PTO Board Position Descriptions

Overview
The Weston Public Schools Parent Teacher Organization (Weston PTO) is an all-volunteer, parent-run, non-profit organization committed to enhancing and enriching the education of our children and fostering a sense of community within our schools. We seek to keep parents connected and informed by facilitating a closer relationship between school and home and serving as the communication link between the two.

Thank you for your interest in the Weston Parent Teacher Organization. In this document you will learn about roles on the PTO Board. If you would like a role on the PTO Board please contact the PTO President Gail Palmer and Vice President Stephanie Goldstein.

All PTO Board members are encouraged to attend monthly PTO board meetings. Each position provides a report to update the board at the meetings. Board meetings provide an in depth view of school happenings and include updates from the Superintendent’s office and the School Committee.

PTO Board Positions are available with varying time commitments, skills, and include roles where you can work from home or be in the schools. Each role offers flexibility to make your own unique impact.

President
The President is responsible for coordination between the PTO and the Schools. The person in this role should possess leadership, communication, and management skills. Responsibilities include leading the monthly PTO Board meetings, meeting with school principals, creating a budget, balancing financial resources, managing communications and membership drives. The President attends monthly meetings with the Superintendent one week in advance of the PTO Board meeting to discuss items of interest in town/schools and to set the PTO meeting agenda. The President supervises, directs, and coordinates the
work of the PTO.

Term: 1 Year

Vice President
The Vice President is an ambassador for the PTO and the Weston Public Schools. Responsibilities include assisting the President as needed and accepting responsibilities delegated by the President and/or the Executive Board. The Vice President participates in Executive Board discussions and decision-making on behalf of the PTO. If the President is absent the Vice President will perform the duties of the President.

The Vice President attends School Committee meetings, WEEFC meetings, and when possible PTO Committee meetings for Creative Arts, STEM Council and PAC. In addition they oversee School Council elections for each school.

The Vice President should be willing to serve as President the following year.

Term: 1 Year as VP, 1 Year as President

Treasurer

The Treasurer oversees the cash flow of income and expenses for the PTO. Responsibilities include writing checks, reimbursements and preparing treasurer’s reports. A person with a financial background is desired.

Term: Minimum 2 Years

Secretary

The Secretary is responsible for recording minutes and compiling updates from the monthly PTO board meetings and then distributes minutes to board members. The Secretary should retain records of the minutes.

Term: Minimum 2 years

Communications

Communications is a two-member team who serves on the PTO Executive Committee. Communication co-chairs submits articles regarding PTO activities to the Weston Town Crier and share PTO information via other approved communications channels including Facebook and Twitter. Communications assists PTO Board members with messaging and communications with members, including crafting language for various communications. Maintains and administers PTO Communications policy and approved PTO social media accounts. Assists PTO Board with marketing and branding efforts and other initiatives involving communication. Evaluates communication opportunities and advises PTO board. Designs, administers and reports on surveys of the membership.

Co-Chair Responsibilities: shadow/learn the Chair’s function so that he/she can effectively lead and implement those tasks during his/her time as Chair; actively assist with executing on the many areas of the Chair’s role.

Term: Minimum 2 years

Woodland

The Woodland School is represented by a PTO Chair and Co-Chair who coordinate school events, teacher appreciation events and attend School Council meetings. The Woodland School PTO chairs serve as a liaison between the PTO, school principal and the parent community. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role.

Responsibilities include hosting Principal coffees throughout the school year, monthly meetings with the Principal, assigning Room Parents for each class and running a Room Parent orientation in September.  Woodland PTO chairs are also responsible for the following during the school year:

August – Coordinate refreshments for Back to School Nights
September – Coordinate volunteers for Picture Day
November/December – Recruit volunteers for and host annual Staff Cookie Exchange, organize flowers and host coffee at the Winter Concerts
February – Work with Country and Field PTO Chairs to begin planning the Annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon
March/April/May – Host a breakfast during Teacher Appreciation Week, organize flowers and host coffee at the Spring Concerts, coordinate volunteers and organize Fun Day which takes place in June.

Term: 2 years

Country

Country School is represented by a PTO Chair and Co-Chair who coordinate school events, teacher appreciation events and attend monthly Country School Council and PTO Board meetings.  The Country School PTO chairs serve as liaisons between the PTO, school principal and the parent community.  This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role.

Responsibilities include hosting Principal coffees throughout the school year, assigning Room Parents for each class, recruiting volunteers and planning/hosting various Country School events.  These include:

September -Back to School Picnic, Room Parent Orientation, Back to School Night.
October – Picture Day,   Trunk or Treat.
November – Faculty/Staff Appreciation Breakfast.  Movie Night.
December – Faculty/Staff Cookie Exchange.  Winter Concert Social.
January – Bingo Night.
February – Incoming Kindergarten Information Night.
April – Multicultural Night.
May – Faculty/Staff Appreciation Luncheon.  Spring Concert Social.
June – Carnival and Field Day.

