Transparency and Engagement with Meeting Summaries
Governance. Powered by PTA. PTAs strive to involve their members and communities in the work of PTA and often post meeting minutes online to be transparent and increase engagement. Unfortunately, posting meeting minutes is risky. Instead, encourage PTAs to post meeting summaries online! What is the difference between meeting minutes and a meeting summary? Minutes are a…
Category:
Leadership
Are Local PTAs in Good Standing?
To be eligible to participate in PTA programs, grants, and awards at the state and national level, PTAs must fulfill the requirements set out in the WSPTA Standards of Affiliation (SOA.) Councils can support local PTAs with these requirements and ensure that everyone is able to take advantage of all the opportunities available from WSPTA…
Category:
Leadership
Plan for the Future: Engaging Future Leaders
Councils exist to serve local PTAs, to educate local PTA leaders, to create a stronger awareness and relationship between local PTAs and the school district, and to facilitate programs that are more effective on a larger scale. One of the biggest determining factors in the health of a local PTA is whether that local PTA…
Category:
Leadership
Considering an ONLINE Gambling event? THINK AGAIN!
Who doesn’t love a fun basket raffle, cake walk, or hosting a PTA casino night? We know that social distancing has made it a challenge to host live events, but it is important to know that ONLINE gambling in the state of Washington is strictly prohibited and considered a class C felony. How do you…
Category:
Governance
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Leadership
Building a Virtual Membership Campaign
The best membership campaigns for 2020-2021 will be the ones that don’t require paper forms and payment to be collected at school. Virtual membership campaigns will do three things for your PTA: reduce face-to-face contact, reduce the time processing memberships, make it simple for members to start enjoying member benefits right away. Selling memberships online…
Category:
Membership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – May 2020
As we wrap up our first virtual convention, I think about all the unknowns we are all facing in this uncertain time. In pivoting from our planned in-person convention, we had to solve problems we’d never had before. We had to think outside the box. This was new for all of us, and we asked…
Category:
Leadership
Transitions
Though the last couple of months have been a little bit of a blur, there are some things that haven’t changed. One of them is that dishes still need to get done every day—heavy sigh. Another is that the end of the PTA year is approaching and it’s time to think about leadership transition plans…
Category:
Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – April 2020
I am inspired by Swiss Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross who said, “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Our world has been shaken, and we are all trying to find…
Category:
Leadership
Taking Care of Business Through Virtual Meetings
*Update 3/27/20:* WSPTA and National PTA are working hard to bring you the best possible information as quickly as we have it. New information has come to us from National PTA President Leslie Boggs. “After visiting with our legal counsel and parliamentarian, here is what we learned: In common law, the cy pres doctrine [a…
Category:
Leadership
Washington State PTAs and COVID-19
Updated on March 26, 2020, to include summary of topics. Updated on March 11, 2020, adding information on Childcare and Venue Rental Agreements. This post covers the following topics: Advocating for All, Childcare, Supporting Schools, Events and Activities, Venue Rental Agreements, Virtual Meetings, Donating to Families, and Media Inquiries. Our local PTAs and PTA councils…