Parent Associations and Parent-Teacher Associations: A Foundation for Parental Leadership

1. Parent Associations and Parent-Teacher Associations: A Foundation for Parental Leadership

2. Session Overview – Part 1 Governance Purpose Eligibility Bylaws Meeting Structure

3. Governance *Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised may serve as a reference to assist with interpreting PA bylaws.

4. Purpose • Parent Associations (PAs) provide a forum through which parents can become more involved in their children’s education. To achieve this goal, PAs may engage in the following activities: • Conduct outreach to determine members’ needs and interests. • FACE Tip:Establish multiple communication systems such as newsletters, e-mail distribution lists, websites, and phone trees to ensure regular contact with members. • Plan activities designed to attract and recruit parents to take part in a robust parent involvement program at the school. • FACE Tip:Incorporate professional development opportunities into general membership meetings (e.g., invite guest speakers). • Surface parent concerns and work with school staff to identify appropriate solutions.

5. Purpose • Parent Associations (PAs) provide a forum through which parents can become more involved in their children’s education. To achieve this goal, PAs may engage in the following activities: • Provide parents with access to available educational resources and information. • FACE TIP:If space permits, work with the parent coordinator to establish a family resource area within the school for sharing information and materials with members. • Conduct fundraising activities to benefit the educational, social and cultural programs in the school. • Identify community-based organizations and other external partners that provide services parents need. • FACE TIP:Survey parents to find out which organizations they depend on or trust to begin building a database of reliable partners.

6. Eligibility • A parent of a student on a school’s register is automatically a member of the school’s PA. There is no need to join the PA. • Parent is defined as birth or adoption parent, step-parent, legally appointed guardian, foster parent, and “person in parental relation” to a child currently attending a school. • A “person in parental relation” is someone who has assumed the care of a child because the child’s parents or guardians are not available, whether due to, among other things, death, imprisonment, mental illness, living outside the state, or abandonment of the child. • Eligible parents may not be excluded or removed from the PA. • Payment of dues may not be used a condition for membership or running for PA office.

7. Eligibility • PA members may vote to amend the association’s bylaws to extend membership to staff. PAs that vote to include school staff become Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs). • Only parent members may vote to change the association’s structure. • The bylaws may be amended to extend membership to categories of staff in addition to teachers (e.g., paraprofessionals, school aides, school secretaries, and food service workers). • School supervisory staff may not be members of the PA/PTA in the school in which they are employed. • School employees may not serve as members of the executive board or the nominating committee of the school’s PA/PTA.

8. Bylaws • PAs/PTAs must adopt a set of bylaws by a vote of the parent members. Bylaws should be amended as needed, but must conform to the requirements of CR A-660. • Amendments that bring the bylaws into compliance must be voted on immediately after the motion is presented. • In the absence of bylaws that conform to the election and fundraising requirements of CR A-660, the PA/PTA may not conduct any activities, including elections and fundraisers. • Bylaws give the association structure and delineate the rights of the general membership. • Bylaws provide clear procedures to ensure consistency and efficiency.

9. Bylaws • PA/PTA members should regularly review the bylaws. Consider these guiding questions: • Does the PA/PTA have bylaws? • If a copy cannot be located, new bylaws must be created. • What do the bylaws say? • Read and understand them. If the bylaws do not reflect how the association actually operates, it may be time for a revision. • How are the bylaws formatted? • If only a hard copy is available, identify a volunteer to type them so the bylaws can be shared and updated electronically. • How old are the bylaws? • CR A-660 requires PAs to review the bylaws every three years or upon revision of the Regulation.

10. Meeting Structure • The PA/PTA must hold at least 9 monthly meetings of the general membership. • PA/PTA meetings must be nonexclusive and open to the public. • The association’s bylaws should indicate the regular day and time when monthly meetings are to be held (e.g., last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m.). • FACE Tip:Be consistent. Send a calendar of meetings out at the beginning of the year. Deviations from the regular meeting schedule should be limited (e.g., to accommodate holidays or school breaks). • All association meetings must be held in the school. • All PA/PTAs are entitled to 110 hours of free building use.

11. Meeting Structure • Unless otherwise indicated CR A-660 or the association’s bylaws, meetings must proceed according to Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised. • FACE Tip:Check out the Robert’s Rules FAQs for answers to common parliamentary procedure questions. • Special Membership Meetings: • The bylaws may specify the process by which a special membership meeting may be convened. • Special membership meetings must only be held to address a matter of importance that cannot be postponed until the next general membership meeting.

12. Session Overview – Part 2 Executive Board Myth or Fact Best Practices Support and Resources