PTO Today

Should we be responsible to have to call the parents to tell them that there kids are not doing good in school and have to form a special class for those kids after school? I think the school has professional teachers and are state funded to do this, this is not the job of some parents that are part of the PTO to organize and do all of this, what are your thoughts or do you know of any laws this may be breaking that the principal of a public school is asking this of the PTO?

In general, I'd say this would be one that teachers and administrators should be doing. They are more qualified to address the issues and answer questions.

It wouldn't be a typical task for a PTO except that one PTO role might be to help coordinate volunteers for school activities. For example, at our elementary school, there are certain internal testing dates where we need extra parent helpers in the classroom. They aren't subs - but they provide an extra set of eyes and ears to assist the teacher. The PTO recruits those volunteers.

For this task, I'd be very concerned about student confidentiality. However, that's a common issue with active volunteers on campus. You always have to select people carefully when they may be exposed to sensitive information.

It really depends on exactly what the principal is asking and what the PTO is willing to coordinate. For instance, if he wants help with followup calls to encourage families to take advantage of this new class - that's a bit different.

He wants to tell us the names and numbers of the kids having trouble and form a class that we as parents teach these kids ourselves and get them to go to. It sounds very strange that he would ask that of us being parents to teach other peoples kids and us not being teachers ourselves. Btw we are in Texas

I agree (as I always seem to) with JHB. This is a school related item and should not be controlled via the PTO. On the other hand though, there are times when the Principal may ask for parent volunteers to help in school related issues. For example, the first day our Kindergarten kids come to school we have a couple of parents on hand to help guide them in the right direction. Same on Photo Day, where the parents are there to help comb hair, get the kids in order, etc. Even though these are school issues/events, we are involved.

We have been involved in Book Clubs and such as well.

So, IMO, it really comes down to what is being asked. If, as you indicated, the PTO is being asked to tell parents that their child is under-performing, then I would say definitely not correct. But if they are being asked to contact parents to present an afterschool program opportunity, then it would likely be ok.

Hope this helps,
PresidentJim

Heck, no! This is purely an academic issue that the school administrators and teachers are responsible for in entirety. The idea of the PTO being asked to handle this sets off so many alarm bells and red flags -- regarding the confidentiality issues alone -- that I have to wonder who this "He" is and where he is storing his brain, 'cause it isn't being put to use in his head.

Wow! Talk about major breach of confidentiality! If I were a parent and another parent called me (especially if I didn't know that parent) to tell me my kid needed help I would be FURIOUS. First of all that should be the responsibility of the teacher and the administration, NOT a parent volunteer. At our school parents are more than welcome to help the classroom teachers if they have a student that needs maybe a little one on one time to practice reading or spelling, etc. But you have to volunteer through the office and you sign a confidentiality agreement and the principal talks to you about it to make sure you understand.