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Job Description for Family Engagement Chairman

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Key Role – Family Engagement Chairman

Plans and organizes family engagement outreach, programs and activities for the school year
Publicizes family engagement activities and events using newsletters, website, social media and backpack express
Works with committee and other chairmen

Getting Started

Preparation – Meet with last year’s family engagement chairman to learn more about what worked best and the scope of the position.

Read fliers, program booklets, surveys, evaluations, PTA training materials, PTA council and district information, and community resources.

Schedule Meetings – Discuss roles and goals of family engagement committee with executive board-elect. Align goals with those of the PTA and school.

Meet early with family engagement committee, appointed by president-elect. Include both new and experienced volunteers who reflect the diversity of the school community on the committee.

Ways to Empower Parents

Encourage parents to participate in school activities such as back-to-school nights
Help parents strengthen parenting skills and involvement in their children’s lives
Train parents as advocates for their children at school and during parent-teacher conferences
Start a Family Resource Center at school filled with information on parenting, community resources and school information on policy, procedures, testing and curriculum
Create a welcome packet for new families, with information on the school and community resources
Ensure translation in home languages is available for parents, whenever needed; for example, in the school office, at back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences and PTA meetings
Provide forums to share family histories and culture to enrich the school community

How Tos

5 Tips for Outreach

Promote regular, two-way, parent-school communication
Encourage parent and staff training on the value and importance of family engagement to support student success
Collaborate with other PTAs and community partners to share information, materials and speakers and to co-sponsor family engagement events
Put parenting tips in school/ PTA newsletters and email blasts or on the website and social media
Hold meetings at different times/days in the community to ensure that parents feel welcome and to respect parents’ work schedules

Develop Year-Long Action Plan

Survey parents, staff and students to identify the needs and priorities of the school community
Create a family engagement team with parents, teachers, students, administrators and community partners to work together to support student success
Design a family engagement Action Plan to reach and engage all families in the school community
Present the programs budget for the Action Plan to the PTA board and association for approval
Evaluate the effectiveness of the Action Plan, using a year-end survey or an evaluation sheet filled out at each event/activity

Program Ideas

Organize family engagement events and parent information nights as part of the family engagement Action Plan on topics such as:
- Child development, parenting skills, school policies, homework help, curriculum, reading, writing, math, STEAM, standardized testing, health and wellness, multiculturalism and diversity, school safety, bullying and gangs, substance abuse, the arts, family life/sex education or social media and cyber safety
- Contact local preschools, nearby schools and neighbors to invite them to participate

Learn more: California State PTA – capta.org | National PTA – pta.org

Six National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

National PTA has adopted 6 standards for effective family engagement programs. The standards focus on what parents, schools, and communities can do together to support student success. Family engagement programs will be most effective if they include all of the standards:

Standard 1 – Welcoming All Families into the School Community
Families are active participants in the life of the school, and feel welcomed, valued, and connected to each other, to school staff, and to what students are learning and doing in class.

Standard 2 – Communicating Effectively
Families and school staff engage in regular, two-way, meaningful communication and learning.

Standard 3 – Supporting Student Success
Families and school staff continuously collaborate to support student learning and healthy development, both at home and at school, and have regular opportunities to strengthen their knowledge and skills to do so effectively.

Standard 4 – Speaking Up for Every Child
Families are empowered to be advocates for their own and other children, to ensure that students are treated fairly and have access to learning opportunities that will support their success.

Standard 5 – Sharing Power
Families and school staff are equal partners in decisions that affect children and families and together inform, influence, and create policies, practices and programs.

Standard 6 – Collaborating With the Community
Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families and staff to expanded learning opportunities, community services and civic participation.

Job Description for Parliamentarian

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Key Role – Parliamentarian

Assists the president to manage meetings and advises on parliamentary procedure
Chairs Bylaws committee to review unit Bylaws each year and revise Bylaws every three years
Arranges nominating committee’s first meeting, providing information on nomination and election process

Getting Started

Preparation – To know more about your new position, review files from last term including your unit Bylaws and Standing Rules. It’s also worthwhile to talk to the outgoing parliamentarian for advice and tips about your new role.

Visit California State PTA – capta.org – and learn more about:

PTA resources and templates on parliamentary basics for meetings
Bylaws review process
Free e-Bylaws Program online to revise and update unit Bylaws
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised

Meetings – Meet with the incoming president to identify ways to work together to make board and association meetings even more effective.

At the first board meeting, hand out copies of the Bylaws and go through them together. This helps everyone learn more about PTA.

