Sandy- I serve on several committees with the school district as Council President and a representative of the PTA. I am required to represent the will of all of my membership. In doing so, if an issue is raised, the parents are polled at the unit levels for a response and then sent by their representative to make an official response at the council level (I must trust that they have done this appropriately at their levels unless I am otherwise notified). In my case, I work with 30 schools. Your PTO President is only representing 1? Is this correct? If so, the issue should be brought to your membership and voted on. Then she is placing her vote as a response of your membership.
You are correct in that this does sound like a dictatorship. The issue of recess and the welfare of children is in your bylaws and would be completely appropriate to address, if the majority of your membership agrees. I would have different suggestions for you as a PTA but as a PTO, perhaps your recourse is bringing this to the attention of your membership. They elected her to represent them and if they are not doing so, it is their collective responsibility to hold her to it.
Also, since this is such an issue of health. Media attention may be a last recourse. State elected officials should address this. I do not envy your position but for the sake of your school's children, I do hope that you prevail.
The great thing about this board is the opportunity to offer different opinions. Dave is certainly entitled to his.
It just happens I come from the entirely opposite point of view on the site based committee makeup. When I served on the committee at the campus level, we met 2 or 3 times a year to review important, but primarily mundane matters (the school's strategic plan, the safety plan, etc.) It was a carefully crafted group so that it met the prescribed mix, so many from faculty, so many parents, so many from community, etc.
In no way could I see my role then as a conflict of interest. In fact, had I been on the team assembling the committee, I, too, would have solicited the representation of a PTO officer as I would expect they would have an even wider appreciation of parental concerns.
I made my comments and voted my vote just like any other individual on the committee. Never would I have taken the principal's side on an issue simply to show a united front.
I just wanted to point out that including someone in the PTO would not only NOT be seen as conflict, it would probably be encouraged as a best practice.
This message is not in response to the specific issue that began this thread, but the general makeup of these committees. I don't want to start a debate here on this. I simply wanted to make sure both views were represented.
Thanks!
Not sure where you are going to go with this now. Yes the PTO is an advocate for children as much as we advocate the parents and the teachers, in the sense that you have understanding of the word. This issue is indeed one that a PTO can and should be involved with. It seems to me that your PTO board is involved also, just not the way you want them to be involved [img]smile.gif[/img] They are holding that the recess period is fine by them (by the actions, and comments of the President).
What you seeking is a policy change of the PTO board as well as the school. A petition of 1200 people (hopefully mostly parents and teachers) ought to go a long way to providing the solution.
Roberts rules is not what really applies here, that fine set of rules governs conducts during meetings for the most part and is rarely followed. What does matter here is the by laws and the wording of them.
This next will not address your specific issue but may explain a few things about what is happening.
It seems here you have the same problem that causes many to seek a PTO over a PTA to begin with. That is the rule of the one or the "in crowd" over the will of the membership. Instead of representing, regardless of their own personal feelings on something, the will of the membership, people put in charge of things will represent their own view or position and in the face of opposion fall back on the idea "well when they elected me they knew what I stood for and what I would do". We find this attitude in every possible elected office, so the PTO should be any different? My answer to this is yes it ought to be, but it wont be unless people make their expectations known. The PTO officer involved here should know the position the parents and teachers want represented and do that will, not their own or (which may be the case here), the position of least opposition and that which makes the least waves.
I totally disagree with the PTO being represented on this council in this manner. The PTO has a special relationship with the school and the President has a special relationship with the Principal - they must speak as one voice in public - although they may debate, discuss and argue in private to arrive at that single voice. Having the President on this council doing again essentially what is the will of the principal and expecting them to fight for something different is not and should not be expected and is not realistic. Perhaps a seperate office needs to be created that would serve on this council as well as the PTO?
I will tell you all this, I am glad I do not have this problem! I do not envy anyone involved in this mess at all. But as I see it, it is a mess created largely becuase of a lack of forethought.
As for the personal nature of the attacks by anyone invloved in this, it is unprofessional, and subtracts from arriving at a solution acceptable by all sides. Sometime you have to wonder why adults act worse than the 10 year olds they are trying to help!
Site-Based Decision Making Committees are generally an ADVISORY body comprised of a prescribed mix of campus staff, principals, teachers, parents, and business and community representatives.
There are committees at the campus and the district level. I believe their existance is mandated by Texas law as an effort to return some areas of control back to the local districts.
It is very common that someone active in the PTO (even an officer) might be invited to serve. Such a person genreally represents a parent perspective. The "involved" parents tend to get drafted into a lot of roles. In some committees, they may actively seek to have the PTO/PTA president as a rep.
I've served on both at the campus and the district level. I think our campus committee had about 10 members and the district one is larger - 40 or 50. Each member of the committee has exactly one vote.
As far as I know, these committees have no actual authority. The school or the district is ultimately responsible for all policy decision. The committees are merely one important step in gaining input for those decisions.
