PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)

Reasons to join or volunteer?​

 

Kids are proud that their family is involved

Aside from the awkward teenage phase when most kids pretend they simply don’t have parents, the truth is that most kids are proud to see their parents volunteer in the school and have some level of involvement with their teachers and others. Children like to know that they’re valued, and that their parents care about what’s going on even when they’re not home.

 

Socializing with other families is great

Every parent has probably had a moment of parenting when they wonder, “Is it just me?”

Socializing with other parents in the district via PTO involvement helps parents overcome

questions and concerns, and lets them relate to others who share in similar areas or have a

helpful tips.

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More needs, fewer resources, plenty of families 

Every year, more and more states are cutting back on state-based aid to public schools. Now more than ever, schools have a dire need for donations, volunteer work, and any sort of unique assistance that parents can give. The best part of PTO participation is that these services can be split among many parents who have the skills, resources, or available time to help.

 

Can improve your students behavior & academics

Studies have shown that kids with more involved parents are less likely to act out in the classroom. This might be because the PTO connects the student’s parent with their teachers, or it might simply be because their parents have set an example when it comes to valuing the classroom and the professionals who manages them. Either way, students with involved parents tend to have fewer behavior problems, higher homework completion rates, and less disruptions in the learning process.

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Flexible with commitment to the events

 Most PTO's know that they need to accommodate the growing number of parents who simply don’t have an extra minute to spare. As long as parents are willing to consider unique ways of fitting PTO events into their already busy calendar, they’ll be able to join in a number of events at NLA .

 

About organization, NOT solicitation

Many parents fear that their role in a PTO group will be to solicit fundraising donations from community members, going door-to-door until a goal is reached. This just isn’t the case. While parents are always welcome to offer new ideas for school fundraising campaigns, that’s not the primary goal of the PTO. Parents aren’t expected to be the fundraisers. They’re expected to be members, supporters, volunteers, and proud parents working for the benefit of all students.

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Better education/professional morale

Times haven’t just been hard for school districts. By extension, these have also been trying times for teachers who simply don’t have the resources or staff levels needed to accommodate every unique need and teach every critical lesson. Parental involvement in PTO organizations has been shown to lift a bit of this burden off teachers’ shoulders, improving the quality of education for all children in the classroom and directly raising teacher morale.