To make board meetings run smoothly, provide information on parliamentary basics such as how to make a motion.

Important Tasks – Contact your PTA council/district to verify that it has a copy of your current Bylaws on file. And, remember to update the username and password for access to California State PTA’s e-Bylaws Program online.

How Tos

Parliamentarians act as a facilitator for bylaws, consultant to manage meetings and mentor for members on parliamentary procedure.

Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

Facilitator – Bylaws are the legally binding document of your PTA as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. They provide the basic framework of your unit and how it functions.

Information on your board, committees, membership, meetings and elections is in the Bylaws.

Details on PTA policies and required procedures for board rosters, financial reports, financial reviews, dues and Bylaws review are also supplied.

In addition, your unit’s legal name and identification numbers – issued by National and State PTA as well as Federal and State government agencies for tax filings – are listed in Bylaws.

As a facilitator, be prepared to know more about how Bylaws shape your unit and how it operates as a nonprofit organization.

A good first step is to create a quick Bylaws’ reference guide to use throughout the term.

Go online – capta.org – and download the resource, Running Your PTA Made Easy. Here, you will find the Unit Bylaws Information Summary sheet: a one-pager to print and fill in with details on your PTA.

During the year, you also take the lead in reviewing the Bylaws.

If changes are needed, ask the president to appoint a Bylaws committee to prepare revised Bylaws and send them to your PTA council/district parliamentarian. In turn, he or she will submit your Bylaws to California State PTA for approval.

Consultant – Assisting the president to manage meetings well is another aspect of your new position.

For instance, if a question on parliamentary procedure comes up, the president might ask for your advice before making a ruling. That’s why knowing more about Robert’s Rules of Order for parliamentary basics will prove useful.

Start the year right by working with the board to set ground rules for meetings.

This might include agreement on how many can speak in favor and against a motion and how much time is allowed for each speaker. If these agreed norms work well, consider adding them to your unit’s Standing Rules.

To make meetings run smoothly, encourage participants to focus discussion on the agenda item at hand. You can also help everyone stay on task by acting as a timekeeper so meetings start and end on time.

And, remember to keep a speakers’ list for the president to use when people raise their hands to be recognized. That way everyone has an equal chance to be heard.

Mentor – Members often rely on the parliamentarian to clarify how meetings are conducted and how to participate to achieve your PTA’s main goals and objectives.

Be proactive to raise awareness of how parliamentary procedure is a reliable way to run meetings. This includes understanding the five, basic ‘rules of the game’:

Order – One business item at a time
Equal Opportunity – Chance to participate
Justice – Fairness | Everyone understands
Right of Minority – To be heard
Right of Majority – To decide

To explain the basics, provide how tos at meetings with mini-training or handouts on motions, voting and the rules of debate. For wider outreach, post these tips on your PTA website, e-news or social media.

You also mentor the nominating committee. This includes setting up its first meeting and conducting an election for the chairman.

To help it get started, supply information from your Bylaws on nominating and election procedures. Take time to explain what positions to fill and who is eligible to serve on the board for the upcoming term.

Did you know? … PTA Board Members:

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

Other Useful Information

Resources:

California State PTA – www.capta.org

PTA Leaders tab and more
California State PTA Toolkit
Running Your PTA Made Easy
Insurance Guide – Also mailed annually to PTA presidents

Online Services:

Officer Contact System – To enter officer and board member information and generate useful reports
e-Bylaws – To revise and update PTA unit Bylaws
Tax Filing Support Center – To help units meet Federal and State reporting requirements
MyPTEZ – To handle PTA accounting needs and generate financial reports
TOTEM – ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – To join and renew membership and for PTAs to manage membership

National PTA – www.pta.org

Run Your PTA tab and more
E-Learning Workshops
One Voice Blog

Job Description for Membership Chairman

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The PTA membership chairman/vice president works with the membership committee to plan the annual membership campaign. The membership chairman/vice president is responsible for creating and implementing a membership plan, promoting membership throughout the year, providing membership reports at PTA board and association meetings, collecting dues, and distributing membership cards.

Obtain (from predecessor and unit president) and study materials related to performing the duties of membership chairman/vice president:

Membership campaign plans from past years, including goals, themes, calendars, budgets, final membership numbers, etc.

Download or obtain the Membership section of the California State PTA Toolkit to learn the basics of PTA membership, responsibilities, campaign planning and available resources.

Contact council or district PTA for current membership information, due dates, incentives and awards offered.

Attend PTA training designed for membership chairmen/vice presidents.

