leadersHip transition By the Leadership Commission of the California State PTA The smooth transition of outgoing and incoming board members and • Job description for each officer and board position officers is of vital importance and can determine your PTA’s success • Summary of activities, results, and recommendations for for years to come. The transition process is the responsibility of both improvement incoming and outgoing officers and board members. It gives closure to • Reports of work for the year, including any committee reports and those leaving their positions and allows those coming in to be properly explanations of associated costs prepared. • Minutes from all meetings (both board and association) for the past two years Performance evaluation • List of community partners and agencies with which a relationship A good process of transition provides an opportunity for outgoing was established members to evaluate their work and efforts while giving suggestions to • Any information felt to be pertinent, especially when it fills in gaps new board members on what they wish they had done differently. that hindered the outgoing officers and board Some of the questions outgoing leaders should ask themselves include Roles and responsibilities the following: • Did the PTA achieve the goals set at the beginning of the school To ensure a successful term of office, certain responsibilities begin as year? soon as officers are elected. All board members and chairs are expected • Were efforts made to include more members in planning and to: working toward achieving the goals? • Uphold the policies and procedures of the state PTA and National • Did PTA membership increase? Were more parents engaged? PTA • Were association meetings well-attended? • Prepare appropriately to fulfill the responsibilities of the office • Did the membership participate in making decisions? • Study and follow unit bylaws and standing rules • Was the membership effectively informed of PTA events and • Attend and participate in meetings programs? • Abide by the will of the majority • Were PTA resources and information shared? • Respect the confidentiality of executive board business • Protect members’ privacy and the confidentiality of member Leadership materials handover information entrusted to PTA Outgoing officers should prepare all materials, records, and resources • Meet due dates and fulfill assignments promptly before turning them over. Update procedure books to include the • Give accurate and detailed account of all monies PTA handled following: • Cooperate with others by delegating tasks to appropriate • List of PTA board members, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mail individuals addresses • Attend conferences, workshops and conventions to develop and • List of names and contact information for those who have held the strengthen leadership skills position in the past • Maintain a procedure book and appropriate records to pass on to • Current PTA bylaws and standing rules successors • Current budget • Resign if unable to perform the required duties of the office 6 OurChildren April-May 2012 leadersHip transition Training and orientation Why you should elect new officers before school ends Encourage new officers to attend PTA trainings, especially the state and national conventions. Local, district, and regional PTAs often Bylaws indicate when elections are held; but it is especially important hold job-specific workshops tailored to unit needs. Participating in to elect new officers before the current school year ends, not when training serves to connect new leaders to a network of experienced leaders who can act as mentors during the year. the new school year starts. Here are some of the drawbacks of starting a new school year An orientation and planning meeting for a new executive board without new officers. helps a PTA jumpstart the year by offering an opportunity to share • Months of transition and planning time are forever lost. ideas, review PTA resources, and create a working calendar. Agreeing • The program and budget committees have inadequate time on ground rules for board meetings, priorities in working styles, and to develop and plan prior to the first association meeting, preferences for types and timing of communication will set the stage which leaves little time to give notice for and present plans to for a productive team effort. the membership for approval. Activities of the board-elect may include: • The PTA executive board must play catch-up. It can take • Registering the officers for convention months to feel organized and prepared to lead the association • Determining resources and materials needed, and ordering them effectively. • Distributing copies of bylaws and job descriptions, if they were • Banking and check writing can be impaired if previous officers not included in procedure books have moved on and financial procedures have not been • Filling vacancies and ratifying appointments properly addressed at the end of one fiscal year and the • Brainstorming to set goals and prepare a master calendar beginning of another. • Meeting with the school administrator • The transition of officers and chairs after an extended break • Ensuring that the year-end financial report and audit take place loses helpful momentum for sharing and passing on information so the budget committee can begin to plan and materials. If past officers or chairs move to another Outgoing officers should give support and information when campus or community, materials and procedure books can requested, but they should remember that there is more than one be lost. way to do every job. Encourage those who follow to develop their • Newly elected officers miss the opportunity to participate own leadership style. The best reputation PTA leaders can have is in spring peer trainings that may be provided by the district to be known as good mentors who taught their successors well and council PTA, as well as the National PTA Convention in June. and provided the preparation needed for their PTA’s continued • Mailings of valuable resources and materials from the state success. OC and National PTA are missed or not received in a timely manner. • The opportunity to promote PTA, build a relationship with the The Leadership Commission of the California State PTA can be reached school, and publicize the PTA’s role on campus is delayed, at [email protected]. and momentum is lost. • Administrators and school staff may be confused about who the PTA leaders are and how they intend to work with the school community. • Opportunities are lost for valuable community building, Transition basics for officers networking, and volunteer recruitment, which normally begin when officers take office. • Finish the term. • The membership campaign gets a late start and cannot take • Complete all responsibilities, including updating your advantage of the enthusiasm of a new school year. procedure book. • Students lose the opportunity to participate in Reflections, • Meet with current board to evaluate the activities and PTA’s fine arts program, because there is inadequate time outcomes of the previous year. Send new board contact to plan, kick off, and meet entry due dates. information to your council or district. In your state, local units may wish to use Just Between Friends, PTA’s membership management and communications system, to keep track of such information. Find out more • Meet with successor; introduce successor to key individuals. • Turn over all PTA materials and resources that relate to National PTA has several Quick-Reference Guides, in English and position. Spanish, to assist new officers in learning and performing their • Meet with the entire incoming and outgoing board to discuss duties—one for presidents, one for membership chairs, one for the future of ongoing projects. treasurers, and one for program chairs. To download these guides, go to pta.org/reference_guides.asp. 7 April-May 2012 OurChildren