How funny, Crew Chief. I logged on here to encourage "justavolunteer" to run for president for the next school year. We were thinking alike there. I think it's good to get fresh blood in the PTO - someone with new ideas. It sounds like you have great ideas for the PTO, "justavolunteer", so I would definitely consider running for an office if I were you.

justavolunteer - it seems like you've been doing exactly what so much of the advice flying around here suggests. You ask, ask, ask until you get an answer; you expect officers to follow the rules; you document everything so you have a paper trail for back up. Good for you.

As ever, we only get a sliver of the big picture here. It's interesting, isn't it, to see how every side of a dispute can spin it to their liking. If you had posted first, I imagine the majority would have sympathized with you and congratulated you for the actions you've taken.

I'm glad to see that you have found a solution that works for you. Continuing to find ways to volunteer, be there for your kids and obviously work in a way that has the principal asking you for more is the way to come out a winner.

Snobrd offers excellent advice. Accounting info should be regularly shared with all members or, at the very least, given when its requested. If that isn't the case with your group (and really, even if it is) an audit is the first order of business.

Have you considered running for an officer position (perhaps president?) to help change things from the inside? It sounds like you have what it takes to be a great parent group leader and that you have the support of a large portion of the membership. Go for it!

Funny how this same problem, new volunteers entering the picture and quickly being shown the exist door even though all PTO officers are complaining for more help, seems to crop up in many PTO's.
I agree with many posts here that the current board seems overly controlling and apears to be hiding something by their behavior. Fortunately PTO board members are elected by the general memebership (all those parents who are fed up with the situation) and that being said all general members should voice their opinion via votes in the next election. I would also suggest an audit, requested by the general membership, is in order before new board members take their positions.

Dear me n rory and TLGinTN: Thanks! I appreciate the feedback. I am not giving up because I truly think there can be so much more done for the kids at the school through the PTO and all the parents I met while I was "room parent coordinator"... I have taken a step back, as my discussion with the Principal, and put my focus on volunteering in other areas (as suggested... I help all the Kindergarten teachers with cutting out the spelling words each week, dye cutting, doing bullentin boards, making copies -- the such). And the principal has called me a few times to do volunteer work for her and a few other areas in the school. I am just making sure I am still attending the meetings and trying to stay up on what the PTO has planned. The other room parents still call me for information or with questions, and if I don't have the answers I do my best to get them. The more informed we all are the better this situation should be. Thanks again for the feedback. It is nice having a more objective view.

It's also kind of sad that many of us on PTO boards can't sometimes take a step back and say, "Is what we're doing working?" We all get caught up in our own ideas and have tunnel vision. Change is hard but it is constant, its ok to say "hmmm, maybe our way isn't the only way" Imagine how much better our own country would be if that was done a little more often.
I say don't give up Justavolunteer! I hope your board can recognize what an asset you can be.

Wow, I just finished reading your comments on what happened. I have to say that it's been a while since I read the original story, but I think if I were you, I would completely back out of the PTO until the current officers are no longer in position. It is so hard getting along with other women (sorry, I mean no disrespect) that I wouldn't try to do anything with the other officers. I would just focus on being the best parent volunteer in my child's classroom, helping in the office when needed, helping the music teacher, Title 1 teacher, library, etc...

Speaking as a PTO President, it is very hard coordinating and delegating responsibilities to other people and expect that they will be done correctly that I often do it by myself - even if that means staying up until 2:00 every night. I have been burned so many times when people say they will do something and they don't follow through. Maybe that's why the pres and vice pres say they will take care of everything. Just a thought on that...

My advice is to not give up completely on your child's school or the principal. Principals are so busy that I am sure he/she didn't have the time to analyze this situation fully. I would stay active for your child's sake, just maybe not in the PTO fundraisers. I hate to say that since I am a PTO officer, but there are so many other ways to be an active parent.