Our Pto sounds just like yours only we don't even have vice presidents . My title is group faciltator and everyone seems happy with that. Our group was started a year and a half ago after some really hard feelings surfaced because the old parent group wanted total control and never asked for input from the principal, staff or even other parents . what happened was the negativity turned into a huge cliche and parents left the group. I find that i talk to my principal at least one hour each month plus talk to her regularly when im at school. I find that it's her job to oversee the whole school no matter what it is. I also have found that in the past year she has come to trust our instincts and very slowly is letting us decide stuff without her. Being a leader or co-leader it's important to relize that not everyone shares your beliefs so the principal really seems to really be able to clear up things we cant. Dont underestimate the importance of that relationship...you're doing the right thing. That negativity of your president will come back to haunt your school...iM speaking from experience. Good Luck

I as president always talk to the prinicpal before each meeting and before we try to have any type of event. It is not who over rules who it is out of respect for the principal, the PTO Board, the parents, the children, and the school. If you do not all work together than everything you do will not work! I have learned that when you involve the principle first,(not at the meeting)he or she would be more willing to cooperate and you could get a lot more things done that you really want to do.

The principal controls when and what events are scheduled at the School. No matter how hard you work on a project you can't have an open house if the school is closed. I think your president needs to sit down with the principal to set up an ajenda. Then you need to get the message out for more parents to attend the next meeting to adopt some by-laws. Also our pricipal or a rep. is at every one of our meetings.

I really need some good advice from someone. First off all, our PTO has NO bylaws. We have no committees, no chairs, no nothing. What we do have is a President that calls all the shots, doesn't confer with other officers (myself and one other, ,the Vice-President), yet she gives ME orders to do things. One of those things was a play put on by the children and open house with it. So.. i conferred with the Pricinple. She stated that this is NOT the time for a play or open house due to the new state test being administered, etc. The teachers are holding tutorials every day after school working with students, etc. Anyhoo, to make a long story shorter (i'll try , lol) I received an email from the president that I SHOULD start conferring with HER an dthe Vice President instead of the PRINCIPLE of the school. Also stating that the PRINCIPLE had NOTHING to do with the PTO..... How absurd can you get?! After telling her that the program/open house idea is not feasible at THIS time due to the testing, spring break etc, she STILL expects ME to go over the principles head and go ON with the PROGRAM and OPEN HOUSE.
I'm trying to remain calm... I would like some ideas on how to handle this situation. I can't seem to get past the frustration and anger to deal with this at this point. Hellppp!!!!!!!
pam