PTO Today

We have a new prinicpal that likes to micro manage. He wants to have a PTA on campus instead of a PTO. He met with us in October with a list of paperwork he wants us to submit prior to fund raisers, movie nights, skating parties, year book etc... he also submitted a request to the city shcools buisness services to have us audited. They declined ,so he told us that he is just going to suspend all PTO functions for the rest of the year. Do we surrender all funds and financial papers and just give up? We have been a PTO since 2001 and never had any problems with prior principals. Please help.

Couple of things would be high on my list:

1. I'd do an internal audit and have results in hand.

2. I'd speak to him (very professionally) about his concerns and goals.

3. I'd speak to district superiors and take the high road, but I'd make sure they know that parents at your school want to be involved and -- for the sake of the klids and the school -- want to make sure that parent involvement doesn't go away (or get suspended -- geesh!).

Closing down parent involvement is a very iffy move these days, both politically and public relations-wise. I assume you do great work for your school and the kids. Tough for anyone to win a public relations battle where they are "against" parents being involved at their own school.

Play that card subtly, and make it known at all times that you'd love to help make the principal look like a hero (provided he encourages and supports involvement).

Tim

I agree with Tim.

First find out why this new Principal is wanting a PTA and not a PTO. Have your facts ready to discuss why the PTO route is better for the school.

The audit is going to be important. You can always work it out with him that each year, at the same time of year, a sub-committee will be formed to perform an audit and that the results of this audit will be available.

Next you may need to carefully imply that the parents of your non-profit, independant organization wants to be involved in their children's education and that some parents have been contemplating going to the town School Committee or Superintendant of School regarding this issue. This may make him understand that his stance is only going to create hardship for him.

Also, many school improvement plans include things from the PTO. My school does. For example, the Reading Incentive Program is run by the PTO. There are other places where the PTO is specified as involved. The required School Council is to be made up of even members of parents and staff, and the PTO is to be in charge of the voting process. By suspending the group he may actually be going against the approved city regulations. Knowing this would help.

Last, you may need to imply that "some parents in your group have actually talked about going to the local papers". The point is that some Principals, especially inexperienced ones, may need the threat of negative publicity before they realize that they are going about things incorrectly.

Good luck,
PresidentJim

I don't think I'd point the negative publicity from parents up-front. Your principal might feel threatened by your suggestions-- and feel he must make a stand that this is his school and he's in charge-- Take the high road and stay in contact with him-- don't sit back and let things slide through the school year-- I think open communication and reminding him your here to support him in his new role as principal and the overall goal of the students and their further education. Good luck!

sounds to me (rather than micro managing) like the principal wants to make sure you use proper financial checks and balances, ie he fact that he is requesting an audit, wouldnt be necesary if you had one in hand, and part of you annual (or semi annual) policies.

i dont see what is wrong with any of the requests, sounds like if your books are in order and everything is run properly, you have nothing to hide.

everything that IS being requested, should be an ongoing open book to the princiapal AND to parents as well. like the saying says, those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing.

not suggesting you are hiding anything, just pointing out that the more you disclose, the less questions get asked by your members and prinicipal, becusase they have full confidence in you. when your policies and books arent 'open', it usually raisses quesitons, legitimate ones or not.

beignets.

I see where you're coming from, but some of the specifics in sandyp's post indicates that this Principal is trying to circumvent this PTO. She indicated that he specifically indicated that he wants a PTA and not the existing PTO. That is a red flag if I've ever seen one. The fact that he went around the PTO to the city school's business services to try to set up the audit also seems odd.

I applaud that the City manager disagreed with setting up the audit, as the PTO, being independant, does not fall within their jurisdiction.

At the same time maybe there's more going on behind the scenes than what we are being told. Has this Principal previously approached the PTO asking for the audit, and then getting nowhere he then resorted to going to the city? It doesn't sound like it, but maybe there's more to it.

PresidentJim

The first thing that comes to mind is, What does HE have to hide? Like Jim said, unless we're not hearing the whole story(not to say we aren't), I feel that if this principal is trying to find something 'bad' or 'wrong' with your PTO that perhaps he is trying to direct focus away from himself. Getting folks stirred up talking about all the things your PTO has or has not done would keep folks from talking about what he has or has not done.
As far as paper work goes...we went through it and once the new principal realized there was already too much paper work and more important...it pretty much ceased to exist.
Good luck!

I dont know if I feel he is trying to hide something, the orginal post referred to him being a new principal. Maybe he has worked in a school or around a school that has had huge issues with their parent group, so if he has then maybe getting everything out front at the beginning is a way of saying "when I arrived here the pto was on the up and up"
I think there is more to the story than we know, maybe he was told by the last principal that it really needs to be done, maybe it is being requested by the district or like I said orginally he wants to make sure it is all clean from the gecco!

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