Search Results for “” 71 results: Category Running a PA/PTA Each public school in NYC is required to have a PA/PTA, a parent-led organization. PA/PTAs are made up of an executive board, general members, and committees. They are governed by multiple regulations... Category Earning through Shopping There are a number of ways that your PA/PTA can earn money through parents' regular shopping. Giving through shopping is free and generally easy—just register your PA/PTA and spread the word to your s... Category Parent Leadership Anyone with a child in a NYC public school -- parents, foster parents, guardians, step-parents, persons in parental relation -- can be a parent leader. Parent leaders: volunteer in schools (not just i... Category Donation Requests PA/PTAs often raise money through direct asks -- the Annual or Direct Appeal is, for many, the largest fundraising event of the year, while others rely on dues. Matching Gift programs allow parents to... Category Raffles Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 (CR A-660) allows PA/PTAs that have been in existence for at least three years to hold raffles for fundraising purposes. A PA/PTA or Presidents’ Council in existence for ... Category Parent Members: Committees, Volunteerism, and Advocacy While the executive board serves as the PA/PTA's administration, all parents make up the PA/PTA and are responsible for its success. Parents can support their schools by joining committees; volunteeri... Category Bylaws, Chancellor's Regulations, and other Laws Each New York City public school PA/PTA must comply with the NYC Department of Education (DOE) Chancellor's Regulations as well as its own bylaws. If your PA/PTA is incorporated as a not-for-profit in... Category College and Career Readiness PA/PTAs can provide parents and students with programs and access to information for life outside of school. Some hold weekend events that showcase camps and other opportunities for summer enrichment.... Category Not-for-Profit & Tax Exempt Status Generally, it is useful for PA/PTAs to incorporate as not-for-profit organizations and obtain tax exempt status, but doing so might not be necessary for every NYC public school PA/PTA. This section is... Category Communication and Meetings To a large extent, PA/PTA affairs are managed through a combination of meetings of the general membership, executive board meetings, and committee meetings. CR A-660 allows general membership and exec... Category Working with the School Administration & DOE While PA/PTAs are self-governing organizations, they are required to work with the school administration and certain DOE offices in a number instances per the CR A-660. Apart from compliance with the ... Category Financial Affairs A PA/PTA’s funds are separate and independent from those of the school, and PA/PTAs are responsible for their own financial affairs. Managing these affairs is the responsibility of the executive board... Category PA/PTA Overview A Parent Association (PA) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is the official organization of the parent body in a school. Every New York City public school is required by the New York State Education... Category Executive Board: Officers, Elections, and Transition The executive board is your PA/PTA’s administration — it runs your PA/PTA. It should function also as a representative of the entire parent body, which is important to keep in mind when defining its c... Category Arts Enrichment While budget cuts have thwarted many schools' ability to provide arts programs in schools, many PA/PTAs are helping bring arts enrichment to the students, either through grants or funds they have rais... Category Online Campaigns PA/PTAs, student groups, and teachers turn to the internet for a variety of fundraising activities — from benefit auctions to crowdfunding for classroom projects. Crowdfunding, which allows groups to ... Category Planning Events PA/PTAs can enrich their schools by running a wide variety of programs, activities, and events for students, parents, and the school community. For example, PA/PTAs can: plan community-building cele... Category Flea/City Markets The Department of Education allows PA/PTAs to run flea markets and City markets on school property in order to raise money for the schools. For schools with appropriate space, markets can be significa... Category Auctions & Galas For many schools, the auction is the year’s biggest fundraiser. It is often turned into a gala, an adult-night-out which includes dinner, a dance party, and live and/or silent auctions. These events r... Category Grants Grants can be a significant source of funding for PA/PTAs, particularly for special projects or certain programs. They require a plan for how the funds will be spent, and someone to put that and other... Category Sales & Product Fundraisers While fundraising often is thought of in terms of donations of money, many PA/PTAs hold sales – also called product fundraisers – to raise money.... Category Parent Education Parent education can take many forms, depending on the needs of your families. Some PA/PTAs host workshops on topics such as internet safety, bullying, and issues related to raising teens. Others focu... Category Health and Wellness Over the years, many PA/PTAs have started programs to support healthy living. They hold run curricula-based wellness program, organize health and fitness events, and become involved with the food offe... Category School Gardens Some PA/PTAs have built school gardens to help improve school lunches, advance environmental literacy, bring children outside, provide green space at urban schools, and introduce young people to fresh... Category Philanthropy Activities and events designed to provide resources to individuals and communities in need can also can