Question: starting a pto

We are trying to start a PTO at our junior/senior high school. We have had 2 meetings, but for some reason the junior high principal and superintendent run the meetings with a negative attitude. Should our meetings be ran by the principal or can we, as parents, meet and bring our ideas to the administrartion?

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
If you have parents who are willing to step forward and do the work to get things organized, it would be better to have them run the meetings than to have the principal or superintendent do it. The parents will be more enthusiastic, as you point out, and ultimately they're the ones who will run the PTO, so it makes sense to get them highly involved from the start. You should probably talk to the principal in a nonconfrontational way about the negativity you're sensing. It may be simply that these meetings are work he doesn't have time for -- and you can help by taking that work off his hands. But find out if he has deeper concerns about starting a PTO. There may be something you can address from the start that will make him feel more positive and avoid headaches down the line.