I'm wondering when most parent teacher groups meet (like what time during the day and in what format) as well as how frequently they meet in meetings that are open to the entire school community. Just trying to figure out if what our school does is normal or not. Thanks! |
I think our PTA is once per month on zoom in the evening. PTOs and PTAs operate a bit differently. |
What is the difference and why do some schools have PTAs and others have PTOs? |
6:30PM, virtually, once per month. |
PTA has a governing org; PTO does not. |
Wrong. Please don’t type things you don’t know about. Our school has a PTO because we don’t want to pay dues to the national PTA. We meet. The second Wednesday of the month at school at arrival time. |
??? They do operate differently. You just said PTOs don’t have to pay dues to the national org. That’s a different operating procedure thank PTAs. PTOs don’t have a governing body and can do whatever they want. PTAs are held to strict bylaws. -Not the PP you quoted, btw. |
Sounds like you're the one typing things you don't know about. The bolded means that you operate differently than a PTA - PTA has dues, PTO does not. IME PTAs are forced to be transparent and inclusive b/c they have to adhere to national PTA rules, while PTOs can do whatever they want, which usually means being exclusive and opaque about where funds are going. Ours has never shared a budget and I have no idea where the money they raise goes. It doesn't go towards school events or field trips, that's for sure. |
Monthly 7 pm |
It's not openly discussed but it's that PTOs don't support all policy positions of the National PTA. Most PTO members think it's just a financial "keep the dues local, keep the money for our own school." |
Monthly zoom at 7 p.m. This change happened with Covid and thankfully stuck. Prior to that, it was 9 a.m. coffee klatches that only SAHPs could attend. |
Monthly, in person at 7:00 p.m., sometimes with an interesting speaker at 7:30. Attendance is not high, and I wonder if we should consider making some of these in person meetings virtual next year. |
Following. We have been doing 4:30 pm for the past two years because that accommodates the parents with kids in after school care. However, attendance is not high at all. Contemplating alternating with 7:00 on zoom. |
7pm monthly here, too, in-person.
(Very active PTA with transparency on the budget.) |
PTO's have their own bylaws that are generally similar. PTA's have to follow the Umbrella PTA bylaws and their own and pay dues. PTA non profit status goes under the state so they all use the same tax id. A PTO is a separate non-profit. |