Per of by-laws we are recocnized as the Exec. Board but we often refer to ourselves as a team. Our school also has it's own governing SChool BOard SO it can become confusing if someone asks when it the BOard meeting.

I remember the days of having police at meetings but that Director is long gone, now they come to talk aobut myspace and the DARE program!

Our plan was to have a Meeting Leader who would be in charge of seeing that the meetings ran through smoothly and followed the agenda. The Sec. (probably would be me) would create the agenda and get it to that person.

We would have Chairpersons for every possible area and that person would be responsible to see that items were carried out and we would report to the Team, not just 3 people. Now granted we don't expect 15 people to come to our meetings, more like 5 - 8. Typically we have 4 Parents not counting the 3 on the Exec. board.

We hope to speak to the Principal before our regular PTO meeting on Tues.

I don't think it would work because ultimately you need someone to be in charge and oversee everything. Who would run your meetings if no one is in charge? I can only see confusion and things falling through the cracks if there is not someone leading this ship.

The problem is the people running your PTO board. They absolutely set the tone for how your group is perceived. PTO boards should be inclusive not exclusive. We went through a few years of having a PTO Executive board who was exclusive. It was a rough couple a years. When the time was right people jumped up and ran and took over the board seats and really changed the perception of our PTO. You really need to get the right people in those board seats...people that are there for the kids and the good of the school and not people who want to be on a power trip.

you are wise. keep your freinds. the PTO stuff isnt worth damageing a freindship.

and you want drama? the police call was just a warm up, there is much much more, unfit for this site!! enough for a full week of Oprah!!!

WOW that is drama! Guess it should make me feel a bit better that it isn't just our PTO that has a history of being nuts!

The problem is I don't want to get involved with the "traditional" PTO because of this. I go to church with the would-be Pres. and do not want to risk that friendship (history hasn't shown very many people coming off this board still friends).

I don't think our idea of a Team would be 100% drama free but it would have to remove the "I've got all the power" mentality (I would think).

If something doesn't change it looks like we a.) won't have a PTO or 2.) will have a 1 person PTO (that being my friend mentioned above) and I can't see that as being good for her or the kids and school.

"It seems the power of the title seems to go to someone's head. "

ever hear of the PTO calling the police following a normal meeting and asking to question some of its members? seems was just to harrass and intimidate its member/s. there is no bigger power trip in this town, than the PTO.i naively thought the PTO was about KIDS. seems the focus is on the ADULTS and games/pwerplay/jockeying for position. how very sad indeed. there are corporations to join whre the focus is not supposed to be kids, whre those games would better fit in.