Charles "Chuck" Saylors is about to become the first dad ever to lead the National Parent Teacher Association (commonly known as the PTA). When Chuck becomes PTA president in June, it will be the biggest step yet in the trend of fathers getting more involved in improving their kids' education.
The PTA has always been dominated by moms. Founded in the late 1800s as the "National Congress of Mothers," women have always made up the organization's leadership and majority. But now, dads are catching up. Men make up 10 percent of the PTA's membership and their numbers increased each of the last five years. Dads are pitching in, donating their time, and starting to become active volunteers—and Chuck couldn't be happier.
He sat down with us to talk about the PTA, how parents can get involved, and some of his goals for the future.
You've been involved in the PTA ever since your oldest son, Matthew (now 24), was in elementary school. How'd you get started?
"The first PTA event we went to was a fall carnival…They had a hot dog dinner and my wife and I went into the cafeteria to have dinner. We walked into the serving line and there was just one lady behind the counter.
'She's just doing everything by herself,' I told my wife.
Without missing a beat, she said, 'Well, do you want to eat dinner now or wait until you finish helping her?'
That's how I got started—helping serve hot dogs. That year, I ended up doing some work in the school as a volunteer leader and then served as president of the school's PTA."
What has it been like being a "dad in a mom's world," so to speak?
"Nobody's ever accused me of being the odd man out. It's been a longtime goal of the organization to get more men involved. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.
The organization started out 112 years ago as the National Congress of Mothers. Not until the last couple decades have we started focusing on trying to get more men involved. The women have always been there. Now we're looking at 10 percent of our membership that are men. To me, that's a tremendous opportunity for growth."
How will you try to get more men involved in the PTA and children's education?
"One of the challenges we face is the perception that men don't have time to participate…What I'm asking men—or any parent—to do is give us three hours during the entire school year. Go to the school and volunteer. Help a child with their reading skills, their math skills. Tutor. Help a child do something constructive…
If a parent gives us three hours of their time, I'm a firm believer they're going to come back for more. They'll see the positive of what they're doing. They're helping the child with their skills so they'll be a better person, a better adult, in the future… All in less time than it takes to see a movie."
You're a professional in the business world, serving as Vice President for Construction Management for a large contractor. How do you make time in your own life to volunteer?
"I am married to a saint—absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt. My family is very supportive and I am extremely lucky to have that. I am also extremely lucky to work for a company that sees my service in this area as a good thing."
Tell us about some of the other goals you have as PTA president.
"I want to give families encouragement to see that this can be a family activity. It's not just something that Mom does, or something that Dad does. It's something that the grandparents can get involved in, the aunts and uncles can get involved in, the neighbors can get involved in. It's more than just one or two parents...
Today Dad works, Mom works—often more than one job each. The level of ability to volunteer has diminished from 20 years ago, but the level of need has increased. With the potential of serious budget cuts across the states, I don't see that need decreasing. In fact, it will become greater. We need to do whatever we can to get parents in the door… Their efforts are greatly appreciated and greatly needed."
The PTA needs your help! If you'd like to get involved with your local or state chapter of the PTA, visit their volunteer website. You'll find ways to join, give back, and help kids in your community. Remember, just three hours of your time can make a world of difference. We hope you'll pitch in!
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