What Officers Should Know About the PTA

To lead the PTA with confidence, an officer or committee chair must first understand the PTA's purposes and policies. The PTA is a national nonprofit organization that for more than 100 years has dedicated itself to advancing the well-being of children, youth, and families. The Objects of the PTA (see The Objects of the PTA) give the organization its vitality and sense of purpose. Each local unit is part of the National PTA. The state and National PTA supply units with information and resources that help them contribute to the nationwide effort to improve the well-being and education of all children and youth.

PTAs are organized primarily at school sites, but they remain independent of the school and the school system. Reflecting recent changes in the family and workforce, today's local PTAs can be organized in child-care facilities, places of business, and community centers as well as in preschools.

A unit with small membership may simplify its organization, but certain officers are essential: president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Standing committee chairs necessary to carry out the work should include membership, program/events, publicity, budget and finance, parent involvement, and legislation. Chairs of these and other committees needed to achieve the goals set each year can be appointed or elected, as provided in your local bylaws.

Each PTA unit's work is determined by the needs of its community and the interests and concerns of its members. Responding to local conditions, PTAs across the country have made their voices heard at school board meetings and sessions of the legislature in favor of funding for purposes such as arts education, improved school libraries, and removal of asbestos from schools. PTAs have led community campaigns to build child abuse shelters, provide clothing and food for needy schoolchildren, and involve parents of at-risk children in the PTA and the schools. PTAs have sponsored parent education programs and preventative education regarding teen pregnancy, AIDS, substance abuse, and suicide. The strength of the PTA lies in the ability to implement such programs and projects.

Last Updated 03/15/2005 22:19:50