Job Description for President

Preparation – Review the unit Bylaws and standing rules, files, procedure book and materials from last term to better understand the scope of your new position and learn more about:

• President’s role and responsibilities in running a PTA
• Duties of each officer and chair
• California State PTA policies, procedures and resources
• PTA council and district information
• Community resources

Schedule a meeting with the principal and/or site administrator before goal-setting to ensure planned PTA activities dovetail with school-wide priorities and support student learning and success. Remind the principal that they are a member of the board and that they will have dedicated time on the PTA board or association agenda to report to board members and/or families.

To expand your skill sets as a leader, plan to attend PTA council/district training along with the other members of your board. Notify incoming unit officers of any scheduled workshops.

Start recruiting chairs and committee members, selecting first those whose work begins right away such as programs, budget, membership and communications. Meet with those committees to ensure proposed calendar and programs, budget, membership campaign, and communication plans are drafted before the first association meeting.

Encourage experienced and new members to get involved and share the workload to grow leadership for today and tomorrow.

Networking – Soon after election, meet with the current president to talk about your new role, what works well and what needs to be tweaked to make your PTA even better.

Discuss ways to share information and files among outgoing and incoming board members to ensure a smooth transition. Encourage officers-elect to also meet with their successors before the term starts.

Get connected by participating in meetings with your council/district PTA, principal and community partners. As a unit delegate to the California State PTA convention, take part in your PTA district’s convention orientation and any offered by the state PTA.

Board Orientation – Arrange for the incoming board to meet to begin organizing for the new term. Schedule this meeting before the term begins, if possible. Meetings before the term starts are meetings of the board-elect.

To help select what PTA activities to focus on, encourage everyone to assess last term’s programs and efforts. That way, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel in making your plans.

At your board orientation, take time as well to:

• Set mutually agreed-upon ground rules for meetings
• Identify two to three priorities as a team to make a difference in your school community
• Review your Bylaws and standing rules that are specific to your PTA unit.
• Check the Insurance Guide for the Green-Yellow-Red Light activities a PTA can sponsor
• Get to know each other better and build relationships

At orientation, your board can also ratify the officers, chairmen and committee members appointed by the president and fill any vacant board positions so they can begin their activities. This may also be done at the first board meeting after the term begins.

Important Tasks – At the start of the year, submit a board roster, with names and contact information, to your council or district PTA. The president, treasurer, and secretary information must include a valid mailing address and email. All communications from the State PTA are sent to the president’s address.

Coordinate with the treasurer-elect to follow the unit’s banking institution guidelines to update the signature cards for all PTA bank accounts.

Obtain any usernames and passwords for access to the PTA website, social media and online services.

Be mindful of all PTA deadlines and due dates from council, district, and state. A calendar of dates should be provided to you by your district/council and a state calendar is provided in the summer welcome mailing.

• Adhere to PTA financial procedures as outlined in bylaws and State and National PTA guidelines
• Protect members’ privacy by utilizing member information for PTA work only
• Attend PTA sponsored workshops or trainings
• Maintain a current procedure book to pass on to a successor, in hard copy or electronic format
• Work together as a team to improve the lives of all children and their families

Running Your PTA – Monthly Activities

As the team leader, the president oversees and coordinates the work of the executive board in running a PTA.

Here are some tasks that, typically, the president works on each month.

Facilitating:

• Prepare for board meetings and create an agenda to send to the board ahead of time
• Chair board meetings, following the agenda to keep everyone on task
• Review board reports including those prepared by the treasurer, financial secretary and membership chair plus the secretary’s minutes from board meetings
• Sign PTA checks and authorizations for payment along with another, designated board member

Collaborating:

• Touch base with other team members about their plans and preparations for upcoming events
• Meet regularly with the principal to share information on PTA and school activities and to clear all PTA written materials before publishing in hard copy or posting online
• Attend all meetings of the council PTA as the unit representative or, if unavailable, arrange to have another unit board member attend

Communicating:

• Update board, members and community stakeholders on PTA plans and activities, encouraging input and feedback
• Thank PTA volunteers for their time, talents and efforts
• Promote outreach, inclusion and diversity to connect families, school and community
• Promptly review all council and district communications as well as service mailings from California State PTA and National PTA. Be alert for any due dates that affect the PTA. Distribute and share materials as appropriate.

PTA surveys tell us that members say meetings are effective when they know why they are meeting, believe their time was well-spent making decisions and feel they accomplished something at a meeting.

That’s why the president’s primary role at meetings is to act as a facilitator to set the tone and manage PTA business in an effective way. And, the main role of the board is to come prepared and assist the president in working through the agenda.

Here are some ways to help make meetings more effective and productive:

Before A Meeting – As part of your preparation, consult with other board members to identify the meeting’s chief objectives, activities to engage participants and who will present verbal and written reports. This helps determine what to include in the agenda that you’ll create for the meeting.

Send the agenda to participants ahead of time and widely publicize the purpose of the meeting.

Prepare and file any required school district Facility Use forms. A PTA unit usually meets at the school site; if meeting off-site, check site requirements and ensure adequate notice of date, time, and location are provided in advance to all attendees.

To boost participation, add social time before or after a meeting for everyone to network. And, recruit interpreters and translate handouts in home languages for your meetings.

At A Meeting – Successful meetings give you an opportunity to inform, inspire and empower members. To run an effective meeting, keep everyone on track and time by following the agenda. The parliamentarian can assist with time-keeping and noting the names and order of speakers.

As the facilitator, it’s also important to remain fair and unbiased so everyone feels welcome and able to participate.

At the end of the meeting, take time to summarize what was accomplished and important next steps for business items.

After A Meeting – Share the results of the meeting with participants to keep them connected to the work of your PTA. Ensure the secretary distributes the minutes to the appropriate group, executive board or association, promptly. And, follow up with officers and chairs on next steps and action items from the minutes to complete tasks and accomplish goals. 

School leaders and the PTA represent two important groups on the school campus: staff and families. They work closely together at a school site as partners in education to support student success.

To nurture this important partnership:

1. Set the Tone – Build a relationship and collaborate together.
2. Two-Way Communication – Meet with the principal early in the year and keep him or her updated on events, activities or concerns.
3. Collaborating with the School – Be aware of the school’s improvement needs and encourage PTA members to actively participate in School Site Councils, governance teams, or related committees.
4. Training Opportunities – Offer to provide training and resources for families at the school.
5. School District Level Involvement – Use the school district’s master calendar to become aware of activities where PTA’s presence is needed and request an opportunity to provide a presentation at school board meetings.
6. Build a Strong Team – Ask for the principal’s help in encouraging staff to become PTA members. Learn from others and share your knowledge as well.