Thank you LUVMYKIDS, pals, raptordad! I am taking all your advice to our next meeting (not sure when that will be), but I have printed off by-laws from other schools and off the P.T.O. website. If this next meeting doesn't get anywhere, I will approach our Principal or the Board if I have to. I will let you know what the outcome is to my situation. Thanks again for taking out of your day to help me out!

Unless you have a brand new building - I'm betting that there are some sort of by-laws or organizing documents that exist for your organization, somewhere. Without by-laws, there is no president, just a chairperson or a committee head. I'm baffled as to how your group could even have a treasurer's account somewhere without all these organizing documents being on hand.

A meeting of friends doesn't consitute a PTO - it's a coffee clutch. And most principals have children to deal with, they don't have an interest in parental politics. The one thing that you could ask of him or her is to talk about your concerns with the PTO and the current situation with the funds for the PTO and how things are being managed. They don't want to be on the hook for a mismanaged group.

Is the principal involved with these meetings? The reason I ask is because the PTO should exist to support the school, it's students and teachers and the goals of the school. If they are operating as their own private club, then they are really notl living up to their end of the bargain.

As a teacher it's hard to facilitate these changes. Perhaps you need to talk to your parents and motivate them to get involved and take over control ofthe organization and build it up.

I am surprised at my first reaction to this but I must be honest! I say go to the head cheese...your principal. I am guessing that the administration support is not there for this 'group' maybe he can get things rolling even if it is only as far as an announced meeting that everyone is welcome to come and give input!

Perhaps it's time to go from a "relaxed" group to a formal group? Unfortunately, while it may seem easier to have this relaxed atmosphere it really leaves a group wide open to the whims of whomever the officers are at the moment and you have no recourse when things aren't going well.

I would try one more time to talk with your President and explain to her that there are parents and teachers who want to be involved but are being excluded by her "private" meetings. If she still ignores you, perhaps you could approach the principal and see what his/her thoughts are on the issue. Maybe your principal would be willing to speak with the President also. That being said, I really think that in the long run the best thing you can do is make this group more formal. At least get some basic bylaws governing when and where meetings will be held, requirements for notification of the meetings, voting requirements, officer job descriptions, election procedures and some financial controls.

We have no by-laws, no goals, no set meeting times, etc. We were very relaxed and focused mainly on Halloween, Valentine's Day and the last day of school. This year our President seems to have meetings with one or two people and that's it. I'm VERY frustrated because a lot of us care for our students and she's telling these few people that we either don't care or she doesn't need to inform us of anything. We had a last minute meeting because our Treasurer has been gone, so this was a meeting specifically to meet with her and I just let it all loose and told her how I felt, but it hasn't changed our situation. She was wanting to nominate another President during this meeting? (which is someone that has home-schooled her child) except for this year and he is supposed to be in 4th grade due to his age. It was shot down, but I have a feeling that she is going to try again at our next meeting.
I want to keep the COMMUNICATION not lack of. I want to stay in for the students but a couple of teachers and I are ready to say later!!!!!! If anyone has any advice, I'm all ears! Thanks for letting me vent!