Term: 2 years

Field School

Field is represented by a PTO Chair and Co-Chair who coordinate school events, teacher appreciation events and attend School Council meetings. The Field School PTO chairs serve as a liaison between the PTO, school principal and the parent community. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role.

Chair Responsibilities include assigning Room Parents for each class and holding an orientation for Room Parents in September; coordinating school-wide PTO efforts, including the annual Cookie Exchange and Staff Appreciation Luncheon, working through the room parents to solicit volunteers as needed; heading up 5th Grade Celebration efforts, including the production of a 5th grade video, the actual celebration day activities and fundraising to support and pay for all of the above; working closely with the school principal, meeting regularly to discuss school issues and to assist with special projects as needed; serving on the School Council, which meets monthly.

Co-Chair Responsibilities: To learn the Chair’s function so that he/she can effectively lead and implement those tasks during his/her time as Chair. The co-chair actively assists with executing on the many areas of the Chair’s role. The Co-Chair attends all meetings determined necessary to run specific
programs (Holiday Gift, Staff Luncheon, 5th Grade Celebration) as well as determined meetings with the Principal to discuss relevant topics. These meetings serve as an invaluable tool for understanding the timeline and process of being Chair; insight which enables the Co-Chair to manage/mentor and be ready for their year as Chair.

Term: 2 years

Middle School

The Middle School is represented by a PTO Chair and Co-Chair who coordinate school events, teacher appreciation events and attend School Council meetings. The Middle School PTO chairs serve as a liaison between the PTO, school principal and the parent community. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role.

The Chair coordinates volunteers for PTO events and school activities at the Middle School. The MS PTO Chair collects a list of general volunteers at the beginning of the year and for special events. The Chair then makes sure all volunteer staffing is in place prior to the start of the school year. The Chair works with teachers, staff, and leaders of committees to assure volunteers are recruited for programs and program logistics are understood. The Chair has regular communication with Grade Level Teacher Heads as to class and grade activities.

The Chair attends school council meetings, meetings with the Principal and Assistant Principal and other relevant events that arise during the school year. On average, there are about 30 Middle School PTO managed events each school year.

The Chair is also responsible for managing the Middle School PTO budget.

Co-Chair Responsibilities are to actively assist to learn the Chair’s function during the year so that he/she can effectively lead and implement those tasks during his/her time as Chair the following year.

Term: 2 years

High School

The High School is represented by a PTO Chair and Co-Chair who serve as a liaison between the PTO, school principal and the parent community. The High School Chair and Co-Chair work closely with the school principal. They meet regularly to discuss school issues, coordinate school events, teacher appreciation events, and attend School Council and Parent Advisor meetings and assist with special projects as needed. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

Term: 2 years

Community Outreach

The mission of the Community Outreach Committee is to provide resources and support to community organizations in need and to introduce our children to philanthropy and encourage compassion for others. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

Responsibilities: run the New Family Ice Cream Social before start of school year (late August); determine which charitable organizations and activities to support in a given year (typically 3-4) and outline the scope of the programs; review program details with relevant school administrators and field questions, as needed; stay abreast of local Programs/Drives outside of the PTO to limit overlap; devise and distribute appropriate communications and marketing materials relating to each charitable organization supported.

Term: 2 years

Creative Arts

The Chair of the Creative Arts Committee oversees performing arts recommendations and scheduling for Weston Middle School, Field, Country, and Woodland Schools. The primary responsibility of the Creative Arts Chair is to oversee communication between respective creative arts school chairs, lead monthly meetings and serve as the liaison between creative arts members, PTO, and WEEFC. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

The Creative Arts committee has designated committee members who serve as “creative arts school chairs.” These individuals are tasked with identifying programming needs, scheduling, writing WEEFC grants, and supervising the performances for their respective schools. Therefore, the responsibility of the Chair is primarily to manage the communication process between committee members.

The Chair is expected to lead committee meetings once a month, and provide additional communication support, as needed. The expected time commitment is 3-5 hours a month.

Term: Minimum 2 years

STEM Council

STEM Council Chairs promote science and math in Weston Schools. Together with science and math curriculum leaders in the various schools, the chairs plan several science and math related events for K12 grade levels each year. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a
year before taking on the leadership role.

