Question: Confused

I have just been elected the new president of our pto. My question is when is to soon to start planning for the summer and the new school year? I have started asking staff what is important to them and what they expect from the pto. The leaving president is upset because she feels I am stepping on her toes and going above her head. Please help

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Rose H writes:
It sounds like you are doing exactly what you should be doing. It's smart to make those connections now and reach out to staff before school is wrapped up for the summer. The outgoing president may feel a little emotional about stepping down. It's worth keeping her feelings in mind. Perhaps you could reach out to her and ask her if you could meet with her, spend some time getting her advice. You could also ask her what's the best way to reach out to school staff. She may just want to feel included in this process and if you can do that within reason, it is probably worth it. But, rest assured, you are doing what every newly elected president should be doing. Good luck with everything! And stay in touch! We have lots of resources for new presidents, such as You're Elected, Now What? .

Community Advice

chidek writes:
Its never too early to start planning. I you don't have a solid plan in place before school starts, its going to set you up for a crazy year and you will have less parent involvement.

I would try to smooth things over with the outgoing president and ask to meet with her to get a better idea of what's involved in the position. Even if you have a pretty clear idea, it'll be good to ask her because she will feel valued and she might also have some insights that you didn't think about before.