're just constantly doling out cash ....

Probably already been mentioned but new parents need it pointing out to them that they are AUTOMATICALLY members of the PTA and their ideas and participation are always welcome.

Inclusion in the Nursery/ Reception new parents meeting is an excellent way of introducing the PTA to a captive audience - although the Head sometimes need convincing of this

I'am new as chairperson on our school committee and wondered on what grounds you can make a PTA as I think this would benefit us in many ways being a small school. Yearly we easily raise £5000. Please help with advice.

More medium term but a tip from the two schools I have been involved in is to build up a file of "how to's". Both schools had regular annual fairs, with essentially the same stalls done by the same years each time, sometimes tweaked to different themes, but no corporate memory, so we got the stall leaders to submit a quick write up after the fair which could be filed and issued to the next person eg for the lucky dip you need about 300 wrapped gifts: get the donors to wrap them or you will be up all night; charge £1 a ticket etc. it is such a waste of effort reinventing the wheel each year and people are happier to take things on if it is clear what to do. And if the local Starbucks is happy to donate a big key of coffee, record it so you can hit them again next year. Etc

I second the class reps idea - don't know how one would work it otherwise. They are much more able to coax parents I to turning out to staff events as closer to them.