Great advice Jo! I agree that you really need to get a copy of your bylaws. Even if you have to go through a past officer to obtain a copy. We have always approached our principals with respect whether they deserved it or not. Any trouble getting through to them we address to our Superintendant of Schools. (By the way I doubt your principal would have anything to do with the lunch menu but would certainly go to your school board for that one!) Anyway once you have your bylaws and your executive board all on the same page you can progress with your principal. Show him how you made your money and what you spent it on and have him suggest to you how else you can make the money made at the bake sales and fund the projects that they funded. Maybe a little dose of reality is in order for him. We have several units that have trouble with their principals and I know it is not easy. Best wishes!
It sounds like you're getting into a sticky situation. However, you sound like you want to make some positive changes and have the PTO represent ALL parents (& hopefully teachers) to have a positive impact on the children. That's a GREAT START!
Might I suggest that you first meet with the outgoing pres. Get copies (& computer disks) for all the info you can. Ask for bylaws, copies of minutes, treasurer's reports, names & phone numbers of committee members & chairs & anyone who ran your "fun" events, etc... If you can get into a casual conversation, get his advise on dealing with the principal (depending on your relationship with the outgoing pres, this may not be appropriate). Check your PTO storage area in the school for all background info you can get. A meeting with the outgoing & incoming exec. boards might be helpful too.
Once you have some info, it's probably time to meet with the principal. We have a good relationship with our principal, so I simply called him before school ended so I could go over a couple of things (I prepared a list before I called). He also gave me his phone # if I need to contact him over the summer. He didn't volunteer it until I asked him how I could contact him if I needed to. In your case, you might need a personal meeting. Use your bylaws as your "ammunition", i.e. "I see the bylaws state we should meet monthly, I'd like to set the dates now...Are there specific days that would be easier for you to attend?" Do your best to make all your comments in a positive nature & try not to be confrontational or accusatory. "The parents have told us that they come to the meetings mostly to hear from the principal & teachers, is there a specific day it would be easier for you to attend?" I asked our principal specifically what he likes to approve before we plan it.
I'd suggest you not bring up "hot" issues or complaints (like the cafeteria food) until you've established a relationship with her. And when you do bring those up, do it gently... "Who would we speak with regarding the cafeteria menu?...etc..."
Sorry, I rambled on here, I hope some of it's helpful. Do you best to be positive and non-confrontational & try to build a constructive relationship with both the outgoing pres & principal.
Last year i ran for Vice president and was elected.I was very "enthusiastic" and exited about being a part of it and quickly started to prepare "booklets" to submit to the other board members for approval.(they contained ideas and opinons) I then handed it to the president and never heard from him again.
In my opinion everything was done very unorganized. I never received copies of bylaws, we only had 5 meetings throuhout the year(principal picked the dates at the beggining of thr year, I was never informed of "events or fundraising activities by them, And Evry single event the school did was payed for by the Pta.
Now this year i was elected president and wish to make things differently.But i really have a feeling that the principle and i will have to bump heads on many issues..such as...
Why are the kids lunches taste horrible(the pizza is spicy!) Why we only had 5 meetings, and she never attended any.
The first one she attended was last week, our "last" meeting...After we did the flag salute she stood up and explained to us how very "happy and Proud " she was for all of our help and support but.........Please don't do that many bakesales...(our main recourse of making money) meanwhile our children are getting all of their "fun" events funded by us...Isn't the school suppose to have a certain # of events for them??? we had a bookFair, Santa visit with gifts for each child, easter baskets...We even payed for a "teachers Breakfast" for teacher's appreciation week.....
The fact is that her "dictating ways" have been in affect ever since she became the principal for the school. She decides when our meetings are, and never goes....She has gotten use to the pta funding for "all " of the fun events that the children have during the year. Meanwhile the school is "always" broke!!!! And now she wants us to not have many sales??? How does she expect the kids to have "any kind" of events??? Does she evn really care??? It sure does not seem that way to me, and i am not alone in this matter many other parents have complained about the way she runs things. This year we didn't even have school pictures for the kids!!!
Her excuze was that she had "forgotten" to call the photographer......Then the school sent home a orderform stating that for 10dollars you could receive a yearbook with all the classes.Well after three weeks everyone got their money back and it was "cancelled" only when the pta offered to "bind" and "prepare" the yearbooks was the project a success....One of our "best" teachers in the entire school is transferring to anither school solely to get away from the "current" principle....It upsets me to see us loose a "wonderful" teacher because of a "incompitent " principal.I am very frustrated with Many many things and would like to see some sagnificant changes but i don't want to make an "enemy" of her either...But i'm fearing that she will not respond too well to a (new PTA President's )concerns and requests.PLEASE HELP!!!!I AM SO CONFUSED!
