Well, thank heavens the meeting was not hijacked but, thanks to all of your replies, I was prepared!!! It was a smooth meeting and only got off-track once when a lengthy discussion ensued about some topic. Our parents like to just start having open forum on a topic and it just drags on and on.... I reined it back in eventually.

Thanks for all of your replies. I'm feeling a little less "tired"!
tiredPTOpres, who is feeling better

I don't know if I'm too late in chiming in here but this is how I would handle it, being that it's an anticipated situation.
At the very beginning of the meeting, I would announce that this is a PTO meeting and that you would be following the agenda. You understand that there are other issues happening at the time and if someone needs to discuss it, they can make an appointment to speak with the interested parties and that it would not be addressed during this meeting. If the meeting goes off track, remind them this is not the place or time and move on. Don't give excuses just move on.

So how did the meeting go? Was it yesterday? Any issues? How was it handled etc. We want to know updates.

Can you just repeat back to the person everything they are saying so they know they have been heard... it's hard but just say it back to them.

Remember the PTo is not here to solve problems the school already has a system in place to handle.

Perhaps this falls beyond the scope of the PTO's mission statement.

Perhaps this would better we handled with a committee meeting. I'll call you and we'll set one up.

Say what is needed to get the meeting moving forward.

Point these out and move on... and by all means ask them to say after the meeting... as stated above.

Thank you for the advice. This is what I had in mind. I just needed some backup on this.
thanks!

I agree. If the matter has nothing to do with the PTO then it doesn't need to be discussed at the meeting. Our principal has spoken up and said "If you would like to discuss this matter than stay after the meeting and we will discuss it privately." And politely explain to them that it is not a PTO matter. Good luck to you!! I feel for you. Just try to stay calm and handle it in a professional matter. [img]smile.gif[/img]