pta development and management

7/31/2019 Pta Development and Management

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PARENTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATIONDevelopment and Management

I. RATIONALE

Present times dictate the need for a more cooperative interaction among

parents and teachers, especially since there have been nagging reports regarding the

deterioration in the quality of education, which must be arrested, and for which

parental and tutorial consultation becomes immediately relevant1.

It is the proper concern of the state to extend guardianship over the

children from the comforts of home to the bigger community, which is the school. And

this time, it will not only be parental guardianship that will help mould the virtue and

good character in the young, but also the guardianship by teachers over them, there

must be a common organization of parents and teachers.

A. Laying Down the Bases

Though Parents TeachersAssociations origin can be dated back to as early as

1855, concurrent with the beginning of the Kindergarten movement, it has only gained

prominence in the Philippines when Education Act of 1982 recognized parents as one of

the stakeholders and an important human resource. Section 8 thereof provides for the

rights of parents to organize by themselves and/ or with teachers for the purpose of

providing a forum for the discussion of matters relating to the total school program, and

for ensuring the full cooperation of parents and teachers in the formulation and efficient

implementation of such programs.

The Department of Education Order pertaining to PTA organization in school

has gone through a series of amendments to cover the gray issues. Certainly, because

of a very conflicting views on the primordial functions of parents in schools operations,

resulting in overlapping of functions of school authority and PTA. It gradually developed

into tension between school administration and PTA as the latter wanted to get involved


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The primary reason why PTA organization is encouraged in every school

is to make them partner of school in promoting students welfare but not to become critic

and mere observer. They are being held up to support the school in its effort to bring out

possible solutions to every problem relating to students school total development.

Every school shall organize a Parent Teacher Association for the purpose of providing a

forum for the discussion of issues and their solutions related to the total school program

and to ensure the full cooperation of parents in the efficient implementation of such

program. The PTA shall serve as support group as a significant partner of the school

whose relationship shall be defined by cooperative and open dialogue to promote thewelfare of the students.

IV. DISCUSSION

A. Leadership Functions in Managing PTA

This section discusses in brief, the nature of leadership in PTA and how it

functions in the management of the organization. This is in accordance with the baseslaid down by Department of Education. It further discussed an issue related to the

nature of leadership in the management of the organization in the operation of school.

The leadership in PTA plays an important role in helping the school to meet the

societys needs, to be responsive to the ever-changing surrounding to improve the

school and community relationship.

Promotion of

Students' Welfare

School Personnel

Function

PTA Function


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In order for a school to be responsive to the changing needs of society, it

must be managed effectively and appropriately so that the students, teachers and other

stakeholders can perform and take their part.

Thus, it is deemed important, that since schools do not only composed of

teachers and school officials, it has to effectively organized and managed PTA.

Organizing and managing PTA requires for an effective communication among the

parties is of much importance in working towards the goal of quality education.

B. PTA as an Organization

Describing an organization can best be done by looking at its structure.

This includes looking at each member and how they are related to one another. Based

from DepEd Order No. 54, s. 2009 the PTA members normally consist of Parents and

Teacher, with the school head as the adviser. It follows a hierarchical structure wherethe President is at the top with the other officers and teachers as members.

Membership in a PTA is limited to parents, or in their absence the guardian, of duly

enrolled and teachers in a given school. Community people are now excluded from the

membership different from what it has been before. A teacher-member refers to

homeroom advisers, subject teachers and non-teaching personnel. The exclusion of

community people does not mean that they are welcome in school. This only pertains to

the membership in the organization.

Organization is done through an election from the homeroom level which

shall be conducted within fifteen (15) days from the start of the school year. The electedPresidents of the homeroom PTA and their respective Homeroom Advisers shall elect

the Board of directors within 30 days from the start of the school year. The Board of

Directors shall immediately elect from among themselves the executive officers of the

PTA on the same day of their election to the Board.

It is interesting to note that PTA organization shall not automatically

operate as legitimate organization in school without the recognition to be tendered by

school head. Hence, parent member who antagonized the school officials does not

have legal standing to do so if the organization has not been properly recognized.

C. Duties, Functions Privileges of a Recognized PTA

The PTA as an organization operating in school shall adhere to all existing

policies and implementing guidelines issued or may be issued by the Department of

Education. The basic function of PTA is to ensure regular attendance of children in

school to improve achievement level of competency of the children in different subjects


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to contribute in development of the school and to generate resources and ensure

efficient use of these resources for school development. It is sadly to note that parents

are being look up as financial partner of school, disregarding its basic function of

collaborating with teachers to improve the achievement level of their children. They are

usually utilized for financial generation. They are bounded by the principle of

volunteerism.

D. Functions of Teacher- Member and School Head

Generally, teachers are held solely responsible for quality in education and

school management. But parents are equally responsible so Parent-Teacher

Associations have been constituted. The functions of teachers are primarily related to

instructional components within the confines of students learning. It includes ensuring

the regular attendance of the enrolled children. Regular review of achievement level of

the children enrolled in the school and evolves strategy for further improvement.Cooperate in generating resources for the school building, drinking water facility, urinal

and cleanliness of school. Make guardians/parents of the children aware of their duties

towards their children who are un-enrolled or dropouts or irregular in the school. Review

activities of ParentTeacher Associations of schools and help in implementing their

responsibilities. Monitor the activities of ParentTeacher Association and help in solving

the problems. The following are suggested actions that may be taken by school

personnel in encouraging parents to actively participate in school activities.