educate students about social issues and help bring the school community together. Although CR A... Category Curriculum Based/Classroom Curriculum based activities and events can spur students' interest in particular areas of the school’s curriculum, help familiarize families with different aspects of it, and provide an opportunity fo... Category Community Building Community building is for PA/PTAs, whose function, in part, is to make families feel welcome and comfortable in their children’s schools. Additionally, the more unified the parent body, the better it ... Category Parent Advocacy Parent organizations are excellent vehicles to support parent advocacy. For example, PA/PTAs in some NYC public schools play a significant role in helping parents advocate for mandated and needed prog... Category DOE Leadership Structures Opportunities for parent leadership and advocacy exist within the NYC school system at the school, district, and citywide levels. These opportunities are meant to grant parents meaningful roles as par... Category Fundraising PA/PTAs are allowed to fundraise in order to enrich students' education -including for classroom materials, school-wide improvements, enrichment activities, after-school programs, and other student ne... Category Participatory Budgeting Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. In NYC Council Members choose to join Participatory Budgeting in New Yo... Articles PA/PTAs A Parent Association (PA) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is the official organization of the parent body in a school. Every New York City public school is required by the State Education Law and ... Articles Legal Issues/Liability Incorporating your PA/PTA provides useful liability protection for the people running it because if you incorporate, your PA/PTA’s directors, officers, and volunteers will not be personally liable for... Articles Conflicts of Interest Rules All organizations – especially those that conduct business and handle money – should have procedures in place to address conflicts of interest, and PA/PTAs are no exception. Generally, a conflict of i... Articles Insurance Insurance is useful to address PA/PTA liability concerns and to protect your PA/PTA’s leadership in the event your PA/PTA is sued or some harm results from its activities. Even if claims brought again... Articles Donation Acknowledgments If your PA/PTA is a 501(c)(3) organization, it should provide written acknowledgment of donations it receives (known as donation receipts) so that donors may claim a tax deduction for their contributi... Articles Reporting, Disclosure and Record-Keeping Requirements New York State Registration and Reporting Requirements Charitable organizations operating in New York State are required by law to register and file annual financial reports with the Charities Bureau ... Articles New York State Tax Exemption Articles How to Incorporate as a Not-for-Profit Organization This section provides an overview of the process for incorporating your PA/PTA as a charitable corporation. As noted in Legal Issues/Liability, incorporating provides useful liability protections for ... Articles How to Apply for 501(c)(3) Status To apply for tax exempt status as a charitable organization described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, your PA/PTA should file the following forms with the IRS: Forms to file IRS For... Articles Audits An audit is an examination of the financial records, business transactions, accounting practices, and internal controls of an organization. It is performed to assess the accuracy of an organization’s ... Articles Should my PA/PTA become a 501(c)(3) Organization? What is a 501(c)(3) organization? Once your PA/PTA is incorporated, it will be considered a not-for-profit corporation under New York state law. However, any income it receives is taxable under federa... Articles Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) Team The Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) team is responsible for developing and supporting parent governance structures in New York City schools. FACE provides leadership opportunities, training, c... Articles Family Leadership Coordinators The Family Leadership Coordinators work in the offices of the Community Superintendents. They provide information and support to school and district parent leadership structures, including PA/PTAs, Pr... Articles Teachers Once you have established a good relationship with the principal, good relationships with teachers are often the key to creating lively events and activities that engage the school community and suppl... Articles Parent Coordinator A school’s parent coordinator is a member of the school staff and is supervised by the principal. The parent coordinator’s primary responsibilities include creating a welcoming school environment for ... Articles Principal When the PA/PTA and the administration share the same goals, the PA/PTA’s chances of success are greatest when the two work cooperatively and maintain ongoing, two-way communication. CR A-660 outlines... Articles Safeguarding PA/PTA Funds An important responsibility of the executive board is ensuring that PA/PTA money is safe from theft and misuse. As stewards of these funds, the board needs to have proper internal controls — policies ... Articles Financial Records The PA/PTA executive board is responsible for maintaining and safeguarding the records of the association. Financial records are all records that reflect income, expenditures and other financial trans... Articles Recording Secretary The recording secretary is the third mandatory officer on the executive board. As with all PA/PTA officers, the precise roles and responsibilities should be defined by your PA/PTA’s bylaws. Generally ... Articles The 7 Steps