The first male president of the national PTA did not take office until 2009 when only 10% of national PTA members were men. Why don’t more men get involved and how can we change that to enrich our children’s education?
In a recent episode of the Multipurpose Room podcast, “How to Get More Dads in PTA Leadership Positions,” Jason Nackos, PTA dad and Male Engagement Specialist for the Utah PTA, talks about how to get men involved and the advantages of doing so.
In 2018, Jason and his friend Ryan Schriever, a local attorney and former Membership VP at Mapleton Elementary in Utah, went viral with their carpool karaoke video that co-starred their school principal. Affectionately known as the “PTA Dads,” they’ve continued to make videos to encourage the male figures in students’ lives throughout the state of Utah – dads, grandfathers, and uncles – to get involved.
Listen to the full episode now >>
Top 5 activities that have encouraged men to get involved at school:
Here’s what Jason has done to get men involved in the PTA and in the classroom:
- His karaoke video featuring the school principal along with him and his friend in the car singing Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All” (“I believe the children are our future, Teach them well and let them lead the way…”) grabbed lots of attention!
- Targeted dads to attend “Dues and Donuts” event in conjunction with their school book fair. (Dad’s love to buy their kids whatever books they want!) This is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to how they can get involved – on a small scale.
- Coordinated 45-minute time slots for dads to come into their child’s classroom – or grandfather or uncle – once during the year. Dad brings a different excitement and energy and kids love it!
- Just completed a video compiled from various football coaches across the state who recorded a short piece encouraging men to get more involved in their children’s education.
- A dad’s talent show was in the works for last year, but COVID got in the way. As soon as it’s safe to gather together, this is a top priority.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, when fathers and father figures get involved in their children’s education, it has far-reaching positive effects. It also forwards the mission of having a diverse PTA with a wide range of backgrounds, voices, and talents.
Start in small ways of getting involved – you don’t have to be Board President right out of the gate. To listen to this episode, go here.
About Multipurpose Room Podcast
Multipurpose Room podcast, supported by SquadLocker, is hosted by strategic partner K-12 Clothing, a PTA-Dad created business that provides high-quality school apparel while increasing access to educational resources through fundraising in schools. Hosted by Wesley Jones, co-founder of K-12 Clothing, and Debora Jones, K-12 Clothing co-founder and advisor, the Multipurpose Room provides real-life issues that PTAs, PTOs, and school staff are dealing with and offers practical tips.
SquadLocker supports schools by managing the entire process of acquiring custom school uniforms, sports gear, and spirit wear – from instant online store creation to free graphic artwork assistance as well as decoration, production, and fulfilment. Learn more at https://www.squadlocker.com/solutions/schools.