Create a an environment in which parents feel valued and welcome, and that is

culturally sensitive, including developing supportive mission and policystatements

Outreach to encourage participation of parents who might have low-level literacy

skills. Involve parents and other family members in planning, curriculum and

policy development, and decision making related to school health

Disseminate information on school reforms, policies, discipline procedures,

assessment tools, and school goals, and include parents in any related decision-

making process

Link parents to programs and resources within the community that provide

support services to families, i.e., create an information and resource center to

support families with training, resources, and other services; collaborate with

community agencies to provide family support services and adult learning

opportunities

Meet with parents at least twice a year, accommodating the varied schedules of

parents, language barriers, and the need for child care

Encourage immediate contact between parents, teachers, principles, and other

administrative staff when concerns arise


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Communicate with parents regarding positive student behavior and achievement,

not just regarding misbehavior or failure

Use creative forms of communication with families that make optimal use of new

communication technologies

Encourage parents and students to volunteer and provide ample training on

volunteer procedures and school protocol

Ensure that parents who are unable to volunteer in the school building are given

the options for helping other ways

Enlist community volunteers such as civic groups, service clubs, religious groups,

seniors groups, and law enforcement

Develop partnerships with local businesses and services groups to advance

student learning and assist schools and families

Survey parents regarding their interests, talents and availability, then coordinate

the parent resources with those that exist within the school and among the

faculty

E. HOW TO INVOLVE PARENTS IN SCHOOL

One kind of parental involvement is school-based and includes participating inparent-teacher conferences and functions, and receiving and responding to writtencommunications from the teacher. Parents can also serve as school volunteers. In onesurvey, almost all teachers reported talking with children's parents-- either in person, byphone, or on open school nights--and sending notices home (Becker & Epstein, 1982).These methods, along with requests for parents to review and sign homework, weremost frequently used to involve parents.

Another kind of involvement is home-based and focuses on activities that parentscan do with their children at home or on the teacher's visits to the child's home.However, few teachers involve parents through home-based activities, partly because ofthe amount of time involved in developing activities or visiting and partly because of thedifficulty of coordinating parents' and teachers' schedules.

Some programs aim to reach parents who do not usually participate in theirchildren's education. Such programs provide flexible scheduling for school events andparent-teacher conferences, inform parents about what their children are learning, andhelp parents create a supportive environment for children's learning at home.

Many schools have responded to the needs of working parents by schedulingconferences in the evening as well as during the day, and by scheduling school eventsat different times of the day throughout the year.

It is important for teachers to keep the lines of communication open. Thisinvolves not only sending regular newsletters and notes, but also obtaining informationfrom parents. Phone calls are a greatly under-used technique for keeping in touch. A


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teacher usually calls a parent to report a child's inappropriate behavior or academicfailure. But teachers can use phone calls to let parents know about positive behaviorand to get input. Parents justifiably become defensive if they think that every phone callwill bring a bad report. If teachers accustom parents to receiving regular calls just forkeeping in touch, it is easier to discuss problems when they occur.

Teachers need to consider families' lifestyles and cultural backgrounds whenplanning home activities. However, some activities can be adapted to almost any homesituation. These are activities that parents or children engage in on a day-to-day basis.Teachers can encourage parents and children to do these activities together, and canfocus on the opportunities that the activities provide for learning. For example, althoughtelevision viewing is a pastime for most children and adults, they do not often watchshows together. Teachers can suggest appropriate programs and send home questionsfor families to discuss. This discussion can be carried over into class.

Busy parents can include children in such everyday activities as preparing a meal

or grocery shopping. Teachers can also suggest that parents set aside a time each dayto talk with their children about school. Parents may find this difficult if they have littleidea of what occurs in school. Notes on what the children have been working on arehelpful. Parents and children can discuss current events using teacher-providedquestions. Teachers often suggest the activity of reading aloud to children. Reading tochildren is an important factor in increasing their interest and ability in reading. Teacherscan also encourage children to read to parents. In areas where children may not havemany books, schools can lend books, and teachers can provide questions for parentsand children to discuss.

Home activities allow parents flexibility in scheduling, provide opportunities for

parents and children to spend time together, and offer a relaxed setting. To be mostbeneficial, home activities should be interesting and meaningful--not trivial tasks thatparents and children have to "get through." When teachers plan home activities, theyoften think in terms of worksheets or homework that will reinforce skills learned inschool. But parents often grow tired of the endless stream of papers to be checked andthe time spent on "busywork." Another danger of promoting home activities is thepossibility that there may arise an unclear distinction of roles, with teachers expectingparents to "teach" at home. Teachers and parents need to understand that their rolesare different, and that their activities with children should be different.

A. Prohibited Acts of PTA

PTA officers are prohibited from interfering in the academic and

administrative management and operations of the school, and of the DepEd, in general.

Academic and administrative matters of school include curricular programs and

offerings. Including but not limited to test administration, evaluation procedure geared


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towards students scholastic development. Administrative matters involve the

management of school property, personnel, and financial, with the exception of those

financial generated through the PTA. Therefore it is not incorrect to say that PTA is

proscribed from checking the attendance of school personnel.

Moreover, they are not allowed to call upon students and teachers for

purposes of investigation or disciplinary action.

V. EVALUATION

The evaluation process is to be accomplished in a variety of ways to provide

information on the progress of the implementation of the plan and define whether the

success indicators have been met. As they are in the mix, it accounts for ones own

accountability for actions and results.

In evaluating the effectiveness of the proposed development plan the impact

will be on student learning outcomes based on what the PTA performs their function in

school.


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Reference;

DepEd Order No. 54, s. 2009

Senate Bill 2339

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