I agree with everyone about the PTO term just being a name. The only point I was trying to make was how things should work depending on whether the group fell under the school or was independant. Getting past all that...

parentsof7, I feel bad for you. I have to wonder whether or not there were other things that led up to this. Why would the teachers act the way they did if all that was being addressed was the Reading Incentive program. The only other point I have is that the Reading Incentive Program, at least at my school, is part of the school improvement plan. It is controlled and run by the PTO, but is the overall responsibility (as are most things) of the Principal.

Personally I don't like the stance that the Superintendant had taken, but again it seems as though there is more to it (or at least I hope there is).

I am actually at a loss as to what you can do. Maybe look into who the Superintendant falls under and take it to the next level. But at the same time maybe it has gone to far already and you should let things calm down.

Either way I hope things change for you.

PresidentJim

7 - I agree with JHB. You were not treated rightfully, however, such an issue would not generally be a PTO issue. I know that in many states, including NY, anything that has to do with the educational programs/curriculum originates with the State, who then informs the schools of what they must be incorporating into the students' everyday learning and each school does have some leeway (sp?) as to how they go about teaching those areas.

It sounds like the issue is going nowhere with the school's staff. Maybe you could try to set a private meeting with yourself, your husband and the superintendant along with the boe's president or one of the members to at least clear up the air as to what it is you are concerned about. If that does not work you could contact your states board of education department to collect some info. See how other districts are running the program. Again, in my state and I'm guessing many others, each district has to report back to the state on how they are implementing various components of the curriculum so they may have some info for you to go by. I would not approach any of these people on the defensive though, although it may be very hard to do as you feel constantly attacked. But, you will probably get farther with a calm, pleasant "we just want to work this out" demeanor.

Just try to take a deep breath (or a couple) and gently push forward with your concern. Only my $.02 and I'm sure you'll get other advise too.

Parentsof7 - I'm sorry for the way you were treated. That certainly wasn't courteous or professional.

However, the issue you wanted to raise was not appropriate for a PTO meeting. That doesn't excuse the others' behavior, but perhaps you can schedule a different venue for your meeting or meet privately with the principal.

As a parent, you certainly have the right to voice concerns about school programs. But a PTO meeting needs to be restricted to PTO business. That's a challenge for us all sometimes as there are many school-related issues about which we feel passionate.

It's all semantics, Jim, but we still disagree. "the PTO term is thrown around by many groups, even when they may not offically be one" - there's no such thing as "officially" being a PTO. It's a generic label with no official or legal weight. If you call yourself a PTO, you're a PTO.

The reason we were wanting to speak at the meeting was to address the way our school principal handles the Accelerated Reading program in our school. He assigns students a point value that they must obtain every nine weeks, each book is assigned a certain number of points and they take a comprehensive test on the book on computer and are awarded points for each right answer. Then this grade is being averaged into their reading grade for the nine weeks. We are the only school that does it this way. Other schools use the point system but it doesn't affect the child's grade, they are given a reward for reaching their point level assigned them. We feel that it should be done this way at our school, using it as positive reinforcement. We have been to the county board of ed. several times to voice our opinion as our principal refused to listen to our suggestions. We were appointed to a committee finally to address the county wide system of the Accelerated Reading program, so we circulated some petitions to get parental input at several local businesses. Our school's principal went to these businesses and threatened to shut them down if they did not remove our petition. We have over 350 signatures, and this is after having two petitions stolen from businesses. This principal was circulating rumours that we were wanting to stop the program at the school altogether, which is not true, we simply wanted it to reward the children(all students, not just our kids)instead of intimidating them and punishing them after they had done the best they could. This was what we were attempting to clarify when we wanted to speak at the PTO meeting, my husband was attempting to clarify our intentions and explain where we stood when the teachers started heckling, booing, and hissing him as he was speaking and then some of them just up and walked out and then the meeting was adjourned while he was still speaking. We went and spoke to the supt. of the boe and we were told that the teachers had emailed her and said they felt threatened by our presence at the meeting, my husband never used a harsh word or a threatening word, even if he had he couldn't have been heard the way they were treating him. Our supt. of the boe said that because of these emails she had to act upon them even though she knew we were no threat, but we were nicely asked to "limit our time at the school campus" to being in our vehicle either dropping off or picking up our children and shouldn't be there for any other reason for a while. Now I ask you, what did we do to deserve this? I was verbally threatened and harassed by two teachers in the parking lot and turned in a written statement about it and the supt. hasn't addressed that issue. What's the difference? Then we learn later on that not only all of this, as if it's not enough, but now our reputation in the community is being ruined as we were told by a close friend that she was told not by someone else to not associate with us as we were heard to be troublemakers and drug addicts!!!! What if this got back to our church, my Girl Scout troop parent's, my childrens' friends' parents? I personally have had enough of this crap all over a simple request to change a policy at the school for the BETTER for the KIDS! Boy, aren't we threatening?LOL!!!

i have to disagree w you jim, imo you are NEVER 100% independent or 100% in control if your mission is to work with sschools. you remain 'hostage' to good relations and good standing with prinicpal staff and district heads, in order to operate and bring the benefits to the kids. after all it is the admin that gives you (100%) the right to operate on school gorunds and iwth school kids.

you ALWAYS have to work together with the staff, even if you think you are 'indpenedent' becuase of tax status.

i think meetings should always be adjourned professionally, and if the topic was not appropriate, the proper thing to have done was for the pres or principal (meeting leader) to state that case, and to ask the speaker to present their material before the proper person/venue. the speaker could have been asked to remove from the floor, but for a meeting to be shut down like that, sounds like she was saying something the principal and or teachers didnt want to hear!!! shame on them is right.

basically, it smells a bit of politics, only the original poster knows more.