The PTO president is the leader of the Parent Teacher Organization. He sets the vision of the PTO during his term and ensures that the group meets specified goals. He leads all meetings of the general PTO as well as the executive board. He's also the public face of the PTO at school board meetings and in the media.
According to a description of the PTO officer duties at Longfellow Elementary School in Portland, Maine, the president has many responsibilities beyond administrative duties, such as calling monthly meetings. She oversees marketing by maintaining a school bulletin board and speaking at events such as "kindergarten roundup". She helps organize special events such as cookouts, book fairs and teacher appreciation luncheons. She coordinates fund-raisers and monitors the monthly budget. She also recruits and trains new officers to help with the leadership transition at the end of her term.
Most PTO presidents spend at least three or four hours a week on organizational affairs. They must plan and attend monthly general meetings and executive board meetings and act as an ex officio member of other committees. The president attends monthly school board meetings and meets with school administrators as needed. He also attends PTO events, such as talent shows and service projects, planned by other parents. The president must be available by phone and email throughout the week. He usually serves for one school year and stays on the board for another school year to advise the next president.
At most schools, the PTO president must have a child enrolled in the school. According to the Ashland K-12 PTO in Ashland, Massachusetts, the role of president requires "the ability to see the big picture and how each decision will impact the organization as a whole." The president must have excellent public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. She must be a strong leader who is organized and can motivate others. She should be able to negotiate with administrators, teachers and parents to find creative, mutually beneficial solutions.
A PTO president cannot do it all by himself. He must develop strong leaders all around him, starting with the executive board. According to the website PTO Today, the president of the PTO can create a stronger executive board if he defines each job clearly, communicates regularly, helps everyone make decisions as a group, delegates meaningful tasks and makes a point of regularly thanking others and commending them for good work.
A PTO is not the same as a PTA. According to PTO Today, the Parent Teacher Organization (PTA) is a formal organization with a nationwide structure and local chapters. Schools with a local PTA chapter pay dues to the national PTA in return for support and a unified voice in national educational policy. In contrast, local PTO chapters are not united in a national organization with a unified voice. If a school with a PTO chooses to collect dues, all the money stays within the school and none is sent to a national organization.