Jordan Middle School PTA
Executive Board and Committee Chair Job Descriptions
January, 2007
- Coordinate the work of officers and committees of the association in order that the purposes may be promoted.
- Preside at all meetings of the association and the executive board
- Be a member ex officio of all committees except the nominating committee
- Appoint the parliamentarian, the chairmen and members of committees, subject to the ratification of the executive board
- Be responsible for preparing the unit annual report required by the CA State PTA
- Be the official representative of the unit at council and district meetings
- Perform such other duties as may be prescribed in the bylaws or assigned by the association
Assists the president. Attends Site Council meetings and reports to the Ex Bd. Chairs Joint Finance Committee (JFC).
Draft a letter and response form to be sent to parents based in the Back to School packet on plans for the following yearıs budget. From August to the end of year receive checks and response forms those mailed in return envelopes and those sent to Jordan. Log all checks and donor information into a spreadsheet or other software for reporting back to the PTA board on amount received and participation rates. Draft thank you letter and send out to donors as checks are received. Make arrangements with the treasurer for transfer of checks and the information needed to expedite processing.
Responsible for planning and organizing the Parent Ed. Meetings after the evening PTA meetings. Work closely with the PTA Pres and school administrators to determine what burning issues might be affecting the students and their parents both socially and emotionally and would plan a program around that. Very often, the school administrators have ideas for programs they want the PTA to sponsor.
Coordinate committee chairs representing the three grade parent networks. The parent network seeks to encourage the development of a community in which parents know one another and mutually care about and work together for a healthy social, emotional and physical environment for our students as they proceed through school. The network chair for each grade organizes discussion and/or social meetings for parents, which may take place in a coffee shop, at school, or in someone's home. The chairs may recruit a committee to decide upon topics and types of meetings.
Welcome new families to Jordan; provide meals on wheels for families experiencing illness or a crisis; host an Annual New Teacher's Dinner; help teacher with the Voluntary Transfer families; and look for ways to support diversity and inclusion of all families. It's a fun job and you get to know a lot of great people.
Develop
list of volunteer opportunities to be ready for the Back to School Packet in
July. Organize back to school volunteer coffee. Collect the forms when school
starts, enter the information into a database, collate lists of volunteers and
distribute to committee chairs and event coordinators. Respond to volunteer
requests as needed and find volunteers for specific tasks, usually by
email. Attend monthly Exec. Bd. meetings.
Attend monthly PTA Executive Board meeting. Receive articles, announcements and pictures from Jordan staff, PTA board members and parents. Edit and lay out the Jordan Journal, the monthly PTA newsletter, using layout software. Deliver hard copy and/or digital copy of the finished newsletter to the printing office at 25 Churchill.
Attend
monthly Executive Board meetings. Update webpage as necessary when
information is provided regarding meetings, etc. One-time update of
online back-to-school packet information. Post updates of
Programs/Events.
Time commitment: some time just prior to the start of school and early in
the school year to prepare back-to-school packet information and basic
information update for the new year. Monthly maintenance is approximately
1-2 hours dependent on information provided by others for the week.
Forms and works with the budget committee to plan the budget. The treasurer is responsible for managing income and expenses against that budget. The treasurer will collect funds, deposit them, approve and dispense expenses. Additionally the treasurer will manage the bank accounts. The treasurer makes monthly reports to the Exec Board and to the 5-6 Association meetings. Good communication through the year with the President is essential. The treasurer must cooperate with the auditor during the midyear and yearend audit. The treasurer prepares the annual income tax filing for the organization. The treasurer also maintains the historical treasury records.
Provide clerical and administrative support for PTA Treasurer. Tasks may include making deposits, entering data into Quicken, writing checks as needed for Treasurer and PTA President sign off, and filing. The Assistant Treasurer can attend the monthly PTA Executive Board meetings, but isn't responsible for presenting financials, or gaining check approvals at these meetings.
