Set Up for Success with Standing Rules
Each local PTA and council has a set of standing rules that members of the board of directors must read and be prepared to follow. Standing rules are a legally binding agreement between a PTA’s board and members about how that individual PTA will be run. Standing rules need to be reviewed by the board…
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Governance
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Leadership
How Do We Do Teacher Grants in a Pandemic?
Grants are a key tool PTAs use to support teachers in the classroom. The question many local leaders have this year is: Can we still do teacher grants with virtual or hybrid learning? We reached out to leaders around Washington and across the United States to see what PTAs plan on doing this year. The…
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Leadership
Virtual Support for Local PTAs: Make it Personal
Engagement. Connecting PTAs. Personal relationships between council and local PTA leaders are the foundation of successful and sustainable councils. Approaching these relationships with intention, purpose, and consistency will benefit both local PTAs and the council now and well into the future. Here are a few tips: Do not wait for people to come to you! Contact…
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Leadership
September 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear members, Most families join their local PTA for one of a short list of reasons. Some join because the PTA works together to advocate for and on behalf of children and youth in the schools. It is easier for the membership to push for change within a school than it is for a single…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – August 2020
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” To be a leader in these times means that we must be innovative and imaginative. We can’t use the templates so often used by our predecessors. With that in mind, now is…
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Leadership
WSPTA Standards of Affiliation for 2020-21
Washington State PTA provides a Standards of Affiliation (SOA) Agreement Checklist to provide support and guidance to local PTAs and councils. The SOA agreement is in place to ensure local PTAs and councils align with WSPTA’s ethics, policies, and principles; maintain good business practices; and comply with applicable federal and state laws. PTAs are encouraged…
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Governance
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Leadership
August 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear members, What is a PTA? At its core, it is a collection of families and teachers who have come together to improve the lives and education of the children in their care. This is the reason PTA was founded in 1897 and it is just as relevant today. The challenges are very different, but…
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Leadership
Virtual Fundraising
Fundraising will look different for PTA in the 2020-2021 school year as families continue to navigate enormous change and uncertainty. PTAs may wonder whether they should even try to raise money, and if so, how they can be successful with virtual fundraisers. Here are four tips for virtual fundraising, and some fun ideas to get…
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Leadership
Financial Reviews During COVID-19
WSPTA bylaws require an annual financial review to be conducted and submitted to the PTA board of directors and membership. However, there is no requirement for the financial review committee to conduct the review in person. If the county where the PTA is located is in Phase 2 or higher and the committee members feel…
Category:
Governance
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Leadership
July 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear members, It’s been over three months since the Stay Home, Stay Healthy order began. Nerves are frayed, tempers are flaring, and patience is running thin. These are extremely difficult times and, for many of us, will be the hardest times of our lives. The desire for a return to “normal” runs deep and strong…
Category:
Leadership