The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is widely known for its presence in schools across the nation. The National PTA was founded in 1897 as the “National Congress of Mothers.” The PTA is known to advocate for family involvement in schools and for parents to be an educational-support system for their child.
PTAs are most often known for raising money to pay for events and field trips for students as well as to support the needs of teachers in underfunded classrooms. PTAs also get parents involved in helping with various tasks around the school to keep things running smoothly. The national and state PTAs, with their large pool of funds, offer grants and awards to local PTAs. This can be an important financial factor for schools, students, and teachers that need an extra boost in funding. This is especially true when trying to fundraise in communities that have a lower income than the national average.
PTO: Another Option
For parents who want to get involved in their child's school and help provide resources for classes and teachers, there is another option; PTOs (Parent Teacher Organizations). This sounds similar to a PTA because the essential functions are the same, differing only in the structure and control of the most local branch of a PTA. "PTO" is a generic name for all parent-teacher groups, but you may find that some are called PCCs, HSAs, PFAs, etc.
So why would parents in certain schools or districts want to create a PTO and not a PTA which has a great support structure already built up? Why would the current PTA members want to switch to a PTO? The answer is multi-faceted, but here are a few reasons:
PTOs are independent of any national or state organization. This allows the local PTO to focus its time and resources on things that their own students and school need rather than on what a national or state organization suggests or requires.
PTOs collect and spend their money on their own school. No money is forwarded to a national or state organization nor are any funds shared with other local PTOs.
PTOs may support issues or causes that the majority of the PTO board chooses to support or fund. Generally, these issues are local and targeted to issues within the local community.
PTO's may choose to access and use the guidance and resources provided by “PTO Today” free of charge.
PTOs may choose to access a higher level of resources and support through “PTO Today Plus” for a flat fee if they choose to do so.
The PTA is centralized in the National Parent Teacher Association as well as in the state divisions.
Each of these national and state PTAs require substantial per capita dues support from the local chapters.
PTA chapters collect money for the school in which they are located, but also send money to the state and national organizations.
PTAs tend not only to support local issues but they often advocate for agendas and issues on the state and national levels as well.
Parents often support their local PTA while not realizing exactly what their efforts and money are going toward at the state and national level.
PTOs will support issues that the majority of the PTO board will want to support, or issues that the school that the PTO resides in would ask the PTO to support/fund. These issues are local and targeted to the community, which is something that PTAs do as well. The difference with PTAs is that they tend to support local issues and they advocate for agendas that supersede the school's in your neighborhood. Sometimes, parents may support their local PTA not realizing exactly what their efforts (or money) are going towards. Below, you can find the bills that the CA State PTA has supported with a brief description of each, which can be of great concern to many families:
AB 331: This bill makes Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for High Schools in California. It's mandated model curriculum is filled with social justice ideas.
AB 1266: This bill would require that a pupil be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.
SB 277: This bill eliminates religious exemptions for getting certain vaccines for students in the traditional K-12 public and private school system.
SB 1004: Allows minors to confidentially get abortions, birth control, mental health treatment, with their parents' insurance.
AB 493: Teachers: in-service training: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning pupil resources.
SB 17: Requires the state government to address racism as a public health crisis.
Factors to Consider When Forming A PTO
The lack of a national PTO Organization is sometimes seen as a negative. A PTO must rely on its board members and community members for support. However, as mentioned above, “PTO Today” and “PTO Today Plus” provide some guidance, support, and resources to help with setting up a PTO, obtaining non-profit status, writing bylaws, duties of officers, etc. There may be many positive factors to not having national and state organizations taking a sizeable portion of the membership funds.
Of course, officers and board members of any group must be carefully vetted. This is equally important in a local PTO as it is in a local PTA. Guidelines must be established to ensure the integrity of all group activities. Financial matters are of the utmost concern and should follow carefully established procedures in order to protect the treasurer, and all board members, from any possibility of accusations of the misuse of funds.
Overall, a local parent organization must determine whether the support provided by a national and state organization outweighs the funding required from per capita membership fees and the associated financial support of their political advocacy which may not align with the core values of the local group.
If independence from the national and state organizations is important, local community resources, as well as the above-mentioned resources, can fill that support void. This allows the local PTO to raise and spend funds locally as it determines is best. It also provides the freedom to advocate for issues of concern to the local group without having to support a larger political agenda that may be contrary to its values.