Meet with the membership committee, appointed by the president-elect, before the beginning of the school year. Work closely with the school principal, the unit president and the membership committee members.

Suggested committee members could include: principal, treasurer, teacher, hospitality chairman, public relations/publicity coordinator, room representative coordinator and students (essential in a secondary PTA).

Developing a Membership Plan

With the membership committee:

Set attainable membership goals for the year.
Develop a membership theme, if appropriate.
Create a year-long calendar of membership events. Include due dates set by council and district PTAs for remittances, and for awards and incentive.
Develop a budget to support your membership plan projects and events.

A successful membership plan will:

Attract new members and retains previous members;
Include a student, teachers and staff involvement element in the campaign.

Resources are provided to support a successful membership campaign.

Membership envelopes are available for collection of membership dues. Contact the council or district PTA to order envelopes for a nominal cost.
Membership cards are also available to you through your council or district PTA. There is no charge for membership cards. Develop a plan to ensure that each member of your PTA receives a membership card.

Present the membership plan to the executive board for approval.

Implementing the Membership Plan

Announce the membership plan and theme.
With permission from your principal, include membership information in the first day packet or at school registrations.
Ask principal to send membership information to the school community including membership join links.
Create a membership kick-off plan which should include invitations to join, outlining the accomplishment and benefits of PTA. Invitations, with membership envelopes, can be sent home with students if the school administration approves. Translate invitations as needed. The membership kick-off plan could also include a special kick-off event.
Encourage the return of all envelopes, full or empty, by recognizing all students for their efforts.
Use a membership theme to create visually enticing invitations to join PTA. Promote the theme through events and incentives.
Distribute special invitations for all teachers and staff.
Promote PTA membership through social media sites, email invitations, texts, etc.
Include the join link in all email/social media communication
Include QR code in Join PTA posters at the school and on community bulletin boards
Regularly promote membership in your PTA or school newsletter and website.
Set up a PTA membership table at school and community events.
Create a welcome packet for new families who come to your school during the year. Include an invitation to join and a calendar of PTA events.
Invite past PTA leaders, past administrators and teachers, past school staff members, past Honorary Service recipients, community leaders, local businesses, elected officials, librarians, crossing guards, after school program providers—INVITE EVERYONE TO JOIN PTA!
Report membership progress at all PTA meetings

Collecting Membership Dues

Determine your PTA dues amount; it is listed in your local unit PTA bylaws. See Membership Dues, California State PTA Toolkit.

Dues collection:

Work with your school principal to establish the best process for collection of membership dues envelopes without taking away from classroom time.
Collect membership envelopes promptly. PTA leaders are responsible for membership dues, not school staff.
Use PTA financial procedures for counting and depositing money. Assign at least two people to open membership envelopes and count membership dues; one should be a financial officer.
Ensure that per capita dues are forwarded though PTA channels regularly—at least monthly.
E-membership dues are forwarded automatically

Distributing Membership Cards

Membership cards can be obtained from the council or district PTA. Request additional membership cards as needed.
Fill in the membership cards using an available template and your computer printer. PTA EZ™ and Just Between Friends also have online membership templates. Membership cards can also be completed by hand.
Every member should receive a membership card. Remember: one dues payment=one membership card=one association vote.

Ongoing Responsibilities

Give regular membership reports at all PTA meetings.
Maintain a list of members, updating as new members are enrolled. Provide copies to the unit president and secretary.
Promote current member benefits to give added value to PTA membership.
Make an effort to qualify and/or apply for available membership awards to recognize and honor your PTA for membership efforts.

Job Description for Health

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The National PTA and California State PTA consider health education to be of major importance. Local units should promote health education.

Some ways to promote Physical, Mental and Emotional Health Education are to:

Help parents recognize and respond to the health and nutrition needs of their children and families.
Encourage compliance with mandated health education curriculum.
Work to improve health care services, in particular the credentialed school nurse-to-student ratio, in school and community.
Stress the concepts of wellness and prevention.
Update and implement school wellness policies.
Emphasize the importance of healthy lifestyles and modeling these lifestyles for children.
Support and promote a healthy school environment.
Make parents cognizant of and responsive to environmental issues and hazards that may jeopardize the health of children and families.
Ensure a comprehensive school health program that integrates activities and services designed to promote the optimal physical, emotional, social and educational development of children and youth.