to Creating an Effective PA/PTA Executive Board Originally published in 1989 as a business and self-help book, The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Steven R. Covey, became a best seller and a must-read for many entering the business world. T... Articles PA/PTA Facebook Group Sample Guidelines Some PA/PTAs decide to use social media to communicate with their school community online. Since any form of communication should reach as many parents as possible, it's a good idea to survey parents ... Articles A Glimpse into the PTO at P.S. 282K A conversation with Andrew Marshall, Una LaMarche, and Steve Hamill, co-presidents and vice president of PS 282’s Parent Teacher Organization Becoming Involved with the PTO Executive Board Andrew: My ... Articles Parent Engagement Basics Here are a tips that our presidents found useful for engaging parent members in the PA/PTA: Communication, Communication, Communication – use different methods (email, website, flyers, backpacked note... Articles Sample Treasurer's Checklist This treasurer’s checklist is consistent with the requirements contained in CR A-660 but is intended only as a general guide. As the role of the treasurer differs among PA/PTAs, the timeline should be... Articles Hiring Staff Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 permits PA/PTAs to use funds to hire staff either indirectly by donating money to schools or directly; however, its rules governing PA/PTAs’ hiring of staff are detailed ... Articles How Do I Get Parents to Attend PA/PTA Meetings? How do I get more parents to attend PTA/PA meetings is one of the most asked questions among PTA/PA leaders and an issue that cuts across all types of PA/PTAs, in all types of schools. The amazing thi... Articles Advocacy Parent organizations often take on advocacy projects after a parent or group of parents become invested in a particular issue and engage and organize the rest of the school community. On the site, we ... Articles Expenditures CR A-660′s rules regarding PA/PTAs’ expenditures of funds are too detailed to be summarized. All PA/PTA officers should be familiar with the section of the regulation pertaining to financial transacti... Articles A PA/PTA President's Tips: 10 Things to Remember The principal is the school leader. He/she was probably at the school before you arrived and will most likely be there after you leave. Create a strong partnership with your principal but remember to ... Articles Tips for Managing Volunteers Learn what they like to do. Try to give parents work that they will enjoy so it's a good idea to ask what they are interested in getting involved with. Some parents might love the idea of hanging out ... Articles Collaborating with Teachers and Administrators I have spent many years active in NYC public schools in the Bronx — as a PA President, Title I Parent Committee Chair, SLT member, Vice President of CEC District 9, and long-time member of United Pare... Articles Communicating with Parents Your PA/PTA’s executive board functions as a representative of the entire parent body. To fulfill this responsibility and be as effective as possible, the board needs to maintain constant, open commun... Articles Budgets A PA/PTA’s budget is a guideline of how the organization will receive and spend its money. It is composed of two parts: income and expenses. In May or June, a PA/PTA, in accordance with its bylaws, sh... Articles Bank Accounts CR A-660 requires that PA/PTAs maintain a checking account, which must be used for all transactions. Below are some other relevant requirements: The checking account must be opened in the PA/PTA’s nam... Articles Board Transition If your PA/PTA has elected one or more new members of the executive board, board members should think about the process of transitioning from outgoing to incoming officers. To keep your PA/PTA operati... Articles Elections PA/PTA officers are elected by a vote of the general membership. Elections must be held in accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 and your PA/PTA’s bylaws, which must outline, among other thing... Articles School Leadership Teams (SLTs) All schools are required to have a form of school-based management called a School Leadership Team, or SLT (New York State Education Law Section 2590-h). Administrators, teachers, and parents comprise... Articles District Leadership Teams (DLTs) District Leadership Teams (DLTs) present an opportunity for parent involvement in NYC public education, but parent representation is limited to parents who have already been selected to serve in other... Organizations PTOtoday An “online resource and community for parent groups.” The website is run by a for-profit company, PTO Today, which is “dedicated exclusively to providing a full suite of products, programs and servic... Resources Robert’s Rules of Order – Newly Revised First published in 1876, this book has become the most widely used set of rules for parliamentary procedure in the United States. Unless specifically stated otherwise in the Chancellor’s Regulations ... Resources P.S. 10K PTA Parent Guide 2016 - 2017 Articles Panel for Educational Policy (PEP) The Panel for Educational Policy, or PEP, allows for parent involvement on a citywide level. Responsible for some of the most significant decisions affecting the education system, the panel votes on t... Articles Citywide Education Councils There are four Citywide Education Councils: Citywide Council on High Schools, Citywide Council on Special Education, District 75 Council, and Citywide Council on English Language Learners. These Counc... Articles Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) The Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) provides a way for parents to be involved in citywide education policy. It is an organization