You didn't mention what issues you were raising. Were they of significance to the whole group? Maybe your concerns would be more appropriate for a private meeting with the principal.

thank you for your responce. I will take that info. under advisement and try to get other parents involved.

I'm sorry you had that negative experience.

A PTO can be anything from an informal committe-like extension of the school that is totally controlled by the principal to a fully independent 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization set up as a qualified charitable organization.

While there are common practices many of us share, PTOs are are not affilated with any national/state group and there are no set "rules" and no governing authority. Most of us would expect to operate with bylaws, annual elections, and basic parliamentary procedure at meetings. But there's nothing to say a PTO must do those things.

It's a long shot, but you can check with your school district to see if they have any district level policies on how a parent group should be run.

In a situation like yours, change usually occurs because:

1. Parents interested in change become active in the organization and help it evolve slowly over time;
2. Parents who feel strongly enough band together to agressively voice their concerns regarding how things are run, basically forcing change;
3. The school gets a new principal or some new administrative guidance affords an opportunity to start fresh.

Or...it just continues on as is.

So, yes, a coup is possible. Will it work/be effective? No guarantees.

Good luck.

I am a concerned parent who had several issues to discuss at our last local pto meeting for my children's school. The principal of the school ran the meeting, there were no Robert's Rules of Order being followed and once I was finally! recognized there were teacher's heckling and harassing me while I was speaking. I was getting to one of my main points and when another parent spoke up and asked the teachers to please allow her to hear me they immediately adjourned the meeting while I was in midsentence and walked out of the gym where we were holding the meeting. My questions are these: 1. Are principals allowed to participate in PTO meetings and more importantly run! the meetings? 2. There were only two parents on the board of officers, one was president and one was vice president and I was told that they do not hold elections, they just swap roles from year to year, is this acceptable practice? 3. Can concerned parents over ride the current PTO board and form a new one, like a coup?LOL!