I know this may seem like an odd question, but I am new to the whole PTO thing and there is just one issue with our board that bothers me. Is it normal for there to be a lot of teachers on the PTO board other than the teacher rep? We have several on our board and it seems to me that the other members always let them have their way because they don't want it to affect the way their children are treated. So is it typical for staff to be on the board or is my daughter's school just different? Thanks for any input

I don't think it's that uncommon for a group to have maybe one staff member on their board, but your situation does sound unusual. I do know of one school in our district where the "parent" group was run completely by teachers, but that was because there were no parents willing to do anything. Does your group have such low parent involvement that the teachers have stepped up to fill roles or could there be a power play going on here?

im wandering the same thing. our pto is only teachers, i went to one meeting and they totally ignored me. you can tell they make it obvious they do not want any parents there. i want to get involved because im concerned for my children and others. i dont think we as parents should be intimidated because of teachers. nor should our children. something needs to be done. not all schools are this way, but what about the ones that are????????? how do you help when your not wanted!

You need to get a copy of the PTO's bylaws and carefully read the areas about term limits andwhen/how nominations and voting are conducted to fill open positions. It might also be good due diligence to ask several parent board members about the dynamics of the group and about your interest to serve.

parent4, is there a teacher in the leadership of the the group that you would feel comfortable talking to about the issue of parent involvment? That could be a great place to start with finding out the reasons behind why the group is lead by only staff. It would also give you the opportunity to let someone really know how much you want to be involved.

Also, don't think that the leadership being comprised of only staff is the reason you were ignored. There are many posts on here about situations very similar to yours that involved other parents. Sometimes board members get a little too ingrained and forget that there might be new faces with an interest in being involved.