Get ready to nail your first PTA meeting! Learn what to expect, how to contribute, and the key terms you’ll need to know to participate with confidence.
Every PTA role comes with unique opportunities to support your school and connect with your community. Knowing what your role involves makes it easier to jump in and start making an impact right away.
The key positions in almost every PTA
Each PTA relies on a strong team of volunteers who play a valuable role in the organization’s success. While these may vary somewhat between organizations, here are the ones practically every PTA includes:
- President
- Vice President
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Fundraising Chair
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Event Chair
- Communications Chair
- Room Parent
For detailed descriptions of each role, see Appendix 1.
General responsibilities & expectations for all roles
While each role has its specific duties, all PTA volunteers are expected to fulfill a few core responsibilities:
- Attend regular PTA meetings.
- Contribute to fundraising and event planning.
- Collaborate with other volunteers, teachers, and school administrators.
- Adhere to PTA bylaws and policies.
Tips for excelling in your chosen role
No matter what you do in your PTA, you’ll have an easier time and be more effective if you follow some basic guiding principles:
- Stay organized: Use calendars, checklists, and reminders to keep track of your tasks. See the Key timelines & checkpoints for new PTA members section of this handbook for more information.
- Communicate clearly: Keep lines of communication open with fellow PTA members and school staff. If you’re using FutureFund, our built-in messaging system can make it easier to reach parent volunteers, alumni, and other community members.
- Be Flexible: PTA work often requires adapting to last-minute changes. Have contingency plans in case your original ideas don’t go quite the way you expected!
- Ask for Help: Don’t be afraid to delegate or seek advice from experienced PTA members.
- Create a succession plan: Eventually, you’ll need to hand your role off to someone else—so you’ll want to set them up for success. This PTA Treasurer transition kit can give you an idea of what to prepare in advance so they can hit the ground running.
- Celebrate Successes: Take time to recognize your achievements and those of your team. Improving your school community is hard work, and you deserve to be proud of what you accomplish together!
