PTO Today

I am a regular poster on here but want to stay unknown for this. Today as I went into school I was told by a member of the custodial crew that our principal left! He cleaned out his office last Thursday and that was that.
After this conversation I was then hit with the staff knew last week as it was on a chat site, an email went out and so on.
I guess what upsets me is that here I find out five days letter and it wasn't even from the district office, it was the custodian. So I am wondering what is the importance of parent involvement if the parent group leader found out this way.
we have a very good volunteer program with over 45% of our parents volunteering, our group has been recoginzed nationally, have been in PTO Today twice and so on. We have always been considered a very string force and the disrespect that I am feeling is tremendous.
How would you feel if after all of this work that you found out this way? I mean I guess it needs to be finalized but why couldn't anyone just say hey you might hear this...
I guess I am hurt and not sure that I want to continue fighting the battle to keep increasing involvement...help!

I dont see an issue, and I wouldnt take it personally.

There is probably a very good reason the prinicpal didnt tell you.

And as for janitors knowing before the rest, I have found that is very often the case and doenst mean they were intentionally informed before parents, its just that they often learn (hear) of things before others do.......

Probably the district head didnt get around to informing parents officially, becuase their priority now is to fill the empty spot.

I'm with beignet. Don't give up on the tremendous work your group has obviously done for the school. When the new principal comes in, set up a friendly meeting to introduce yourself and let him/her know what your group has been up to in previous years and extend the offer to help in any way possible with their transition into this new job.

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Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat.

Plus there may be some sort of point of embarrassment about him leaving so they might have wanted to have things settle a bit and discuss how to broach the parents about it all. I would be upset however, as mentioned above, wouldn't take it personally--or at least I'd try not too. I would wonder why, however, the VP or someone I'd had a leadership relationship with didn't speak to me. d

There may also be legal confidentiality issues at stake. If sharing information was in violation of anyone's rights, then it just can't be shared. The fact of the matter is that he was an employee of the school district and PTO officers are not.

A discreet heads up from a trusted staff member might have been a kind gesture, but, again, depending on the nature of the situation even that might not be possible.

There were times when I, too, felt slighted by the school or school board. It's a stark reminder of how a PTO is really related to the school. It's hard not to feel like the stepchild sometimes. You go along feeling like part of the family and then, boom, something happens to remind you that you really, officially, are not.

Please continue to do the work you do. The kids need you!

Oh yeah, and the janitor knows[I] everything[/I], [I]all the time[/I]. They are the true center of any school.

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“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same.”

Thanks for the replies, I understand the whole procedure thing. I just don't feel good that he had actually cleaned his office, the temp replacement came in last week and I just found out by the custodian.
I was told that it hasn't been official but think about it when the name plate is gone, his stuff is gone and a temp is in there I think people would catch on. All this one week before school starts. I have no clue what the role of PTO will look like or anything, not a thing. I am frustrated and have been talking with higher up about the whole timing of this as it could have been done at the beginning of summer.

Yeah--I'd feel pretty bad about it too (I've been thinking about it since my last post) and if I felt like a partner with the school (part of the triad I always tout) I'd be angry to not be in on such a significant aspect of the leadership shifting and not knowing. There are times I REALLY realize that I'm not an employee of the school (holiday celebrations always make me feel really left out) but oh well....it goes with the payraise I don't get each year
d

The other part to this is that this temp is the sixth principal since 2004, so as a parent how happy would you be to find this out by a letter less than one week before school starts? I know I am going to get bombarded with questions and I am not sure I want that!

nothappy --- 6 princiapls in 3 yrs?? wow, sure sounds like there are issues in your district...maybe the prinicpal up and quit, and admin couldnt preadvise even staff because THEY were the last to know.

in any event, dont give it another thought, there is a reason that person left and they do have every right to their privacy (and the district will NEVER tell you the real reason, if they even know it -privacy rights and such, and lawsuit prevention mode the districts are always in).

CC - around here the teachers say "get to know the custodians,,,they know all the 'dirt'"! LOL how true it sometimes is.

We had almost the same thing happen to us. On the last day of school this past June, rumors were going around about our Principal leaving. We knew there was a vacancy at another elementary school in our district and just thought the facts were mixed up. As outgoing President, I left a thank you gift for her on the day before the last day of school and on the last day of school, our incoming Pres & Treasurer were there to hand out the end of year gifts. They spoke to her for several minutes in the privacy of her office about the year and the upcoming year.
I was approached the following week by a mother that had a friend in another town and apparently our Principal was at that school to introduce herself as the new Principal for the new year!! This happened two weeks before the end of our school year and even though she left voluntarily; she never told one member of the PTO or any parent. When some parents had asked her, she replied with something like 'Oh, you know how rumors are!'
I totally understand how you could be offended by the actions of your Principal. He/she should have had the decency to call you personally to thank you for your support and give you the news. Details would not have been necessary. Our Principal waited until July to admit it to the new PTO president and she felt hurt as well.
Although your situation appears to not have been a voluntary departure, a call could have been made. Our district only sent a letter to announce the change in mid August which parents did not like because it came from our old Principal that left to be an Assistant Superintendent. And like you, we had 5 Principals (or acting principals) in 4 years due to illness or "politics".

After the many, many changes our school has experienced, I would have expected more from our principal and board of education. It was a clear indication of the small amount they value parent involvement and support. I have a feeling they will have a very hard time passing the budget the next election!!!

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Doing it for my one and only ~~ my son!