Be responsible for EScrip - Familiarize yourself with their Web site and then devise ways to increase participation of our parent community...the tricky part. Go to as many meetings /gatherings as possible. May recruit at back to school programs and through school publication.
Audit books and records of Jordan PTA to ensure accuracy and completeness. Requires reviewing all transactions, bank reconciliations, monthly profit and loss reports, comparisons to budget, budget amendments and all supporting documentation. Ensure compliance with requisite external reporting such as tax returns. Make recommendations for any corrections or improvements. Report to the PTA Executive Board and Association per bylaws. File report with PTA Council. Requires approximately 15 hours for each 6 month audit.
The Secretary of the Jordan PTA Executive Board is responsible for the timely preparation and distribution of the minutes of all PTA Executive Board meetings and General Membership meetings.
The historian assembles and preserves the record of activities and achievements of the PTA, tracks volunteer hours, and assists the president in preparing the Annual Report
Attend monthly Exec. Bd. meetings. Provide advice regarding parliamentary procedures and by laws. Form Nominating Committee for following year. Revise by laws every 2 years.
The PTA Council is composed of representatives from all PAUSD schools plus an elected executive board. It is organized under the authority of the California State PTA for the purpose of promoting conferences, communications, leadership development and coordination of the school PTAs. The PTA Council also promotes and supports the basic policies of the PTA, makes people aware of the need
for action through the strength of the local PTAs, and provides in-depth background information on current issues related to the lives and education of children and youth.
The Jordan PTA Council reps are the communication link between the Council and Jordan. PTA Council meetings are held approximately 4-5 times a year on Wednesday mornings, with an occasional evening meeting or speaking event. Council reps attend Jordan PTA executive board meetings and report on PTA Council meetings. Council reps may also submit a short review of council activities to the Jordan Journal, although PTA Council reports are included in the "Councilor" portion of the Jordan Journal. PTA Council Reps also represent Jordan on the Council Nominating Committee and vote on issues brought before the PTA Council.
Staff liaison is the information link between teachers and the PTA Board. They bring issues raised by teachers to the PTA Executive Board as well as keep the teachers informed on issues of interest to them that are discussed at the Executive Board meetings.
Photographer
Take pictures of Jordan students and school related events. Send them to the
Journal editors, yearbook editor, and Leadership advisor.
Coordinate the preparation of Back-to-School packets. The chairperson will solicit and coordinate volunteers to stuff ~1100 packets in early August. The packet preparation process normally takes about 3-4 hours.
Prior to packet preparation, the chairperson should verify that all necessary forms have arrived at Jordan and prepare the designated room for the assembly process. (refer to notes from previous year for details)
Coordinate the distribution and compilation of Back-to-School forms. The chairperson will solicit and coordinate volunteers to sort, tabulate and organize approximately 900 packets on the first day of school. This process takes approximately 7-8 hours.
Prior to packet organization/breakdown, the chairperson should receive a class list for each advisory, information/totals/monies needed by school accountant, and reserve room for registration process. Work closely with office staff to ensure proper distribution of all registration documents.
The objective of the Back to School Work Day is to provide an opportunity for students and parents to join members of their community and donate a half day on a Saturday in late August to work at Jordan to improve the appearance of the school for incoming students. It provides an opportunity for parents and students to meet each other in a casual setting while cleaning up the Jordan campus. Once students have participated in this event, they have a propensity to keep the campus cleaner throughout the school year.
The job responsibilities include:
- Meets with Jordan Principal in late Spring to identify/prioritize "special clean-up and/or repair projects"
- Prepares article for Jordan Journal in late Spring to describe event and date of event (generally in late August, on the weekend prior to school beginning)
- Sends e-mail to incoming 6th, 7th and 8th grade parents during July and again in August
- Chairman determines materials required for the event and orders all materials during the middle of August
- Places orders 1 week prior to event for drinks (Costco) and pizza (Round Table) for event (assume approximately 150 participants)
- Coordinates with Jordan janitorial staff 1 week prior to event to secure required items (e.g., water wrench, garbage cans, power washer, rakes, brooms, etc.)