Recommended Action

Work with program chairman each year to facilitate at least one PTA meeting about health topics.
Arrange to have a health display table at PTA meetings. Distribute health materials.
Work with classroom teachers and parents to secure alternatives to food as rewards.
Identify alternative ways to celebrate school and non-school events by using non-food items.
Be sensitive to student and adult special needs when planning PTA sponsored events including physical accessibility and dietary needs such as food allergies; students with diabetes, etc.
Ensure that the school complies with the standards for physical education and recess for every student.
Promote physical education and activity events throughout the community.
Encourage volunteerism in the areas of student screening for hearing, vision, scoliosis, etc.
Request a line item in the PTA budget for student health and welfare needs.
Support comprehensive health education instruction at all grade levels, in compliance with the California Standards for Health Education, including first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training. See Education Code 51202.
Promote hand washing in classrooms, especially prior to eating and after using the restroom.
Promote increased access to fruits and vegetables and free, fresh drinking water.
Submit health-related articles for unit newsletter. Ask the school nurse for articles and suggestions or use health articles from State PTA publications, PTA allied agencies and health websites.
Use social media to promote health and wellness messages and tips.
Participate in ongoing health projects of the National PTA and California State PTA.
Support health-related events, such as Red Ribbon Week, National Immunization Month, School Nurse Day, Children’s Health Month, Yellow Ribbon Month, National Nutrition Month, Dental Health Month, World AIDS Day, and the Great American Smoke Out.
Work with local school districts and statewide policymakers to ensure policies are enacted to provide appropriate health leadership by credentialed school nurses, including adoption of the recommended nurse-to-student ratio of 1-to-750.
Educate school staff and families on the importance of healthy indoor air quality and its relationship to student and staff health, academic achievement and absenteeism.
Educate students, parents, school personnel and the community about the high incidence of skin cancer and recommended strategies for reducing risk for this disease.
Educate school staff and families on the importance of comprehensive school health programs including dental programs.
Encourage schools to implement Public Access to Defibrillator Programs (PADs).

Additional Projects Might Include

Establish a School Health Council.
Represent PTA on allied agency committees and school district committees or task forces.
Plan a community or school wellness fair including speakers, health-related demonstrations, displays and video materials provided by local agencies (Community and Wellness Fairs).
Advocate for school or community fruit and vegetable gardens and farmer’s markets.
Encourage adult and youth participation in first aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) classes, and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) training, and Public Access to Defibrillator Programs throughout the community.
Prepare and distribute a list of community health agencies, hotlines for drug/alcohol abuse, child abuse, and crisis intervention.
Support school-based immunization programs and parent education related to the benefits of immunization.

Additional Resources

Action for Healthy Kids, California tab
Alliance Working Antibiotic Resistance Education (AWARE)
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Cancer Society School Health Programs
American Dental Association
American Diabetes Association
American Heart Association
American Lung Association (www.lungusa.org) (www.californialung.com)
California Association of Public Hospitals
California Association of School Based Health Centers
California Dental Association
California Department of Health Care Services,Mental Health Services Division
California Department of Public Health
California Dietetic Association
California Environmental Protection Agency
California Food Policy Advocates
California School Boards Association, School Wellness
California School Nurses Organization
California School Nutrition Association
California State PTA, Council or District PTA Health Chairs
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
California Department of Education, Learning Support Division, including School Nutrition, Health, Counseling and Support and Safe Schools (www.cde.ca.gov)
Children’s Environmental Health Network
Coordinated (Comprehensive) School Health
County Health and Mental Health Departments
County Health Department Health Educator
Dairy Council of California
Environmental Protection Agency
Food, Allergy, Research & Education
Healthy Kids Resource Center
Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project
Local county or city health department bulletins
Mental Health America
National Association of School Nurses
National Association of State School Nurse Consultants
National Center for Health Education
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
National Institutes of Health
Natural Resources Defense Council (Environmental)
School Nutrition Association
The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools
The Via Foundation

PTA Resources

PTA in California (official magazine of California State PTA)
California State PTA Health Pocket Pal
California State PTA website
Insurance and Loss Prevention Guide (English and Spanish) mailed annually to PTA presidents
Our Children (National PTA magazine)
Back-to-School Kit for Leaders (National PTA)
National PTA website Health and Safety webpages
California State PTA Vice President for Health (health@capta.org) or 916.440.1985 ext. 306

Job Description for Historian

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KEY ROLE – Historian

Captures, assembles and preserves record of activities and achievements of a PTA
Collects volunteer hours for PTA meetings and events
Completes and submits the PTA Unit-Annual Historian Report to council/district PTA
Displays or presents brief overview of PTA year at meeting near the end of the school year

GETTING STARTED

Preparation – Look through the procedure book and other materials supplied by previous historian for ideas on how it was done and what worked best last term.

