Left with the bill
Stuck in the middle
Unhappy customers
Out of the loop
Please and thank you
Common ground
Still struggling with your relationship with the school ?
Running your PTA
Left with the bill
Sometimes PTAs get asked by their school to fund things they don ’ t feel meet the objectives listed in their constitution , or are asked to fund something last minute that hasn ’ t been factored into their spending plans . If that happens , you ’ ll need to discuss as a committee whether you agree with the school ’ s request . If the request is rejected , explain your reasons to the school rather than just saying no . Maybe suggest alternative options such as paying a percentage of the cost , promising to help the following year or funding something similar that does meet your objections .
Stuck in the middle
Does your PTA ever get caught in the middle of conflicts between the school and parents ? Your PTA should remain a neutral body , so transparency and maintaining an open dialogue is key . You ’ re not on the side of the school or the parents , you ’ re on the side of the children . Reminding everyone involved of this might help calm the situation . If all else fails , you should refuse to take a stance and walk away .
Unhappy customers
If parents are complaining to the school about your PTA , remind them that you are a separate entity to the school and share and uphold your complaints procedure , or create one if you don ’ t have one yet . It might be worth giving the school your contact details to forward on to parents , since the school shouldn ’ t have to be involved at all .
Out of the loop
If the school isn ’ t communicating very well with you and your PTA misses out on opportunities or information that would have been useful to know , make it as easy as possible for them and meet them halfway . Who knows the sort of information you need ? What does their work schedule look like ? How do they prefer to be contacted ? Are they happy to have regular catch-up meetings with you ?
Please and thank you
It can be really tough if you feel the school isn ’ t appreciative of the work you do , or they don ’ t help out when you ask . Change this by celebrating the wins and letting everyone know what you do , how grateful the children and parents are , and shouting about your achievements . You should also let the school know what more could be achieved should they get involved . Don ’ t be afraid to toot your own horn !
Common ground
At the end of the day , everything you and the school do is for the benefit of the children . It ’ s easy to forget that in times of frustration , stress and when you ’ re feeling a bit underappreciated . Celebrate the small wins , take challenges one step at a time and remember you ’ re not alone – you can always reach out to others on PTA Hangout for tips , advice and guidance .
Still struggling with your relationship with the school ?
You can arrange a 30-minute appointment with one of our friendly Community Advisers via our online booking system to discuss conflicts .
While this is not a mediation service , we can help you find a way forward .
Calls can be booked via Your PTA Expert on our website :
Photography : shutterstock . com / New Africa , iStock . com / monkeybusinessimages Illustrations : Freepik
PARENTKIND . ORG SPRING 2025 21