Our By-Laws state that the principal has an active voice and the ability to vote at all our meetings. This does not entitle her to a free pass on our organization's funds or the green light to manipulate our executive board members. We have four officers, the principal and a teacher representative that can vote.

Usually, the By-Laws are the saving grace to most conflicts.

Our principal is not allowed to be a PTO board member, nor is she allowed to take our funds whenever she wants to. We are totally separate from the school. She can let us know what she doesn't want us to do in her school, but that's about it. I would start a petition if you don't get things resolved at the meeting with the superintendent, and I would have a parent go to the news. Sometimes things are resolved more quickly when the news gets involved.

My first question is why is the Principal able to get money from your group's funds without going through the correct channels?

You didn't explain it, but I am assuming that your group is a non-profit, 501(C)3? If so, and from what you wrote, it sounds as though you raise and control your own funds. If so, who has the checkbook? Does your group have a Treasurer? If so, normally the only ones who can provide $ is the Treasurer(s) or the president. This would be the first thing I would change. Make it so the Principal can't get your funds without coming to a meeting, which would help start to fix problem #2, and presenting his proposal. As President you'll be able to present the things to think about and then put it up to a vote, based upon your Bylaws.

The bond issue is interesting. I would guess that most parents would be for decreasing the # of students per teacher ratio. But, as you explained, requested money should be presented at a meeting giving all committee members (or per your Bylaws) a chance to vote. He seems a bit presumptuous. The way I would have handled this is to tell him that I would put it on the agenda for the next meeting and would put it up for a vote, explaining that if he could be there to present the proposal it might be best.

Issue #4 is very difficult for a parent group. What happens regarding staff members, school programs offered, etc., is really a school issue. Parents and/or staff should not be asking you or your group to put yourself in a position where you have to confront the Principal with these metters. If I was asked these types of questions I would recommend that the parent or staff member talk directly with the Principal regarding the matter, explaining that staff positions or offered classes are not controlled by the parent group. Worst case, if your Principal showed up to meetings, would be for a parent to bring this up to the Principal at a meeting, but I would likely shut it down explaining that it is not a PTO related issue and that I am sure that the principal would be willing to discuss the issue offline. The Superintendant may be the best place to discuss these matters.

My concern for you would be getting stuck in the middle. Being that you have been contacted by the Superintendant's office, you are now stuck in the middle. The Principal may look at you as the ring leader. You're the one picking the 5 parents to go "against" him. This is not going to help you or your group in the end. I would be torn by personally I may lean towards not even attending as President.

So by best recommendation is that as President you need to push the PTO issues, such as funds, etc., while keeping your group, and yourself, out of the issues that are not necessarily parent group related.

Good luck,
PresidentJim

Take 5 people to the meeting with the Superintendent. If you demonstrate that you can play by the rules the superintendent sets, you are taking a higher road than the Principal is dealing out.

If the 4 people call the news, the superintendent will be distracted from dealing with the group with which he or she has agreed to meet. You cannot control them, but you can explain this.

You can always remind them that there is always later, if this meeting does not result in their satisfaction.

You might make one of the topics of the meeting, "what to do about the other 15 people that were excluded". Likely some will be satisfied enough and some will not, but this could help handle some of the concerns.

If a whole mob were to go to a meeting with the superintendent, not everyone would get to speak or speak fully. The superintendent will likely get a more complete story from a small group, rather than having 20 people repeat the same thing over and over.

Perhaps even a few discussions amoungst the 5 ahead of time will help get your thoughts orgainzed and ready for presentation to the superintendent

There is nothing to keep you or the district rep from collecting the written comments from the others and having those, as well as a condensation or summary of your concerns for the superintendent.

I normally would have said you need to keep the PTO out of these discussions, but clearly it needs to have a spokesperson too as money designated for PTO use is involved.

SORRY THIS IS LONG! I have been a member/PTO President for 8 years at Elementary level. I have never had to many problems with the 2 principals we had, that couldn't be worked out. Now I am up to middle school, which is also a technology & arts magnet. Our school is known for its comprehensive technology throughout our region.

First Situation - Last year the past PTSO president along with the rest of the board left due to a situation between the new principal and the PTSO. After she left the new principal found out about me through other parents and ask if I could take over the PTSO. We had elections and I obtain a board. Our PTSO funds are run through the school. When I got the report I found out that between the time the past president left and I took over (3 months), the principal had spent some of the money on VIP packages for door prizes, etc. to give out to parents at his community meetings. My vice-president and myself confronted the principal and let him know there are procedures to go through to get money from PTSO. He claim he didn't need anymore of our money and to use it where we need to. Two days later he claimed we couldn't have it. Eventually knowing that we might cause problems he backed down with the condition we give him money for landscaping, which we approved $3000. This year I get our financial report to find out he spent more of our money. When the secretary ask him if he needs approval from PTSO, he told her to go ahead he will take care of PTSO.

2nd Situation - Our principal sits on our board and in 1 1/2 years he has only showed up to 2 meetings. He wants our money but doesn't want to support us.

3rd situation - Our city is getting ready to vote on a bond issue for our schools. By our district laws principals can't donate money to the cause. Our principal came to us to donate $800 dollars to vote yes for the bond issue. When I suggested that some parents might not support the bond issue. He stated that if we were on his PTSO board we should be voting yes. Our by-laws states PTSO cannot get involved with politic issues or candidates. When he finds out he is going to get very very upset. He is the type of person that if you don't do what he wants he finds a way to get even. He has been known to target your children. FYI - The bond issue is to hire new teachers so we can downsize our classrooms.

4 Situation - Last week he released 5 teachers one of which is nationally acclaimed. The secretary has also left due to a situation between him and her. Many teachers tell us it is because the 5 teachers stand up for the right things. In addition last year he took our Drama program away and now he is taking half our technology away. I have had parents as well as teachers calling very very upset asking if PTSO can do anything. As a parent I was outraged, because the technology programs as well as the teacher is what students from everywhere come for. The catalog for next year still has all the programs in it, so 5th graders are signing up to come to this school never to be told that we no longer have this program. And the 6th graders were never told and only found out while they pre-enrolled, so many started crying because they can't take the classes. Parents, PTSO nor Site Council was never told about these huge changes that affected our child's curriculum.

5 situation - Many parents have been calling me. I confronted the principal ask if he would address these changes to the parents and he states "so I make some parents mad" forgetting I to am a parent. He refuse to speak to them. After a parent emailed him to ask if he would address the parents he stated "I don't have to tell PTSO anything, because we are not run by the school. "

I contacted our district rep who met with about 20 parents last night. After hearing us she informed us this has to be taken to the superintentant and that everyone should attend. The superintenants office called to say they only want to speak to 5 parents (my selection). Parents are again upset that they are being excluded. I have 4 parents who want to call the news. They feel that those 5th grade parents need to be informed about the limitation of half our technology. I don't know what is the right thing to do now. Let them leak it to the news or have them at least wait until our meeting with the superintinent.

CAN ANYONE TOP THIS! What would anyone else do in this situation.