From the President's Desk
May 28, 2010
I am one month into my two-year term as state PTA president. If you haven't received a call from me yet, be prepared, as I have begun making calls to call each PTA president to introduce myself and to find out more about your PTA - - bragging rights on your end! I also want to know what you need support with most.
The end of the school year is quickly coming to a close and I know it is one of the most challenging times of the year for PTA Leaders: juggling priorities for advocacy on local and state budgets, acknowledging volunteers, and closing out your PTA year competes for time on converging events for family, school fairs, sports banquets and dance recitals, to say nothing of the time you must take for yourself in order to keep balance! Let me know how I can support you!
Advocating with you for all children,
Mary Ann.
Please check our NEW feature The Massachusetts PTA President's Blog. The new Blog is in our right hand column.
Message from the president May 2009
Transition Time
Spring has sprung and the School year is quickly coming to an end. Probably one of the last orders of business to wrap up your PTA year is to elect officers for the next year or make nominations for September elections depending on what is mandated by your bylaws.
Here are some tips to help you make the transition smooth.
- Most importantly...fill out an Officers Contact Form and send or e-mail to Mass PTA, even if there are no changes you are required to submit this every year. It is critical to ensure your unit is getting all information and announcements passed down from State and National PTA. This form can be downloaded from Masspta.org. If we don't know who you are we cannot communicate with you.
- Provide incoming officers with a calendar filled in with important dates, events and commitments. There is a great Local Leaders Calendar that is available in the back to school kit as well on line at PTA.org.
- Once you have the new officers elected take some time and meet with the new board to pass along any useful information and answer questions from the newly elected officers.
- Meet with the principal to discuss goals and objectives for the upcoming year.
- Pass on all paper work, forms and files...Check your bylaws. Most require that you do this with in a certain period of time.
- It is helpful for each officer to keep a binder that is easily passed along. In the binder include bylaws, contact information, policies and procedures and job descriptions.
- Have a summer Board meeting. Have an informal board meeting before the start of school to get to know each other and set some goals for the upcoming year. This is a great team builder.
- Start recruiting volunteers and committee members...it is never too early to have a poll of people lined up to help you right out of the gate.
Keep your eyes out for information on the Back to School kit and Summer Leadership Meetings. These are the two most important tools that can ensure you have a successful year.
Once again this summer in the Month of August Massachusetts PTA will be hitting the road and holding 4 separate Summer Leadership meetings. Please keep posted for exact times, places and days. This is a meeting packed with information on the newest tools, programs and advice to help you have a successful PTA year. Everyone that attended last year can agree that it was time well spent.
Back to School kits... The PTA Back-to-School Kit is now The Official PTA Kit-PTA's Big Box of Possibilities. All units must register to receive their kit for the 2009-2010 school year. More information coming soon.
As always we are just a phone call away. We are anxious to hear your ideas or answer any questions you should have.
August 2008
As I look forward to the next two years as your president I think of the people and mentors that have inspired and motivated me to do this job. Starting with my family… I learned first hand from my parents growing up exactly how important it is to stay involved in your child’s education and how it can directly contribute to their success. This is the foundation that lead me to take such an active role when it came time to raise my own children in their education. I think of the teachers who have inspired me and my family members that are teachers who I look up to and have developed such a respect for the teaching profession. I think of PTA parents and leaders I have worked with as they have been my support system and close circle of friends over the years.
I am motivated by all the committed volunteers, teachers, administrators and community partners who continue to promote the purpose and mission of PTA. Massachusetts PTA is fast approaching it’s 100th anniversary. That’s 100 years of advocating for children, families and public schools.
Last year our motto was Leaders with out Borders…we made it our mission over that year to break through barriers and cross borders to come to you…to share ideas and learn from other communities and other states. This year I would like to expand on our National President Jan Harp Domene’s theme of connecting the dots and staying connected. We must stay in touch, keep a constant flow of communication from National to states to the local units then back up the line again. I would request that you all let me know what is going in your local units, share your successes, express your concerns and celebrate your milestones.
We will be working on connecting with our community partners, legislators and communities that we are not currently connected with. I encourage you to go out and get connected, promote your PTA and increase your membership, I encourage you engage more fathers and community members.
I look forward to the next two years of growing and supporting our association together.
Kim Hunt
President
