Jeffco PTA Every Child, One Voice!

Membership Plan

Every Child. One Voice. What a great tagline! Wouldn’t it be great to build and strengthen our voices to advocate for our children’s education, health, welfare, and safety? Let’s get back to the basics of PTA as a grassroots association and increase our membership to strengthen that voice!

 

Follow the plan below for success!

 

Goal Setting

  • Make sure you know your membership numbers from the previous year. Your Articulation Area Vice President will be able to assist you in finding them.
  • Determine a percentage that you would like to increase your membership by. Or determine how many teachers, school staff members, students, or parents you would like to increase your membership by.

 

Develop a campaign

  • Colorado PTA develops a Membership Drive theme each year. Feel free to use the same theme or develop your own. Some examples are:
    • Put Your Heart in PTA
    • Open Doors for the Future Through PTA
    • Today’s PTA – Making a Difference
    • Today’s PTA – Tomorrow’s Leaders
  • Plan events to help drive your membership numbers. These events can coincide with other school events or you can create your own. Work with your principal to ensure you have a PTA table at events and ask them to introduce the PTA as well. Some examples are:
    • Back to School Nights
    • Parent-Teacher Conferences
    • Drop off/Pick up lanes
    • Read-a-thon – partner with your school library and local library
    • Bike safety rodeo – partner with local police department, school safety resource officer, or insurance companies
    • Boo Hoo Breakfast – invite Kindergarten parents to learn about the school (provide tissues)
    • Literacy program – invite senior/elder groups to be reading partners in the school
    • Career Day/Build a Resume – invite local university career services offices and businesses
  • Advertise your event. Use social media, newsletters, bulletin boards, emails, flyers, and your website to get the word out.
  • Create an evaluation process to track the progress of your events throughout the year.
  • Celebrate your goals during your meetings, at school assemblies, or other PTA events. Highlight folks and their efforts and ensure that you thank everyone for participating.

 

Know the Value

  • Be sure that your current PTA members understand and know the value of being part of PTA. Membership should be able to share this info with community partners, potential members, and school staff.
    • Benefits and Services
      • National, state, and local benefits to the individual member
      • Share how the PTA has benefited the school and/or students
    • Leadership Development
      • Trainings are offered by councils and regions, which will help grow leadership skills and understanding of PTA work.
      • The Colorado PTA and Jeffco PTA strongly encourages all officers to complete the appropriate officer training either via the National PTA e-learning courses or in person our Fall Leadership Conference.
    • Advocacy
      • PTA provides presentations and information to school communities on a number of issues including school finance, school policies and procedures, new parent orientation, Colorado Academic Standards, assessments, suicide awareness, health and wellness issues, anti-bullying.
      • PTA is the largest parent advocacy group in Colorado!

 

Why members Join PTA

  • People join PTA for a number of reasons. Here are some reasons why certain groups have joined PTA:
    • School Staff/School Board
      • PTA enables parents to have a voice in the legislature advocating on issues that impact the education of all students in Colorado.
      • PTA is able to provide additional funds to school wide efforts.
      • PTA encourages more parent engagement in school efforts.
      • PTA creates networking opportunities.
    • Students
      • PTA provides opportunities for students to feel connected to their schools.
      • PTA encourages student leadership and citizenship.
    • Community Groups
      • PTA helps increase community organizations and links their work to the work inside the school and helps get more people involved.
      • PTA provides an opportunity for shared resources.

 

  • Businesses/Chamber of Commerce
    • PTA creates opportunities to increase staff training, resources, and business support in the school.

 

Non-English Speaking/Under represented –

  • Understanding of the school system
  • Interaction with other parents
  • Opportunity to share their culture and to promote positive community experience

 

Future Parents/Young Parents –

  • Parenting skills
  • Understanding school policies
  • Friendships/socializing
  • Networking/technology
  • Leadership skills

 

Working Parents –

  • Networking
  • Providing opportunities to have input into decisions that affect children
  • Have a voice
  • Partnership with school administration, staff
  • Being part of the solution and not the problem
  • Want to belong

 

Mayor/Government Officials –

  • Access to parents
  • Positive public relations

 

Membership Resources:

  • Back to School PTA Toolkit: Go to PTAkit.org to access great tips and tools.
  • Contact your Articulation Area Vice President for support.
  • National PTA is offering a new Diversity and Inclusion toolkit. Download it now http://www.pta.org/diversity