GINAP:
Thanks for your input. Though I do not agree that it is my responsiblity to make "EXCUSES" , nor would I ever, for any elected official, especially in regard to them blowing off an invite to where they can show their support of an educational event at our school.
LORI
While I understand what you di, Lori, I wouldn't have done that. Answeringt he question would have been "the mayor had a conflict" or even "the mayor was at another event in town." You went a lot further than that with your commentary on voting, etc. When you're PTO newsletter goes home with the kids and through the teachers, etc, it is different.
sorry i just realized how long my post was... thanx for the responses...i think i'll just stay away from inviting the mayor to any pto events in the future... but as for the answering of the questions the parents had as to why he did not show up... do any of you feel that a pto newsletter is not a channel to be used to answer a question which is being asked by a multitude of parents...
LORI
I agree that it is poor public relations on behalf of your mayor. However, we typically stay away from inviting politicians into our school functions. We stick to the supt., and school board members. FYI, our bylaws actually state that we cannot directly, or indireclty, participate or intervene in any way, including the publishing and distribution of statements, in any political campaign on behalf or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. It also states that we are non-commercial, non-sectarian and non-partisan. I wouldn't send my opinion of a public official out to parents for fear of backlash. Just like happened to you. Unfortunately, our positions as PTO members are almost political themselves. If you want to get things done, you have to play by their rules. Just exclude his invitation to future events. Maybe invite everyone around him, like the deputy mayor, police chief etc. Be sure to invite the press. He'll get the point when everyone else is getting the free publicity.
Well, not sure what you are looking for but, I like it. Maybe a different choice of words would have been better but then again other words may not have received the reaction that you got. It is important for Mayor's to attend events and stating that he was invited but decided to attend another event instead could of gotten the same word out. Sometimes as PTO presidents we have to bit our lip a little.
As for the principal, they are responsible for everything that goes on in the school or comes out of the school including the PTO and it's newsletter, that is the way our school is set up. The newsletter needs to cross the principal's desk before it can go to print.
I am all for free speach but there is a difference between standing on a street corner handle out information and printing it in a controlled enviroment with a select and defined mailing list.
Again, I like what you did, we need to demand more from our politicians, especially when it comes to our schools and our children.
I AM THE PRESIDENT OF OUR SCHOOL'S PTO. WE ARE A SMALL SCHOOL ONLY 226 STUDENTS, LOW PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT USUALLY 10 @ A MEETING INCLUDING STAFF. I HAVE WORKED HARD FOR 2 YEARS TO PUT A PTO IN OUR SCHOOL [ HASNT BEEN ONE IN 12 YEARS]. I PUT OUT A MONTHLY PARENTS' NEWSLETTER EVERY MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE PROBLEM LIES HERE: LAST MONTH THE PTO HOSTED A RED RIBBON CLUB KICKOFF FOR OUR WHOLE SCHOOL. PARENTS WANTED THE MAYOR INVITED SO I OBLIGED AND SENT HIM A LETTER OF INVITE, 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE AT ALL TO THIS LETTER. I CALLED HIS OFFICE THE WEEK BEFORE THE EVENT AND WAS TOLD IT'S ON HIS SCHEDULE TO STOP BY [ I ONLY ASKED FOR 5 MINUTES OF HIS TIME]. THIS MAYOR HAS SHOWN ZILCH SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOL, FROM WHAT I SEE, AND WHAT OTHER PARENTS HAVE TOLD ME IS SUCH THE HISTORY OF SUPPORT. OF COURSE I HAD MANY PARENTS ASKING ME IF HE WAS GOING TO SHOW UP, THEN WHEN HE DIDNT SHOW UP, I HAD A MULTITUDE OF PARENTS ASKING ME WHY HE DIDINT SHOW UP. I DONT FEEL THAT IT IS MY PLACE TO MAKE EXCUSES FOR THE MAYOR AT ALL. THE NEXT DAYS LOCAL PAPER HEADLINE SHOWED THAT HE WAS INDEED AT A CULTURAL CENTER PARTY WITHIN OUR CITY LIMITS, THERE WAS EVEN A PIC OF HIM THERE. SO HERES WHAT I NEED THE OPINION ON:
IN THE PTO NEWSLETTER, WHICH IS THE ONLY AVENUE I HAVE OF REACHING THE MAJORITY OF OUR PARENTS I NOTED UNDER THE KICKOFF EVENT HAPPENINGS THE REASON FOR THE MAYOR NOT BEING THERE WAS THAT HE WAS PARTYING AT A CULTURAL CENTER, AS SEEN IN OUR LOCAL PAPER THE NEXT DAY AND ALSO HMMM...WHEN IS THE NEXT ELECTION? I KNOW POSSIBLY A LITTLE OVERKILL BUT YOU WOULD NEED TO KNOW ALL THE PARENTS HERE FEEL THAT HE SUPPLIES NO SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOL THAT ANY OF US HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF OR SEEN FOR OURSELVES. WELL IT HIT THE FAN AT HIGH SPEED! THE SUPT & ASST SUPT OF SCHOOLS CAME DOWN ON MY PRINCIPAL AND THEN THE MAYOR, AFTER HE WAS SHOWN A COPY OF THE PTO NOTES [AS THEY ARE CALLED] BY THE SUPT., ALSO CAME DOWN ON OUR PRINCIPAL. I THINK THIS WAS WRONG OF THEM TO ATTACK OUR PRINCIPAL AND SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED ANY CONCERNS WITH MYSELF, MY SIGNATURE IS THE ONLY ONE ON THE NOTES. ALSO THIS IS A PARENT NEWS LETTER AND I WAS ONLY GIVING THE PARENTS THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THEY KEPT ASKING ME. AS FOR THE VOTING REMARK, EVERY AMERICAN WHO VOTES TAKES IN MIND WHAT A CANDIDATE HAS OR HAS NOT DONE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THEY PLACE THEIR VOTE. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, AND RIGHTS OF CENSORSHIP. ALSO DOES A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE A PTO NEWSLETTER IGNORE THE ??'S OF THE PARENTS OR WORSE HAVE THE WRITER LIE FOR A PERSON IN POSITION SUCH AS A MAYOR.
PS... MY PRINCIPAL IS BEHIND ME 100% OF THE WAY IN WHAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED WITH OUR PTO AND I DONT FEEL HE SHOULD BE A SCAPEGOAT FOR ANOTHER PERSONS INACTIONS. AFTERALL, I AM NOT PAID OR EMPLOYED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND FEEL THAT OUR PARENTS DESERVE TO HEAR THE TRUTH, WITHOUT ANY ICING. SO???
THANX;
LORI
