A new PTO - that's excellent! I know the work that goes into it. We are in our fourth year and went through serious growing pains. As we all established our boundaries and who should do what.
I present a unique perspective in that I am a teacher. I've worked with over 16 different PTO's and each one has a different personality as does each faculty.
Talk to the teacher. Find out what she needs. Maybe find a parent volunteer who is in her class to discuss things with her. I wouldn't "imagine" what she is like in the classroom and I wouldn't judge her unfairly. We don't know her job and what she went through that day.
Remember the T in PTO and focus on ways of building a team.
First let me say that you should take the high road.
Then ask if there was a reason that this was her first meeting. If she were at other meetings, perhaps she could have put in her ideas/concerns/expectations/"wish list" etc. Tell her you're sorry she did not feel welcome to come to other meetings, but remind her that she IS welcome...especially if she is a member of your PTO. We have 100% participation from our teachers (in fact tomorrow we are serving them breakfast as a thank you).
How do you contact the teachers? Do you have surveys, meetings, a rep from each grade level? Find a solution........
Hope that helps somewhat.
Lisa @ Tx [img]redface.gif[/img]
I'm sorry to hear that a teacher, of all people, would do this at a PTO meeting. Teachers are supposed to show respect and be respectful of others, atleast that's what they always teach our kids. I should hope after a meeting like that that they "spy" in on her sometimes.
We were lucky if we even have a teacher show up in the past. This year we have them there due to the principal requiring it. The one's that do show up are required to give a report by grade level. I can say one thing about our teachers, as difficult as some can be, they always do it in the appropriate place and time. We've been lucky that we haven't had these problems yet (and hope we never do!).
We have just started a new PTO at my son's school this year. I am the vice president. We have made great strides and just completed out biggest fund raiser of the year, our fall festival. We had our monthly meeting this past Monday, our second of the school year. We had a teacher attack the PTO board in front everyone. She complained that none of us had gone to her classroom and asked her what she needed. She went on to say several rude and disrespectful things. I could not believe it. It did nothing for our school to see a teacher behave in such a way. Our principal was there so she wittnessed the whole thing and said she would handle it at an approriate time. It was so frustrating. Our president did a wonderful job. I was curious if this has ever happened to anyone else. And by the way this teacher did not even attend the first meeting of the year. :confused:
