Remote PTA

This school year will be a year like no other in PTA history. All of us must look at how we PTA in a different way. You may have heard the phrase “PTA flexible.” This is the year to show PTA flexible in action across everything we do. Just like schools have had to pivot, so do PTAs. You don’t need a building to PTA.

PTA is needed now more than ever. Many parents are feeling disconnected and disengaged from their school and community. PTAs can make those connections and rebuild the school community. To do this, PTAs must show their value and relevance in an all, or mostly, virtual setting. Together, we all must learn how to take in-person activities and adjust them to a virtual setting.

First, you need to have a platform to connect with people in a virtual space. There are many products out there, some have free versions. Since this is the way your PTA will be doing business for quite some time, your PTA should invest in this expense. PTAs can budget for, and spend money on, any technology that will be used by the PTA. Remember to look if any of them have a discount for being a non-profit. Some of the platforms to look at are Zoom, Go To Meeting, Google Meet and WebEx. Check nonprofit tech resources through Tech Soup.

Another tool in your toolbox to help run your PTA virtually is BAND—PTA’s newest national sponsor. BAND can be a timely, modern, no-cost solution for PTAs that need to virtually coordinate activities and events and share information. BAND helps make it easier for parents, teachers and PTA members to stay connected and organized while embracing distance learning. PTAs can use the BAND app for scheduling, instant messaging, video calling and virtual meetings, conducting polls, managing signups, live streaming events, and other critical two-way communication features.

After you determine your preferred platform, you need to find what will make your PTA valuable and relevant throughout the year to your community. Here are a ton of ideas, information and content to use and share with your members: to show your PTAs relevance and value.

Check out these recent blogs

Ways to Make Your PTA Virtual.
National Volunteer Week blog which recognizes several local PTAs making things happen virtually.
How to Make Joining PTA Easy.

Explore National PTA Resources and Training

The National PTA website is available in Spanish therefore many of the resources on the webpages can be translated into Spanish. Share this feature with your PTAs and in outreach to your Spanish-speaking membership.
There are some great PTA leader resources on the National PTA COVID webpage. If you scroll down on the page there are three sections of resources—Families, PTA Leaders and Educators. Local PTAs can share the resources with their members to show their relevance during this difficult time.
The Center for Family Engagement recently held a webinar called Family Engagement in a Virtual World. Here is a link the recording which is found on CFE
On that same page is a link to subscribe to the Notes from the Backpack which is a great resource your PTA can share with your members, parents and teachers.
We must move our membership campaigns into the virtual world. We are extremely lucky to have a new Membership Campaign that has incredible graphics and messaging for all PTAs to use in the new virtual world of PTA. Did you know that PTA is now a Verb? Check out all the 50+ social media graphics available. All are also available in Spanish. Based on feedback, we are also in the process of adding some new items pieces soon.
Encourage your local leaders to join the National PTA local leader Facebook group. People share all sorts of great things on the page.

Host Your PTA Programs Virtually!

Visit National PTA’s Reflections Start Your Program page for resources and ideas on how to run your PTA’s Reflections program remotely. Check with your State PTA for specific state guidelines, rules and deadlines.
Enroll in the National PTA School of Excellence program to align your COVID-19 relief efforts in best practice for family engagement while gaining national recognition. Enroll by October 1 at PTA.org/Excellence.

Stay Connected!

Sign up for National PTA e-newsletters. As a PTA leader, you can harvest information from the newsletters and share it with your members. Click here to sign up for one or all five e-newsletters.
Invite your members to bookmark National PTA’s Our Children Magazine; this a great online resource full of valuable information to help families to better help their children.
Check out your state PTA webpage as many of them also provide resources, programs and incentives for local PTAs. Not sure of your state’s PTA website? Here is an interactive map for you to quickly connect.
Several state PTAs hold virtual events where local leaders can call in and share what virtual events they are already doing or thinking about doing so people can learn and hear from each other. Check-in with your state PTA to see if they are offering something similar.

Not sure what your PTA members and community need?

Ask them. Click here to see a sample survey to get you inspired.
PTAs leaders do not need to reinvent the wheel or to be content experts in all areas. If you know the needs of the families in your community, reach out to other non-profits in your area that are already providing these needed services. These other non-profits may already have the funding to provide services in the community and are just waiting to make connections.
Show how PTA advocates. Help families in your community have a voice. Make sure to share surveys and links from your school or school district and encourage families to respond so their voice is heard. See if the school district as a spot at the table for a PTA representative so you can be part of the discussion and discussion making for your community.

Coming Soon

National PTA is currently working on a series of recordings and live Zoom events, around PTAs being virtual, which will include topics such as: creating a virtual membership campaign, running a virtual meeting, virtual fundraising, Making the Case for PTA, and more.
National PTA is currently working on moving several programs into the virtual space.
Look for the next round of National PTA grants to roll out in November 2020.
Be on the lookout for National PTA’s weekly series celebrating the work PTAs have been doing to support COVID relief in their community. Stories will be shared on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and in our e-newletters.

Suzan Yungner is the Director of Membership and Field Service for National PTA.

National PTA does not endorse any commercial entity, product or service.

With so many schools closed through the end of the school year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, how are PTA/PTSAs keeping in touch with their school communities? They are going virtual!

National PTA surveyed local leaders from across America and heard about the many amazing things they are doing to be relevant to their members, students, families and communities together during this health crisis, with stay-at-home orders and social distancing in place.

Your PTA serves a vital role in supporting your community, and that role has only become more important during COVID-19. Try some of these creative ideas to bring people together, while respecting social distancing.

Community Building (Online)

Email, Google Docs and remote classrooms can go a long way to serving your students’ academic needs, but what about their emotional ones? Your PTA can support a feeling of community and school spirit even online.