Responsibilities include recruiting committee volunteers to participate in various events throughout the year. The STEM chair runs monthly meetings including scheduling meetings and setting agendas. Chair ensures that meeting notes will be sent to committee members. The STEM chairs plan two major events for Elementary Schools, the K-5 STEM Night (fall) and Field School STEM Fair (spring). The planning includes submitting Building Use Forms, promoting events, creating a budget and submitting WEEFC grants. The chairs work with curriculum leads to find appropriate outside enrichment and assist in preparing the WEEFC grants to help fund the events. The committee also works closely with the science and math department heads to plan field trips to science and math related companies and academia, as well as sourcing of expert speakers to visit our students during the school day.

Term: Minimum 2 years

Parent Education

The Parent Education team works with school administrators, town organizations, as well as community and faculty leaders to identify relevant topics and issues that are of interest to the parent community across all grades. Based on the areas of interest, the Parent Ed chair and co-chair research potential
speakers who can present on these topics; a shortlist is developed and the chair and co-chair invite the potential speakers to present in Weston. The chair and co-chair negotiate a speaking fee, reserve premises for the event, and handle all marketing. If the speaker has a book related to the topic, the Parent Ed team works with Wellesley Books to have books on hand to sell before and/or after the event.

Typically a few events are held each year. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

Term: Minimum 2 years

SEPAC

Massachusetts state law requires each town to have a Parent Advisory Council that represents families with Special Education Needs. The chair will act as a liaison to the PTO, the school community, and the School Committee on matters pertaining to special education. SEPAC chairs work with the administration to help improve programs and services for students with special needs. In MA, public school districts serve students with special needs from ages 3-22.
The SEPAC Chair and Co-Chair host regular coffees to answer parent questions and connect those parents who have children with special needs. This committee also hosts speakers each year to educate the parent community on important educational topics.

See http://www.westonpac.org/ for more information.

Term: Minimum 2 years

Green Team

The Green Team Chair and Co-Chair support the district in meeting, creating and implementing green goals for all five schools. They work in collaboration with the Superintendent, Staff Green Team Leaders from each school, Facilities, Food Services and the Town Sustainability Committee and Sustainability Coordinator. They often collaborate with outside organizations such as SWAG and Land’s Sake Farm. They assess and benchmark the district to create goals for current and future years. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

Green Team responsibilities should evolve as projects are often determined by the needs of the teachers as well as the town’s Sustainability Coordinator. They work to educate the schools and PTO on best practices to reduce their environmental impact. Chairs work with all PTO chairs to find ways to green their efforts at events, such as promoting the use of water coolers instead of water bottles. Chairs encourage reuse of items already in PTO closets before purchasing additional items. In addition they often plan a parent or student education event and develop green tips for the Westword newsletter.

Term: Minimum 2 years

Westword

Westword is the weekly email newsletter sent out to PTO members and school faculty and personnel. The Westword contains school related news, updates, and information on upcoming programs and events at school and within the community. This is a two-member team in which the Chair and Co-Chair split duties during the year with the Chair leading before the Co-Chair takes on the leadership role. This position is ideal for a volunteer looking for a flexible role that can be performed at home.

Responsibilities include receiving and selecting which updates and events should be published and determining when it should be published, usually 1-3 weeks prior to the date of the event. Submissions are edited for grammar and length. Each week submissions are entered into an email template. A draft is submitted on Sunday or Monday for review by the PTO Executive Committee and the Superintendent’s office. Once edited and approved, the Westword is scheduled to be emailed on Wednesday of each week school is in session.

Term: 2 years

Calendar/Directory

Two PTO Board Members work on the PTO Calendar and Directory, a Chair and a Co-Chair. Individuals in this role liaise with the Case House and the Superintendent’s office to update and maintain the PTO’s paper calendar/directory, as well as the online directory/app Membership Toolkit. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year. Much of this work is completed over the summer months.

Term: 2 years

Membership 

The Membership Committee promotes and tracks PTO Membership. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role the following year.

Responsibilities: Membership chairs encourage membership and sell directories. They prepare communications for Westword, Town Crier, sandwich boards, and emails to promote PTO membership. They process memberships and payments that are received at events, in the mail or at Case House. Once members join they manage the distribution of the directories to members, schools and other town organizations, which includes finalizing lists of recipients for the printer. They also track membership information/statistics via the online database. They also coordinate a schedule of PTO board members to attend events where new potential members are in attendance, such as the back to school events.

Term: 2 years

Webmaster

This team keeps the organization’s website current by maintaining web pages, links and provides technical support for membership and volunteer committees. This is a two-member team in which the Co-Chair shadows the Chair for a year before taking on the leadership role.

Term: 2 years

Family Engagement

Term: 2 years

Legal

The Legal counsel is responsible for completing and filing the Federal Tax Form and State Annual Report on behalf of the PTO. The filings are both due in late October/early November, and are required to maintain the tax-exempt status of the PTO, which is a 501(c)(3) organization. In addition, the legal
counsel is called upon to answer whatever legal and quasi-legal questions that may arise during the course of the year.

Term: Flexible