Review Annual Report Form – Familiarize yourself with the form entitled “PTA Unit-Annual Historian Report Form” which is used to report volunteer hours annually to council/district PTA. The form is found in the California State PTA Toolkit, Forms Chapter, online to download. Direct any questions to your council/district president.

Record Volunteer Hours – Decide on a process to record volunteer hours at all meetings and PTA events, using a tool such as a tally sheet or excel spreadsheet.

PTA Training – Attend council, district and California State PTA workshops for historians to get the big picture.

FAQs – HISTORIAN

Why do historians collect volunteer hours for a PTA?
Volunteer hours are collected and reported to maintain PTA’s federal tax exemption status. As a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, PTA must receive 1/3 (one-third) of its support from the general public. The recorded hours from volunteers are proof of this. They are also used in advocating on behalf of children and as information in grant writing.

What do I include as volunteer hours?
Include time spent by all of your members in activities related to the operation of your PTA. This includes volunteer time spent for meetings, preparation, travel, PTA events, workshops and convention. One easy way to remember is, if PTA asks you to do it, count it toward your PTA’s volunteer hours.

How do I collect volunteer hours?
Start to collect and tally all of your members’ hours from the beginning of the PTA year. Consider using a sign in or tally sheet at PTA events and meetings for everyone to use to report their volunteer hours each month. To meet the due date for the PTA Unit-Annual Historian Report in your PTA council/district, usually in April/May, remind your members to project their volunteer hours through June 30 of the reporting year.

Showcase Your PTA History

Take lots of photos at PTA events
Set up a display board to highlight your PTA activities in school hall/office
Share your PTA History at Back to School Night, staff luncheons and community events
Present ‘mock’ check to your school board to show dollar value of volunteer hours at end of school year
Collaborate with Founders Day Chairman to promote PTA History
Create a President’s Memory Book to present at end of term
Send out press releases to local media of your events
Add PTA History to your website or social media postings

Learn more: www.capta.org

Job Description for Founders Day Chairman

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Key Role – Founders Day Chairman

Works with committee and other chairmen to organize PTA Founders Day event
Oversees and delegates volunteer recruitment for implementing and running event
Presents Founders Day budget for approval at the executive board meeting at start of the PTA year and monitor authorized budget
Reports on Founders Day plans and organization at board meetings

Getting Started

Preparation – Review the procedure book from last term for ideas on what worked well.

Schedule Meeting – Get together early in the year with the Founders Day committee to brainstorm ideas, set goals and propose activities together. Include new and experienced volunteers on the committee for planning, preparation and work. Coordinate efforts with your historian, program chairman and hospitality chairman.

Celebrating Founders Day

To celebrate our legacy, success and power as a leading voice speaking for all children and raise awareness of PTA’s achievements:

Provide information on your PTA’s milestones, goals and successes
Showcase community service and publicly recognize volunteers, educators, school staff and community partners with Honorary Service Awards
Share the PTA legacy and story as the premier organization building strong family-school partnerships

What To Do

Draft an outline for your Founders Day event with suggested program ideas, date, venue and budget to present to the board and association for approval. Use the Event Planning Worksheet as a record and checklist of your committee’s timeline, preparations, expenses and work.
Consider what format – family potluck, town hall meeting, ice cream social or special luncheon – might work best for your event.
Blend in other program elements such as a student performance, speakers, Honorary Service Awards presentations, a freewill offering and membership drive for your Founders Day Event.
Widely publicize your event on campus – starting with a ‘Save the Date’ notice – using backpack express, newsletters, email blasts, websites and social media.
Build a guest list to invite past and present PTA leaders, HSA recipients plus school district and community members.
Book a venue or site in advance. Check that all permits including a facility use permit are filed, set-up arrangements are confirmed and access for the disabled is planned.
Recruit volunteers to help with invitations, publicity, handouts, presentations, signs, evaluations, decorations and hospitality.
Assign volunteers for set up, equipment checks, program coordination, photographs, reception, membership drive and cleanup for the day of the event.
After the event, send thank you notes, assess evaluations and remind treasurer to forward the Founders Day freewill offering to council/district PTA.
File a report in a procedure book with samples of invitations, publicity and handouts for your successor.

