I AM THE NEW PRES. IN A PTO THAT IS 6 YEARS OLD AND FOR FOUR YEARS IT HAS BEEN RUN BY THE SAME CLAN. THEY WERE VERY ANGRY THAT I TOOK IT BUT MY VP. AND I SET UP A COUPLE NEW PEOPLE TO HELP FILL OUR STAFF INCLUDING HOLDING THE FIRST NOMINATING AND VOTING I'VE EVER HEARD OF, AND WE HAD NOTHING BUT GRIEF.. MY TREASURER AND SEVERAL COMMITTEE MEMEBERS QUIT. ALL OLD BLOOD AND WEHAD NOTHING BUT RUMORS STARTED IN MY NAME. WE WERE GETTING FLAK FOR EVERYTHING WE STARTED, THE TEACHERS EVEN STARTED TO BELIEVE THEM. BUT WE KEPT ON PLUGGING AT IT AND GOING WITH OUR BELIEFS AND WE JUST HAD OUR FIRST FALL FEST AND IT INCLUDED THE PARENTS BRINGING THE KIDS FOR SUPPER AND GAMES... THERE WERE NO PARKING PLACES LEFT OR ROOM TO WIGGLE IN THE GYM... THE PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND KIDS LOVED IT AND THE PTO HAS HEARD VERY LITTLE IF AT ALL FROM THE RUMOR MUNGERS SINCE THEN. IT HAS BEEN HARD ANDIT IS JUST DECEMBER, BUT I THINK THE PARENTS AND TEACHERS ARE STARTING TO SEE WE MEAN TO BE GOOD PTO STAFF AND IT WILL BE WORTH IT IN THE LONG RUN.. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR FIGHT FOR THE KIDS THAT IS WHAT IT IS ABOUT ANYWAY, NOT THE ELUSIVE TEA PARTY AND SOCIAL THE OLD ONES THINK IT SHOULD BE..

I know I'm a little late coming in to the 'ball game' but I am living through this hell myself right now. I am a board member of our PTO and last year the Pres. made false allegations again our Principal (misappropiation of funds) and some other really dumb things came outta her mouth basically misrepresenting the entire PTO group. She will look you in the eye and tell you she did nothing wrong. We are currently working on admendments to our by-laws to have someone removed--she is NOT getting the hint! Our board is made of Pres, VP, Sec, Tres, Principal and 2 teacher advisors; the Principal and teachers have yet to be invited to a board meeting. She has accused the school accountant of shortages in our account-our former Treasurer never had a problem with the books but they won't talk to her or ask for help. Our school district requires us to have our account through the school. Unfortunatly I really could go on, I totally feel your......pain :}! To get a group of desirable parents together to write in is NOT unheard of and politicing at it's best but its difficult to get back those that are mad and walk away. We have kindergarden parents that handed a fundraisier back to their teachers telling them if this is for the PTO we will not have anything to do with it! I have even be told at our skate parties that we hold "I'm glad to see she is not here or I would have to leave!" This Mom is in complete denile. DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR PTO! Remember this is one year that will suck and if it sucks enough people that can give the time WILL step up to the challenge. Please let us know how this turns out and PLEASE STAY INVOLVED, parents like me (in the middle and really don't think should quit)need YOUR support.

Maybe if you remind your Principal that if the enrollment to the PTO drops from 300 to 50 that means less funds to provide the children with the EXTRAS. I cannot imagine that a principal would want 250 angry parents attending his school for various functions. Try the Board of Education or your Superintendent maybe they could whisper in the Principal's ear that unhappy parents never makes for a good school. Good Luck

I would ask that 3rd canidate to run again with his 'staff' that he wants. Force the 'old guard' out of their power positions and reduce them to dirt. Most likely they are sitting on their brains and sounds like they are also unwilling to accept changes unless they think of them or 'steal' them from other people/functions.

Differences of opinon are going to happen and they elected to have volunteers run those specific areas with the volunteers ideas, did they not? If they forced those poor volunteers out of those positions I think that they (volunteers) need to band together.

Keeping those areas in mind the volunteers and the 3rd canidate should form their own election balot and run against 'old guard'. Like I said before they are nothing better than dirt with power and the only thing that you can gain from that is mud. Sounds like they are in some 'sticky' mud themselves (old guard).

GOOD LUCK ON YOUR BATTLE!!!!! KEEP US INFOMED OF THE OUTCOME.

I have a real problem and no idea where to turn.

Our PTO interim board 'elected' itself last spring in anticipation of our new school which was due to be this fall. When I say 'elected' itself I mean things like - 2 of the 3 candidates on the original slate are from the 'old guard'. They asked the 3rd candidate to remove himself from the slate, as they would only serve if they could serve with each other. Faced with the prospect of a 'clique' before the school even existed, the 3rd guy walked away in disgust. They announced the slate one month and held the voting at the next. They conducted the election, counted the votes, and announced themselves as the winners.

To their credit, they did get committees going over the summer. There were even people on the committees who were not part of the original clique. They also got a committee to write the by-laws. However, after the committee wrote the by-laws, they changed them and presented the new version to the general membership for approval, without passing it back thru the committee. These by-laws were presented at the meeting in August, to be voted upon at the September meeting. When another committee's members dared to have a difference of opinion, they were told that their services were no longer needed. Arrogantly and publicly they were told. Needless to say that those two won't get involved agained either.

The newly ratified by-laws (the version the PTO board presented) laid out the time frame for the election of Officers very clearly. The time and procedure for nominating candidates was to be announced at the March general meeting. The slate was to be accepted and circulated prior to the April meeting, with voting at the May meeting The new officers would then take office as of June.

At the October meeting, the interim board passed out nomination forms for officers. Last week, in anticipation of the upcoming November meeting, letters went home listing the slate of candidates. Surprise! The same people are being nominated for their current interim positions. The note also said that acceptance of the nominations will be voted on at the November meeting with elections to be held at the December meeting.

I know that if this were a PTA, this misconduct could be handled by the State chapters. As this is a PTO, can anything be done with a PTO board that doesn't follow it's own by-laws? Of course, there will be a scream-fest at the November meeting, but that will only serve to drive more people away. People who have busy lives and no desire to get embroiled in Jerry Springer-esque antics. I am hoping that something can be done on a legal basis, so that we can all start fresh.

I really would appreciate any help or info.
And no, I have no desire or time to serve in any 'full-time' position(I own my own retail store and work 7 days a week). I would gladly volunteer for various committees and activities, but not with the current regime. I obviously care what happens but am too disgusted to have anything to do with these people. The problem is, I know most of my friends and neighbors feel the same way. The sad part is, before their public attacks on committee people, before the arrogance and obvious power hunger showed, there were more than 300 people showing up for meetings. The last meeting had less than 50.

HELP!! Other than bringing up the violation at the next meeting, what can be done? There must be applicable laws, but to whom are they reported? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

PS - There was an article back in August here on the site that joked about the personality types of the "Queen of Hearts and Generalissimo". That perfectly describes our 2 interim Co-Presidents. And as I know they both read this site, I am hoping they will see this posting and the responses and maybe get scared off of their ill-concieved plan. Our Principal, who is just as bad as they are and in cahoots with them also reads this site. Maybe this will scare him enough to put a stop to this, as it SHOULD damage him if he lets it go forward.