Dave,
So sorry to hear that your time as PTO president is starting off this way! Have a few of questions:
- Have you met with the principal yet?
- How about your other board members... are there new people joining the team?
- Is this parent you mentioned a former board member? (just trying to figure out if they are just making noise or actually carry any clout at your school.)
I think Followme gives great advice! The best thing is to wipe out all the under current and bring the whole conversation to the surface. Is is possible to schedule a meeting some time soon? The trick is to stay positive in the meeting and deflect any of the drama. Would definitely recommend having an agenda to keep things on track. Hopefully the principal can attend.
Well, I think it is clear that you and many others are beimg bullied. The only thing that ever stops a bully is to address and confront the behaviors.
At your next meeting, simply stay that you would like to address the events of the Board and its members over the last few weeks. This alone, will cause the bullies to practically choke in their seats becuase they like to bully behind the scenes not where there is rationale people who can speak without being told what to say or how to feel.
Then simply state that your desire to lead as PTO president was simply to help your childrens school keep its great reputation, that you feel you have a lot to give and you are concerned becuase its seems you have barely been given a chance.
State that in your short tenure you have heard basically two constant themes from fellow parents on and off the Board. The first is concerns from parents that they would like to volunteer and help the PTO but many have had bad experiences and do not feel welcome by members leading the PTO. The second is that you have heard you may be asked to step down after 4 short days in a volunteer position.
Since both of these comments are of concern, you'd like to start tonights meeting by addressing them both. Who would like to start?
Bullies dont like uncomfortalble situations, that is why they bully. Dont be bullied. Be a leader. Get all the dirt of the table and together begin to clean it up.
I am the new President of our organization that is anything but organized. For years the group has been filled with members who claim to have an ownership to the events and activities to the point where if anyone new comes into the group or tries to help out they are cold-shouldered or bullied away from ever helping again.
One of my first challenges was to deal with a parent who took their problem directly to the Principal instead of to the Board though they knew not to do this.
To make matters worse, that person set off a chain of events that is now culminating by these same parents who are concerned about my leadership and may ask the majority members to vote me out of office.
I've been learning that this group does whatever it wants and doesn't want to follow the by-laws, and when I have tried to rein in the group to either follow the by-laws or change them to what it is we are doing they throw up their arms and complain that it shouldn't be changed.
