DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP IN PARENT GROUPS

A "Must Do" for Parent Groups: Continuous Leadership Development.

Get your board for the coming year early. Ask teachers of the gifted and others with large able learner populations to recommend interested, pro-active, positive, energetic parents for your board.

Look at your PTA leadership and parents involved with children's museums.

Seek out general classroom teachers who have gifted or able learner children of their own.

Always keep your eyes open for parents with board member potential interested, some time to devote, pro-active. Look especially for parents of young gifted children: kindergarten, 1st, 2nd grade. These parents are not yet burned out and

may stay on your board for several years!

Make ALL board meetings meaningful and informational and on time (BRIBE: give out parenting tips, "hot topic", research information, serve FOOD, etc.

Job share and divide tasks into smaller pieces. Look for help from high school students needing service hours or senior citizens.

Match new board members with "old" board members on a task or committee and consider giving new members easy tasks such as "hospitality" or "phone tree".

Always consider an off-board position for anyone willing to do a big task (planning a meeting, summer opportunities guide, newsletter), but who cannot come to board meetings.