Learn more: capta.org

Job Description for Secretary

Download to print the Secretary Job Description

Key Role – Secretary

Takes minutes at board and association meetings
Co-signs formal papers with president: authorizations for payment, resolutions and formal letters
Handles PTA correspondence as directed by the president
Maintains and preserves PTA records and important documents to pass on at the end of the term

Getting Started

Preparation – Review files and procedure book from last term to better understand the scope of your new position. Materials should include:

Secretary’s minute book with minutes from board and association meetings
PTA records – Bylaws, membership list, charter, rosters and correspondence

If your PTA has a recording secretary and a corresponding secretary, discuss how you will work together.

Find out more about:

PTA policies, best practices and resources
Insurance Guide

It’s also worthwhile to talk to last term’s secretary to get advice and tips about your new role.

How Tos

Minutes – Quick Tips

As one of three required officers for a PTA, the secretary plays an important part in running a unit. One main task is to provide concise and complete minutes for board and association meetings.

Here are some tips on how to produce and handle meeting minutes to help you get started.

Recording – When taking minutes at a meeting, focus on noting:

Actions taken by group in the order they took place
What is done, not what is said

This means that any detailed discussion or personal opinion is not included in the minutes.

Whether you hand-write or use a laptop or device to take notes at a meeting to produce the minutes, remember to include the following information:

Meeting Details:

Name of your PTA
Date, place and type of meeting
Start time and end time of meeting
Attendance list
Name and title of presiding officer

Business Items:

Approval of previous meeting’s minutes ‘as written’ or ‘as corrected’ with a list of corrections
Summary of treasurer’s report listing date and balance on hand in the last report, income, expenses and date and balance on hand in the current report
Motions to adopt budget, financial reports, financial review reports and resolutions
List of payments authorized or expenditures ratified to pay bills
Motions to approve projects, fundraisers, contracts and bylaws changes, noting person’s name making a motion and vote’s result if adopted or defeated
For motions with a counted vote, record if a quorum or majority was needed and the number for and against the motion
For motions requiring a two/thirds vote, note that a two-thirds vote was required for approval after the outcome of the motion

Summaries of Reports/Presentations:

Summary of officer, chairmen and administrator reports with important, written reports attached
Election results with nominees’ name and the number of votes each nominee received
Brief reference to program presented at an association meeting, noting type of presentation, presenter, title and organization represented

In addition, at the end of the minutes, add your signature and title: e.g. ‘Maria Perez, Secretary’.

Distributing – It’s always best to complete the minutes soon after a meeting. Send a copy to the president to review before distributing minutes to the group that generated them.

There are several ways to share minutes with your members. For a smaller group, such as a board, you can email the minutes for review before the next meeting.

For association meetings, you can prepare hard copies of minutes as handouts or to post at a meeting. And, you can also publish minutes in a unit newsletter if it is sent only to PTA members.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that PTA minutes are produced only for members and are not for public distribution.

For this reason, they are not posted on any website, on social media or in a newsletter in their entirety.

Instead, for association meetings, provide only a summary of the minutes online and in school newsletters that highlights the main actions taken at the meeting.

SAMPLE – SUMMARY OF ASSOCIATION MEETING

ABC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA
ASSOCIATION MEETING
JULY 1, 2017

RECOGNITIONS – Tanya Brown was recognized for her efforts as a PTA volunteer.

REPORTS – Committee reports were given for Membership, Ways and Means and the Book Fair.

CONSENT ITEMS – Consideration and approval of:

Field trip to the Natural History Museum for Grades 4-5
Science Camp for Grades 4-5 in Sacramento, CA

ACTION ITEMS – Consideration and approval of:

2017-18 proposed budget
2017-18 fundraising project with Acme Gift Wrap, Inc., to raise funds for Science Camp
2017-18 fundraising project to provide guest speaker on family engagement in school

PLANNING ITEMS – Discussion on:

Organizing Reflections Arts Program in September
Organizing Red Ribbon Week in October

Approving – Minutes are presented for approval at the next meeting of the group as a standard agenda item. This action is recorded in two, different places in the master copies of the minutes:

Minutes of current meeting – Note that previous meeting’s minutes were approved ‘as written’ or ‘as corrected’ and list the corrections
Minutes of previous meeting – Write the word ‘Approved’ and the date after your signature and title

The president can also appoint a committee, ideally three people, to approve minutes during the term. This helps to save time at a meeting.

When using this method to approve minutes, committee members must be present at the meeting to:

Read the minutes on behalf of members
Report on corrections at the next meeting
Sign and date approval of the minutes after secretary’s signature on the master copy of the minutes

Correcting – Corrections to minutes are made when they are presented for approval at a meeting. They can also be made at any subsequent meeting when an error is discovered.