- Works with Back to School packet coordinator to ensure that "Back to School Work Day" flyer is included in packet
- Registers each participate and issues name tags for the participant on the day of event
- Identifies team leaders and participants to focus on specific tasks (e.g., bench building, garden cleanup, raking, sweeping, etc.)
- Coordinates distribution of drinks and pizza at noon on day of event
- Principal, Chairman and Committee thank students and parents for their participation
- Following the "Back to School Work Day", the Marketing Committee prepares an article (including photos) for the Jordan Journal
Set up cotillion dance lessons.
The position of 8th Grade Promotion Coordinator involves: (1) forming a committee of chairpersons to assume responsibility for each functional area of promotion, e.g. catering, decorations, working with the administration/logistics, ticket sales, ceremony set-up, photography, volunteer coordination and recruitment, entertainment, etc.; (2) planning and arranging for monthly meetings to get the team of volunteers focused and working on their respective areas and reporting on their progress ; (3) working with the Student Council to determine their donation to Promotion; (4) communicating with the parent body about dates, ticket pricing, logistics; (5) Making sure that each chairperson is staying within the budget; and (6) making sure that the PTA is apprised of the activities and finances of the Promotion Committee.
This job primarily involves coordination of all of the various participants in the event. You will need to contact various committee chairs to request their committees be represented at the event to provide information helpful to new families and to make sure that bike safety can set up and provide bike registration at the event. You will coordinate with the Principal and Vice Principal so that they can provide their input into the event, lead the introductions and encourage other staff members to participate. You will also coordinate with the individuals in the front office in order to get name tags, class assignment information and physical set up of the event. You will also need to work with the volunteer coordinator to help get volunteers to man the various advisory tables and to purchase and/or serve the refreshments. Finally, you will work with the teacher in charge of the 8th grade leadership students to get their help with making signs, leading tours and doing other work that is needed for the event. Coordinator should NOT be an incoming 6th grade family. Recommend 7th grade parent.
Works together with the principal and vice principal to coordinate landscape projects on the Jordan Campus. Involves working with district personnel and maintenance people to ensure projects are done. The person in this position acts as an advocate for Jordan's physical campus, working closely with our school administration to ensure that our needs and requests are attended to by the district.
The purpose of the ACS Parent Ambassadors is to increase awareness of ACS services at the school sites and to facilitate communication between ACS and the schools. This position doesnıt need to be listed in the PTA roster -- it's really up to ACS to provide this person. And they will serve as a liaison not only to the PTA, but also to the whole school.
Athletic Advisory Board Member represents the Jordan students participating in City Park and Rec. sponsored after school sports. This parent listens to comments/concerns of parents and directs them to the appropriate individual on the Board (Parks and rec person, or Jordan athletic director). Attend monthly Board meetings cover budget and coach hiring, problems currently facing and direction for future offerings.
The job of preparedness site volunteers is to assist the principal. By law sites are supposed to prepare their own emergency plans and thus meet their own needs. Principals are ultimately in charge of preparedness, and directly in charge of response.
What volunteers usually do is help inspect and refill backpacks; organize, inventory, and re-stock cargo container supplies, and participate as observers in drills.
Coordinate with PTA Council Director of Health and Welfare to support and/or improve health and welfare of students at Jordan. Activities could include distribution of health related materials, nutrition curricula in middle school, education about healthy choices for snacks and lunches, nutrition education for parents, or any ideas the Health and Wellness chair feel would benefit Jordan students.
Act as liaison to Jordan Homework Center. Write grants to obtain funding for homework center from various charitable sources.
Plan 3 live arts assemblies, one per grade, throughout school year. Book artists, reserve performance space, plan additional class meetings with artists, if possible. Write and distribute flyers and pre-performance information to teachers. Distribute Stanford Lively Arts Matinee information and reservation materials to teachers in August/September. Work with Jordan faculty/administration to develop projects/grants that link lively arts activities to middle school curricula, using community arts resources.
