Our PTO has an established set of by-laws that have been in existence since our formation long before my time. It contains a clear division of duties for every officer(president, vp, secretary, treasurer, 2nd vp(always the principal)). Also a clear description of duties for every chairship. We occasionally add or remove duties from chairships but not from offices. A copy of bylaws and division of duties is given to every member of the BOD at first meeting of the year. Our Officer positions are 1 year terms and amximum of 2 years in any one office. It helps keep our ideas fresh. I think you should check out the discussion on Robert's Rules of Order for more info. Hope this helps!
Our Principal has the PTO in her pocket. See our board is made up of her puppets (mostly school employees), except for the President myself (Military Liaison) and the Fundraising VP. He is unsure of what he can do. We know he means well but, needs to take charge. We had a motion to update and change our current by-laws (out dated since 1991). Everytime we try she and her puppets kick it out some how. Most people don't even know what the by-laws are let alone what they say. See they only post them in the main office. Our goal is to remove the PRINCPAL & her PUPPETS from the board. We need change and we need it fast. Can you please tell me where you get your info from? So we can take something to the PRINCIPAL & the PTO in black and white. This Principal makes everyone believe it is her way or no way (she has only been in this school for 2 years). As I have been going through the Message board and reading it seems like other PTO's have a manual that maps things out for them so that they can keep organized and not allow things like what we are experiencing.
[This message has been edited by ConcerndParent2 (edited 11-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by ConcerndParent2 (edited 11-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by ConcerndParent2 (edited 11-20-2000).]
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I LIKE THE WAY YOU [PRINCIPAL] ANSWERED THIS ISSUE. THERE ARE MANY OF US WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS WHEN IT COMES TO OUR PRINCIPALS LEVEL OF INPUT AND HOW THINGS ARE RUN IN REGARDS TO THE P.T.O.. LET US KNOW IF YOU ARE EVER THINKING OF CHANGING YOUR CAREER LOCATION! ALSO, WHERE CAN WE GET THE P.T.O. MAGAZINE MENTIONED? I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING SUCH. THANKS.
LORI; P.T.O. PRES.
Thanks for the great input. It's so important to see both sides of the issue here. I'm sure your PTO is very lucky to have a school leader like you, and I'm sure they are a better/more effective/more enthusiastic PTO because of the support and freedom they get from your office.
Feel free to get in touch with me if you're ever interested in adding your insight to the pages of our magazine.
Tim Sullivan This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
saddens me to think that a fellow principal would run the pto meeting. as elementary school principal, i know it is next to impossible to lead a school without collaboration. our pto president sits on our school leadership team (it's composed of teachers and specialists) and we develop goals that are then supported by our site-based funds and our pto funds.
i attend each pto meeting and present a principal's report on happens and such for the previous month. i participate in discussions about funding and what keeps me focused is this: "it's not my money" i say that to mean this, i can offer my opinions as the educational leader of our school, but in the final analysis, the pto must decide its focus and how it will spend the funds it raises. my goal as a principal is to create and nurture an environment in which our school and pto goals will be one in the same.
lastly, pick and choose when you go over someone's head. talk directly with the principal first, give him the opportunity to "chill out" and stop running your meetings and directing your group's destiny. inform him of you wishes and inform him that you will speak with his supervisor about your beliefs. let him know that you intend to follow thorough. if at all possible, leave the school board out of the picture. all too often this policy making group is pulled in the ring to serve as personnel people. the superintendent is the personnel person. if you must go to the top go to this person. i hope this gets resolved soon.
