From Bill WIlliams:
I want to let you know about a new tool that we have created to assist
you and you board colleagues carry out your fiduciary duties.  As those of
you who have attended PTA & the Law are aware,all board members are
responsible for assuring that certain necessary actions – filing the annual
corporation renewal, filing the federal income tax return, etc.—are carried out, even though the task of actually completing these steps may be assigned only to one individual. 

To help board members keep track of these required actions, we’ve created a“Required Actions Checklist” that we recommend that you
download and make a copy for each of your board members as an easy way to keep track of who’s responsible for which action and note when they’ve been accomplished.

Believe it or not, some leaders don't feel we need to Outreach to our
communities. Here are 5 reasons I feel so strongly that we do:
 
Reason #5
The reality of our nation and the world is that we are becoming more and more diverse. And K-12 enrollment has mirrored this diversity.

Reason #4
Since 2000, Washington's minority populations have grown rapidly - our
Hispanic population has increased by 71%, our Asian population has increased by 49%, and those identifying themselves as Multi-Racial have increased by 41%.
 
Reason #3
WSPTA's Outreach is focused on serving those who have differences in age, culture, economic status, educational background, ethnicity, gender geographic location, legal status, marital status, mental ability, national origin, organizational position, parental status, physical ability political philosophy, race, religion, sexual orientation and work experience.

Reason #2
One of WSPTA's objective is "Increase, retain and diversify our
membership".
 
Reason #1
National PTA's mission is "To make every child's potential a reality by
engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children". We cannot accomplish our mission if we are not reaching EVERY family!
 
 
JMarie Johnson-Kola
Outreach Director
Washington State PTA

National Standards for Family-School Partnerships  

•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 about student learning. 

•Standard 3:
Supporting  student success—Families and school staff continuously collaborate to  support students’ 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 community—Families and school staff collaborate with community members to connect students, families, and staff to expanded learning opportunities,  community services, and civic participation. 

The complete document is available online at:   http://www.pta.org/Documents/National_Standards.pdf

1) Ask each of your committee chairs and executive committee members to keep a folder/binder with notes, ideas, and training. The binder stays with the office or committee so your next leader knows where to begin!

2) Support a committee of 2 or more people for every event, program, and actvity. This committee will be a part of the process, and can be a great asset when looking for a new chair in the future.

3) Allow and nurture collaborative efforts for your events, programs, and activities. When people feel that their input is considered and welcomed, then they feel more invested in the whole process. Valued volunteers are valuable volunteers!

What do you suggest? What has worked for your team?

When a PTA creates a budget, it is making a plan on how and where to spend money.  The general membership approves the budget and tasks the Board of Directors to oversee the management of the funds.  This budget is just a proposal and is not set in stone.  How much money a PTA actually has in the bank can change based on fundraising, matching funds, and donations.  Remember, just because the budget says there is a certain amount of money for an event doesn’t mean that money is really there.

To avoid overspending for events, every committee needs to submit a Committee Report/Plan of Action to the Board of Directors BEFORE spending any money.  This report outlines what the committee plans to spend money on, how much money the committee plans to spend,
and how much money the committee plans to bring in at the event.  This
report needs to be looked over closely by the Board of Directors and discussed before being approved.  Once approved, either as presented or with changes, the committee can then go out and spend the money the Board has approved.

Too often we see PTAs with committees that just go out and spend what was listed in the budget and then end up spending more than the PTA actually has or raises at the event. An auction is a perfect example.  An auction might have a budget of $10,000 to cover everything from decorations to invitations to facility.  Often though, an auction committee will go out and spend this $10,000 without a Plan of Action/Report to the Board and it turns out that the PTA really didn’t have $10,000 in the bank.  This might be made up if the auction brings in a lot of money, but what if the auction doesn’t bring in much money at all?  Not only has the PTA now had to take money from other items in the budget to cover the $10,000, but it also did not bring in as much money as expected and has to cut events or programs.

Committee Reports/Plan of Action are also a good way for the Board of Directors to ensure that PTA events and programs are really aligning with the PTA mission and goals. Having a Science Fair is educational and fun, but is bringing in a snow cone machine for the event necessary?  How does it meet with the PTA mission and goals? How does it make the Science Fair better? These are questions that need to be answered for all PTA events/programs but without a Committee Report/Plan of Action the Board does not know what to ask.

Kimberly Montague
Region 2 Director