Liason:
School Board
This person monitors school board meetings to see if there are issues being
discussed that affect Jordan.
He/she then prepares a brief summary of those issue points and emails them to
the PTA executive
committee prior to the PTA meeting. There are school board meetings every
other Tuesday from about 7-10:30.
The fast way to do this job is to review the board agenda on the PAUSD Web site
and then record the board meetings which are shown on public access cable TV
(and streamed via the Media Center). Using the agenda, it is generally
possible to fast forward thru much of the 3+ hour meetings and focus on the
important parts. Theoretically, this should all take less than 2 hours every two
weeks, especially if one gets interested in some of the issues being discussed.
Meet with Jordan staff, other PTA traffic safety reps and the City/School Traffic Safety Committee as needed to promote traffic safety and resolve problems. Help to sponsor special events that encourage healthy commute choices. Prepare an information flyer for the back-to-school packet which includes best walking/biking/drop off routes, etc. Coordinate bike registration, provide information on commute choices, and coordinate bike safety and helmet check stations at Back to School Day.
Coordinate dates of the annual Palo Alto Children's Theatre Outreach Show for Jordan students. Involves communicating with the Jordan Drama Dept. (currently Dr. Forte) and the Palo Alto Children's Theatre (currently Michael Litfin) to set up a date that does not conflict with a Jordan production. Also responsible for communicating with the front office to reserve rooms and times for auditions and rehearsals at Jordan. The play is performed at the Children's Theatre, usually in the Spring. Also responsible for publicity-- letting the students/eNews/Journal know about audition dates, and performance dates- usually involves making a few posters.
Assist Dr. Forte in Jordan drama productions by soliciting volunteer help from parents to help put on two student plays in fall and spring.
The Palo Alto Social Norms Project is a collaboration between PAUSD, Palo Alto Medical Foundation and other community organizations such as PA Police Department, PAFE, PA City Council, PAPTA Council, ACS, PAY and secondary PTAs. This collaborative was formed to assess teen use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, and then craft a response. PAMF serves as the fiscal sponsor and as the contracting agency for the Montana State University team whose program of surveys and analyses are used.
The Jordan Social Norms liaison works with the district social norms group as well as Jordan's social norms group (principal, counselors, teachers, PTA) to help coordinate social norms activity at Jordan. These activities include communicating social norm information to parents, helping to coordinate and
market the surveys, and to help market the survey results to the students.
The liaison attends district meetings with other secondary schools and PAMF, with the Jordan team and with the Jordan PTA. The liaison also helps enact the programs to survey and communicate survey data to students and parents. The liaison reports on Social Norms activities to the PTA.
Coordinate noon time volunteers who spend time on campus helping the Jordan staff monitor students during lunch. Establish a work schedule calendar for the volunteers; communicate to volunteers the basic rules for monitoring the students through an early Fall meeting and/or by email.
Throughout the school year students are awarded pride cards by their teachers as recognition for an outstanding effort. These cards are signed by parents, then placed in a container which is located in the office. During the monthly student assemblies six pride cards are drawn for each grade from the container and the winning student chooses a prize. The prizes are $15 gift certificates to various local businesses (bookstores, pizza, movies, etc.). The pride coordinator purchases these certificates. There is a budget for this program, so no soliciting is involved. There is also a committee to assist with the purchases. During the year a total of 120 certificates are awarded; 48 for 6th grade, 48 for 7th grade, and 24 for 8th grade. Eighth grade has pride drawings every other month.
T-shirt sales involve tallying the back-to school packet t-shirt orders, placing order with the t-shirt company, and distributing the t-shirts to the students via the Advisory teacher. Advertise through a back to school flyer and possibly with tables at back to school events for additional sales and sizing. There are a few requests for t-shirts beyond the initial order that can be sold from any left over during the school year.
Publicize PTA wardrobe drive. Take the donations to the wardrobe. Occasionally assist wardrobe staff in organizing wardrobe.