#TogetherApart: Support stay at home orders by requesting students and families to post pics of how they are social distancing.
A Taste of Normal: Use your PTA Facebook page to help your school continue to deliver morning announcements (weather, birthdays, daily math problems and more) on Facebook Live.
Virtual Spirit Wear: Encourage your community to share their school pride by taking a pic in their school gear and sharing to your PTSA’s Facebook.
School Spirit Week: Similarly, ask your families to post different pictures online according to a new theme each day–crazy hat day, PJ day, crazy sock day, etc.
Bust Boredom: Lift people’s spirits! Send out daily challenges (fitness, crafts, etc.) or provide virtual morale boosters (funny pictures, inspirational quotes, etc.)
Let’s Read Together: Pick a book for your community to read together. Have the principal, your PTA President or a great volunteer record themselves reading and share the video online.
Make Space: Put the “social” in social isolation by hosting a virtual meet-up for your families on Zoom or Google Hangouts.

The Great Outdoors

Getting a few minutes of fresh air and sunshine can be critical for mental and physical health, particularly for children. Remind your families to don their masks, stay at least six feet from others, and participate in one of these fun challenges.

Chalk the Walk: Have families get outside in the fresh air to draw pictures or write positive messages on their driveways or on the sidewalk. Then families can walk around the neighborhood, get some exercise and enjoy all the art and messages. This activity could be neighborhood or community-wide.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt: Host a neighborhood scavenger hunt! Ask school families and community members to place a teddy bear or bear pictures in a window, front yard, in a tree, etc. Kids and families can get outside, get some exercise and hunt for the bears while practicing social distancing. Tell families to post online how many they found!
Themed walks! One of our local PTAs held a shamrock walk for St. Patrick’s Day. Families drew and cut out shamrocks and put them in their windows. Families could walk around and find shamrocks. This idea can be adjusted for other occasions, like emojis and signs for Teacher Appreciation Week, or made evergreen by using something like rainbows.

Take Your Events Online!

Don’t let all your PTA’s prep work go to waste! It may take a little creativity, ingenuity and flexibility, but you can (and should!) try to host some of your beloved events online!

Virtual Talent Show: Give kids the chance to show off their hobbies and special abilities!
Virtual Career Day: Inspire kids to keep studying so they can become their heroes.
Virtual Graduation Celebration: Missing milestones can be tough. Collaborate with your school to do something for your High School Seniors.
Online After School Programs: Some after school programs sponsored by your PTA might be able to be moved online with the help of your enrichment program vendors.
Online Reflections! Encourage your PTA students to start working on their Reflections submissions. This year’s student-selected theme is I Matter Because…

Provide Resources

As a family engagement association, your PTA plays a unique role as a go-between with your school and your community. In a crisis like this one, that role becomes even more important.

Bulletin Board: Don’t underestimate your reach! Share links to your state’s assistance for unemployment/underemployment or information on free internet options.
Food Pantry: If your PTA already runs a food pantry, please continue to do so! Some of our PTAs have switched to a drive-through model of service to minimize contact.
Special Delivery: Mobility can be a huge problem for some families. Your PTA could consider delivering school meals for those who can’t come pick them up.
Power Community Action: The PTA voice is mighty! Grassroots activism can be as simple as sharing National PTA’s action alerts or starting a petition around your state or local legislation.
Community Childcare: Essential workers may be having difficulty arranging reliable childcare. Your PTA can help connect families who are available to provide childcare to families in need of childcare.
STEM @ Home: PTA can create easy STEM activity packets (try the ones on our STEM @ Home page!) and hand them out when students pick up school meals.
Virtual Vacation: Many families have had to cancel their travel plans for Spring Break. Your PTA can turn this into an educational opportunity by sharing destinations for families to explore together virtually every day, with tours of historic sites, local recipes, themed crafts and traditions.

Keeping Revenue Coming In

Your PTA can’t do all of the great things it does without resources! Try these ideas to raise much-needed funds.

Restaurant Takeout Night: Support local businesses while raising money for your PTA and school! Collaborate with a local restaurant and ask your families to order takeout. A percentage of those sales can be donated to your PTA.
Set Up a GoFundMe: Make it easy for your families to support each other! Set up a site to collect online monetary donations for your PTA/PTSA food pantry.
Sell Graduation Yard Signs: Help your community celebrate their special seniors! Create cute “congrats grad!” signs that, when sold, a volunteer can then drive by and put it in the recipient’s yard.
Sell Spirit Wear: Sometimes what you wear can make all the difference in how you feel. Lift spirits and build a sense of community by selling spirit wear for your school and your PTA!
Host an Online Auction: Reach out to local businesses for donations of vouchers, gift cards or other “to-be-used-in-the-future” items your families could use, then host an event live on an online conferencing platform.

Meet and Greet

Our PTA Family can always use more members! In a time of social distancing, we need to create connections more than ever before. Use this moment to invite all your school community to join your PTA/PTSA!

Make Your Meetings Effective: Your PTA/PTSA meetings can easily be hosted online but be sure to stay organized and on task. Send out all the materials in advance and be respectful of your members’ time.
Make Your Meetings Impactful: Invite key players such as the principal, school staff and other school parents to brainstorm how your PTA can best help support families.
Celebrate Your Volunteers: Create opportunities to share the great work your PTA is doing, while letting people know you appreciate their efforts.

On behalf of National PTA, thank you for all you do to support children and families. Quarantine is really tough, but we want you to know that you’re doing an amazing job and we’re so #PTAProud of you! Visit PTA.org/COVID-19 for critical resources, join our local PTA leader Facebook group, and share your local PTA/PTSA virtual story with us. Stay safe!

Suzan Yungner is the director of membership and field service for National PTA.

Show Your PTA Value to Sustain and Grow Your Membership