Only the group involved in the meeting – the board or the association – may correct minutes from one of their previous meetings.

To record a correction in the master copy of the minutes, use a red ink pen to:

Circle the incorrect words
Write, in the margin, the correction, the date and your initials

Preserving – Minutes are the legal, permanent records of a PTA as a nonprofit organization and are kept forever. At the end of the term, the master copy of the minutes, from board and association meetings, should be bound and passed on to your successor.

Beyond the Minutes

As secretary, you are assigned a few other tasks as indicated in your bylaws. At meetings, be prepared to refer to minutes of previous meetings, bylaws and the current membership list, if asked. You may also be asked to provide blank paper for voting by ballot and to help count a vote.

For an association meeting, the secretary presents a board report and moves the adoption of board recommendations.

In addition, some administrative tasks carried out by the secretary include:

Sending notices of board meetings
Preparing a list of unfinished business from meetings for the president to follow up on
Notifying officers and committee members of their election or appointment

Did you Know? … PTA Board Members

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

Other Useful Information

Resources:

California State PTA – www.capta.org

PTA Leaders tab and more
California State PTA Toolkit
Running Your PTA Made Easy
Insurance Guide – Also mailed annually to PTA presidents

Online Services:

Officer Contact System – To enter officer and board member information and generate useful reports
e-Bylaws – To revise and update PTA unit Bylaws
Tax Filing Support Center – To help units meet Federal and State reporting requirements
MyPTEZ – To handle PTA accounting needs and generate financial reports
TOTEM – ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – To join and renew membership and for PTAs to manage membership

National PTA – www.pta.org

Run Your PTA tab and more
E-Learning Workshops
One Voice Blog

Job Description for President

Download to Print the President Job Description

Key Role – President

Oversees and coordinates the work of an executive board to run a PTA effectively
Presides at PTA board and association meetings
Serves as the official contact, communicator and representative of a PTA
Designated as an authorized signer for PTA checks, contracts and authorizations for payment
Serves as ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee
Works with other PTA leaders to connect families, school and community to support student success

Getting Started

Preparation – Review 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 chairman
California State PTA policies, procedures and resources
PTA council and district information
Community resources

To expand your skill sets as a leader, plan to attend PTA council/district training along with the other members of your board.

Start recruiting chairmen and committee members, selecting first those whose work begins right away such as programs, budget, membership and communications.

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.

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

Board Orientation – Arrange for the incoming board to meet to begin organizing for the new term.

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 ground rules for meetings
Identify 2-3 priorities as a team to make a difference in your school community
Review your Bylaws to learn more about PTA
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.

Remember to update the signature cards for any PTA bank account and any usernames and passwords for access to the PTA website, social media and online services.

Did you know? … PTA Board Members

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

How Tos

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
Lead board meetings, following the agenda to keep everyone on task
Review board reports including those prepared by the treasurer, financial secretary and membership chairman 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 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
Ensure that PTA volunteer hours are recorded and tallied for the Annual Historian Report

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

Managing Meetings – Quick Tips

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.

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.

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. And, follow up with officers and chairmen on next steps and action items to complete tasks and accomplish goals.

Working With Administrators – 6 Effective Ways

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

To nurture this important partnership:

Set the Tone – Build a relationship and collaborate together.
Two-Way Communication – Meet with the principal early in the year and keep him or her updated on events, activities or concerns.
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.
Training Opportunities – Offer to provide parent training and resources at the school.
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.
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.

Other Useful Information

Resources:

California State PTA – www.capta.org

PTA Leaders tab and more
California State PTA Toolkit
Running Your PTA Made Easy
Insurance Guide – Also mailed annually to PTA presidents

Online Services:

Officer Contact System – To enter officer and board member information and generate useful reports
e-Bylaws – To revise and update PTA unit Bylaws
Tax Filing Support Center – To help units meet Federal and State reporting requirements
MyPTEZ – To handle PTA accounting needs and generate financial reports
TOTEM – ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – To join and renew membership and for PTAs to manage membership

National PTA – www.pta.org

Run Your PTA tab and more
E-Learning Workshops
One Voice Blog

Building a Positive School Climate Through Restorative Justice Practices

Adopted in August 2022

California State PTA believes students are more inclined to demonstrate positive behavior when their school climates and relationships inspire feelings of trust, safety, and belonging.

California State PTA supports restorative justice practices as a powerful approach to equitable student discipline rather than punitive-based methods that have been historically used in school settings.

