Setting goals for your unit helps you work smarter in planning and organizing the PTA year. It supplies a road map to keep you on track as board members with shared priorities to focus on, achieve and evaluate collectively.
Three, basic types of goals to consider are:
Short-range Goals: Accomplished now (starting today and within two weeks)
Intermediate Goals: Accomplished in the interim between short- and long-range goals
Long-range Goals: Accomplished by the term’s end
PLANNING
Setting one or two goals with ten ways to reach each one is better than setting ten goals with only one or two ways to get there.
When starting to plan as a board, take time to learn more about the school community’s current interests, concerns and needs. This can be done by supplying a brief survey or setting up a suggestion box online or in person. Input can be gathered as well by brainstorming at an association meeting.
In assessing community feedback, board members work together to determine:
- Will the suggestion promote the Purposes and basic policies of PTA?
- Does the idea address a valid concern or real need in the community? Or, is another organization already working on the issue?
If so, consider joining an existing coalition so that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. (See: Joining, Building, and Making Coalitions Work).
- Is the idea cost effective and feasible? Can we invest enough time, money and resources to make it happen?
5 Steps in Planning
- Research – What do our members need or want?
- Goals – What does the unit want to accomplish?
- Objectives – What will it take to reach our goal?
- Action Plan – Who does what, when, and how?
- Evaluate – How can we know it was successful?
POTENTIAL GOALS FOR THE YEAR
To help you get started, here are some ideas for possible goals to set in planning the PTA year:
- Increase unit membership
- Enhance outreach and communications
- Build stronger family-school partnerships
- Promote PTA benefits and activities
- Engage families from all neighborhoods
- Advocate for campus safety
- Celebrate diversity and practice inclusion
- Improve student health and wellness
After selecting your unit’s goals, board members collaborate to develop the chief objectives along with an action plan to attain the goals.