made up of the presidents of each Presidents’ Council in t... Articles Community Education Councils (CECs) Community Education Councils, or CECs, allow for parent involvement on a district-wide level. Responsible for approving school zoning lines and hold hearings on capital plans, they also function as ad... Resources PA/PTA Sample Budget Here is a sample budget from the PTA at PS 10. Articles Presidents’ Councils Presidents' Councils are made up of the presidents (or their designated representatives) of each of the PA/PTAs within a given jurisdiction and are intended to support their constituent PA/PTAs. Chanc... Articles Back to School Events - P.S. 199M Most parents, especially the new kindergarten parents, are very enthusiastic about school during the first month. Often, the first PA/PTA meeting is the best attended of the year. Use the opportunity... Articles Grandparents’ Day Many PA/PTAs host a Grandparent’s Day, which can serve a number of purposes: it becomes an occasion for a multigenerational event, with grandparents teaching children by sharing memories or experience... Articles Talent Show - P.S. 277X This year, our annual talent show was one of the highlights for our school community. It was a fun, community building event for our students, families and staff, as well as a PTA fundraiser. Articles Dances School dances can be fun, community building events for the students. Often, they are used to celebrate events such as graduations or holidays, though some PTAs integrate them into the curriculum. Dan... Articles What is a PA or PTA? A Parent Association (PA) or Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is the official organization of the parent body in a school. Every New York City public school is required by the State Education Law and ... Resources DOE’s Principal’s Meeting Notice Template: Establishment of a PA/PTA in a New School Resources Sample Thank You/Contribution Acknowledgement The Beacon School Articles Committees PA/PTAs create committees to oversee certain areas of PA/PTA business or to accomplish specific tasks. Generally, PA/PTAs have several standing committees, established by their bylaws; these are perma... Articles Volunteers Almost everything a PA/PTA does is accomplished through the work of parent volunteers. Recruiting and managing volunteers are therefore extremely important jobs in any PA/PTA. Some PA/PTAs create a sp... Articles NYS Tax Law The New York State Tax Law requires unincorporated associations and corporations doing business in the state to pay sales and franchise taxes unless they have received exemptions from the New York Sta... Articles US Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3) If your PA/PTA is a 501(c)(3) (tax-exempt not-for-profit organization) it must comply with section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code as well as other laws. For more information on t... Articles NYS Not-for-Profit Corporation Law The New York State Not-for-Profit Corporation Law (N-PCL) sets forth the requirements for organizations that wish to incorporate in New York; post formation, not-for-profit organizations must comply w... Articles Bylaws A PA/PTA’s bylaws have two functions: formally establishing a school’s PA/PTA and detailing how it operates and is governed. A PA/PTA’s bylaws must contain, at a minimum, certain requirements containe... Articles Chancellor's Regulations Chancellor’s Regulation A-660, Parent Associations and the Schools, pertains specifically to PA/PTAs and Presidents’ Councils. It sets forth rules governing NYC public school PA/PTAs, including: estab... Articles Meetings PA/PTAs must hold a number of different types of meetings in order to carry out their business. To a large extent, PA/PTA affairs are managed and discussed through a combination of meetings of the gen... Articles Establishing a PA/PTA New York State Education Law §2590-h and Chancellor's Regulation A-660 require that every public school establish a PA/PTA. There may be only one PA/PTA per school, and if multiple schools are located... Resources PTA Volunteer Form (Spruce Street School, PS 397) Articles Treasurer One of the three mandatory officer positions required by CR A-660, the treasurer is the chief financial officer of your PA/PTA. The treasurer’s precise roles and responsibilities should be defined in ... Articles Vice-President CR A-660 does not mandate the office of vice-president; however, many PA/PTAs choose to include that role on their executive boards. Vice-presidents generally assist the president or co-presidents and... Articles President The president is the chief executive officer of your PA/PTA. Since PA/PTAs are autonomous bodies, the precise duties of the president are defined by your PA/PTA’s bylaws. The DOE’s bylaws template inc... Organizations VolunteerSignup Free online tool for signing up, organizing and scheduling volunteers. Organizations SignUp.com Free online tool for signing up, organizing and scheduling volunteers. Organizations SignUpGenius Free online tool for signing up, organizing and scheduling volunteers. Articles PTAlink Webinar: Back to School, Back to PA/PTA Basics PTAlink is joined by guest speakers Katrina Long, Camille Casaretti, Kim Washington and Family Leadership Coordinator Ed Castro to share their learned wisdom and experience working with and within PA/... Type All Sections Articles Resources Organizations Events Categories All Categories Parent Leadership Running a PA/PTA PA/PTA Overview Bylaws, Chancellor's Regulations, and other Laws Executive Board: Officers, Elections, and Transition Working with the School Administration & DOE Parent Members: Committees, Volunteerism, and Advocacy Financial Affairs Communication and Meetings Not-for-Profit & Tax Exempt Status Planning Events Fundraising Back to Top
