ABOUT PTA

About the PTA

Contents:

• What is the purpose of the PTA?

• Who is the PTA?  What is the 'PTA Executive'? What is the 'PTA Council'?

• When do PTA meetings occur?  What are they for?

• What does the PTA Executive do?  What are the specific duties of the different Executive offices?

• Errors or Amendments to the Constitution

What is the purpose of the PTA?

The Portage la Prairie Teachers' Association (PTA) exists as an extension of the Manitoba Teachers' Society.  The objectives of the PTA are:

• To promote and develop a co-operative spirit among the teachers in the school division.

• To promote and advance education.

• To safeguard and advance the interests of teachers.

• To stimulate public interest in education.

Who is the PTA?  What is the "PTA Executive"?  What is the "PTA Council"?

Members of the PTA include teachers, substitute teachers, administrative staff, and retired teachers.

The PTA Executive consists of elected members for the various positions as outlined in the Constitution of PTA.  These positions include:

• • • • President

      • Vice-President

      • Past-President

      • Secretary

      • Treasurer

      • Committee Chairpersons for the following standing committees:

        • • Collective Bargaining

          • Education Finance

          • Employee Benefits

          • Equity and Social Justice

          • Professional Development

          • Public Relations

          • Indigenous Voice and Action

          • Recreation and Wellness

          • Workplace Safety and Health

The PTA Council includes the Executive and all members of the committees listed above.

When do PTA meetings occur?  What are they for?

General membership meetings (AGM's) are commonly held twice each year (May and November) and are open to all members.  Business conducted at these meetings must include:

• • • election of officers (for positions on the PTA Executive)

    • financial report

    • presentation of budget for approval

    • fee assessment

    • final written reports of committees

Meetings of the PTA Executive and PTA Council generally occur on alternating months from each other from September to June.  Any PTA member may attend but only executive members may vote. 

What does the PTA Executive do? What are the specific duties of the different Executive offices?

The PTA Executive exists to carry out the business of the Association and the will of the membership as expressed by a majority of those in attendance at a general meeting.  They authorize Association expenditures, establish special committees as the need arises, encourage chairpersons to attend seminars, and approve all committee capital expenditures greater than $500.

The following identifies some of the duties and responsibilities of the offices of the Executive.  For full details of each office, see the full Constitution Act.

President:  Be a spokesperson for the PTA; prepare for and preside over meetings; be a member of the negotiating team; act as a liaison between the PTA and MTS; act as a liaison between the PTA and the Portage la Prairie School Division Board; be an ex-officio member of all standing committees.

Past-President:  Act in an advisory capacity to the Executive; act as chairperson of the nominating committee; coordinate an inservice in August for new teachers; serve as chairperson of the Resolutions Committee.

Vice-President:  Assist the President in conducting the affairs of the Association; compile and continually update the policies of the Association; make arrangements for the annual Council dinner meeting and the Association retirement dinner; assume the duties of the Past-President in the year with no Past-President.

Secretary:  Keep an accurate record of all proceedings of the Association; conduct correspondence on behalf of the Association; distribute copies of the minutes of all meetings.

Treasurer:  Keep an accurate record of all monies collected by the Association and expenditures of the Association; pay all debts of the Association; report on the financial status of the Association at each meeting; make arrangements for an annual audit.

Collective Bargaining Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President, elected chairperson, school representatives, and a representative from the Presidents' Council.

  • Appoint a negotiating team; ensure interests of all members of the Association are represented; communicate information on negotiations to teachers.

Education Finance Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and 3 members-at-large.

  • Develop a general understanding of the current components of Manitoba public school finance and the particular features of public school finance within the Division; become familiar with the province-wide reporting structure known as FRAME.

Employee Benefits Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and 3 members-at-large.

  • Deal with pensions, salary continuation, insurance, and other employee benefits.

Equity and Social Justice Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, school representatives, and a representative from the Principal's Council.

  • Monitor issues and concerns related to equity and social justice; develop and implement an annual plan to address societal issues of equity.

Indigenous Voice & Action Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and 3 members-at-large.

Professional Development Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairpersons, school/department representatives, the Strategic Initiatives Learning Coordinator, and a representative from the school division.

  • Foster the improvement of instruction and promote the professional growth of teachers in the Association; initiate in-service education, curriculum development, and curriculum research; administer the PD autonomy funds.

Public Relations Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and 3 members-at-large.

  • Publish a directory of the general membership and distribute to Association members; promote goodwill between the Association and the general public; publicize professional activities and achievements of the Association, develop and maintain the PTA website.

Recreation and Wellness Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and school representatives.

  • Plan and organize fitness, wellness, and social activities for the teachers of the Association; initiate and arrange functions to honour new and retiring teachers.

Resolutions Committee:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), Past-President of Vice-President as chairperson, and 3 members-at-large.

  • Prepare resolutions and present them to the members of the Association for ratification; study the proposed resolutions of the Manitoba Teachers' Society, organize the attendance of delegates to the AGM of the Manitoba Teachers' Society.

Workplace Safety and Health:

• • Consists of PTA President (ex-officio), elected chairperson, and school representatives.

  • Identify risks to health and safety in each building in the Division; monitor accidents within the Division and propose ways of preventing further such accidents; promote safety programs; keep the membership informed of Workplace Safety and Health issues

Errors or Amendments to the Constitution

The PTA Constitution may be amended by any member of the Association by following the procedure outlined in Section XVI of the PTA Constitution.

If there is any discrepancy between the above information and the full PTA Constitution, the full Constitution shall be deemed to be correct.  Please notify the PR Representative of any such discrepancies.