In the past year we've played a big role in changing the starting time of school and in the busing policy. The school committee was going to make a lot more kids walk to school down a busy street and we were able to organize and change that.
We have a position in our PTO which is responsible for bringing our ideas and concerns to the school committee and who reports back to us on the committee meetings. She can't go to every meeting, but she tries to have someone from our PTO at every meeting. This is our 2nd year doing that and it is making a big difference in getting us heard.
Tim,
Yes to all of the above. All of the PTO's in our city have two representatives on a Citywide Parents Council as well. Between that organization and the individual PTO the parents have an opportunity to express concerns and speak about which side of which issues we stand on. We try to be eloquent, and we are persistant. We believe that there is alot of truth in "the squeaky wheel" theory. In any case, The Citywide reps give a monthly report at our meetings and we also discuss the School Committee as well.
How does your attending the school committee meetings affect your PTO? Do you report back to the PTO? Does the PTO take formal stands on certain issues and then express those to the Committee? Or do you attend more as a concerned citizen rather than a PTO rep.?
Thanks Peter
I definately will attend the school council meeting and try my hardest to attend the school committee meeting (as these tend to fall on our PTO meeting nights). Any information I can get from them will be worthwhile.
