Understanding PTA and PTO Groups

It's hard to understand the decision-making of parent groups.

I think there are a few factors at play:

First off, as a volunteer organization, there are various degrees of commitment and availability. When a school leans on a PTA or PTO group for help, the demand on them can quickly become overwhelming. Anyone asking for help from a PTA or PTO group should first be asking what they have on their plate.

Secondly, there are a lot of different personality types. It's not easy to figure out who should do what on a PTA or PTO group so there are challenges. Balancing a number of volunteer types can be difficult even for big organizations with resources. It's an uber-challenge for smaller PTA or PTO groups.

Lastly, motive plays a big factor in understanding PTA or PTO groups. There are folks that want to re-establish a leadership role, some that want to help creatively, many that just want to help their child and without question, most PTA or PTO members want to be a part of something greater than themselves!

In understanding PTA and PTO groups, these three areas should be considered. Just like most areas of life, individuals have agendas as well as motives. It's best to take these on head-first and ask tough questions. Get an idea where people are at, what they stand for and what their goals are.

Yep, it's a tall order! Because people are so individual, perhaps the best way to understand a PTA or PTO group is simply to ask the tough questions up-front!