Restorative justice is a broad term that encompasses a growing social movement to institutionalize non-punitive, relationship-centered approaches for avoiding and addressing harm, responding to violations of legal and human rights, and collaboratively solving problems. In a school setting, restorative justice is a theory of justice that focuses on mediation and agreement rather than punishment.

The negative outcomes associated with punitive school environments are especially harmful for students of color and students with disabilities. A substantial body of research shows that suspensions and expulsions are strongly linked to a wide range of negative outcomes for students, including missed instructional time, low achievement on standardized exams and involvement in the juvenile and criminal justice systems. Students who have been suspended are three times more likely to drop out of high school by 10th grade than students who have never been suspended.

Unlike zero-tolerance approaches, which seek to hold students accountable through punitive discipline—often in the form of classroom or school removals—restorative approaches achieve accountability through the development of caring, supportive relationships and through strategies that allow students to reflect on their behavior and make amends when needed to preserve the health of the community.

Restorative justice practices provide families, students and communities a way to ensure accountability while at the same time breaking the cycle of retribution and violence.

Restorative justice practices should seek to work with students to come to a solution by focusing on repairing harm through inclusive practices that engage all educational partners.

California State PTA believes restorative justice practices empower students, strengthen campus communities, prevent bullying and reduce student conflicts. Students learn how to interact and manage their relationships with adults and peers. They become better equipped to understand how their actions impact others and how to monitor future behavior. Restorative practices encourage positive outcomes for students and the school community.

Restorative justice practices implemented with fidelity should include the following key principles:

Voluntary participation.
Respect for all involved.
Inclusion of the people impacted.
A focus on the harms, needs and causes that have arisen.
Consensus-based decision making focused on how to repair the harm and prevent future harm.
Opportunity for dialogue that aligns with the above principles.
Expanding the capacity of the community to create a just and fair response.

Because each school creates its own unique culture, California State PTA believes the implementation and practice of restorative justice should be tailored to the needs of each school and with the knowledge and support of each school community. Schools should intentionally anchor practices in shared core values. This provides a common language for students, parents and teachers to understand what is expected from all members of the school community.

Additionally, school discipline, classroom management and social and emotional learning cannot be separated. As schools look at new initiatives to address these fundamental aspects of teaching and learning the overlap of restorative justice practices, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), trauma-informed teaching and Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) all work together to build safer more effective schools. The practices complement each other and work together to meet the goals of providing clear, consistent routines and expectations that lead to better functioning classroom and school communities.

The successful implementation of restorative justice practices requires the involvement and commitment of the entire school-community including families. Introducing restorative practices to the students’ families in an inclusive, collaborative and culturally sensitive manner is critical for success. When families are seen as a key educational partner group and then invited to participate early on in the process, implementation and ongoing sustainability of the restorative practices approach is much more likely to succeed.

Status Offenders

Adopted March 1987 – Revised February 2021 – Health & Community Concerns Commission

A status offender is any person under the age of 18 years who persistently or habitually refuses to obey the reasonable and proper orders or directions of a parent or guardian, is beyond the control of a parent or guardian, or who is under the age of 18 years when violating any city/county ordinance or state statute establishing a curfew based solely on age. Status offenders are governed by section 601 of the California Welfare and Institutions Code.

California State PTA recognizes the need for community-based programs to help address the problems of status offenders. Such programs should include:

Family involvement in the problem-solving process;
Family mediation in crisis situations;
Counseling, training, work experience, education, and family engagement;
Cooperation and coordination with law enforcement agencies, social service agencies, and educational institutions;
Out-of-home placement when in the best interest of the youth and/or the family;
The provision of safe shelters for temporary placement while families and/or appropriate agencies are contacted.

California State PTA strongly supports the use of School Attendance Review Boards and other social agencies in dealing with problems of habitual truancy and persistent or habitual refusal to obey the reasonable and proper orders or directions of school authorities.

California State PTA will support limited secure detention of status offenders only under the following circumstances:

Custody shall be separate and apart from alleged or adjudicated delinquents and adult inmates;
Custody shall be for the purpose of
- Determining whether there are any outstanding warrants;
- Locating parent(s)/guardian(s) and arranging for return to home or to jurisdiction of residence;
- Prevention of child endangerment.

California State PTA will support court-ordered secure detention of status offenders only under the following circumstances:

Custody shall be separate and apart from alleged or adjudicated delinquents and adult inmates;
Custody shall be determined by the court and for the least amount of time necessary to resolve the crisis;
Custody shall be for the purpose of enforcing a court order and providing services that would not be available in the absence of limited secure detention.