There's now ay he could stop you from speaking up at the meeting as a concerned parent/citizen. You might want to be careful what you do as a PTO president, just because you have to work with him for the long term. At our school, though, one of the biggest things we do is speak on behalf of parents at the school board. It just seems right.

OF COURSE YOU CAN ATTEND AND SPEAK AT THESE MEETINGS. YOUR PRINCIPAL IS COVERING HIS OWN YOU KNOW WHAT. WHEN YOU GET TO THE MEETING THERE IS A PLACE TO SIGN IN AND SHOULD BE A FORM TO FILL OUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD. THEY WILL HEAR YOUR CONCERNS BUT DEPENDING ON THEIR BY-LAWS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM AT THIS MEETING IF YOU BRING THE INFORMATION TO THEM COLD TURKEY. ANOTHER WAY TO BE HEARD IS TO BE PUT ON THEIR AGENDA. TO DO THIS CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS SECRETARY AND ASK TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA. YOU CAN USE THE TITLE OF PARENT OR PTO PRESIDENT. IF YOU CAN PROVIDE THE SECRETARY WITH ANY WRITTEN 'ARGUMENTS' THEY WILL BE PLACED IN A FOLDER THAT EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL RECEIVE PRIOR TO THE MEETING DATE FOR THEIR REVIEW. THIS IS SO THEY ARE INFORMED ON WHAT WILL BE COVERED AT THE BOARD MEETING.
I WOULD SUGGEST DOING YOUR GROUND WORK, AND BEING INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA. THIS SHOWS YOU AS A CONCERNED PARENT AND NOT JUST ONE THAT WILL SHOW UP AND COMPLAIN WITH OUT SOLUTIONS. DON'T EXPECT ALOT OF PEOPLE THERE UNLESS YOU HAVE A VERY LARGE DISTRICT. BUT ALL THE PRINCIPALS ARE REQUIRED TO BE THERE TO REPORT ON THEIR SCHOOLS. ALSO~ IF YOU ARE ASKING TO BE PLACED ON THE AGENDA EXPECT YOUR PRINCIPAL TO BE INFORMED OF THIS. I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST ANY PTO PRESIDENT TO ATTEND SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOUR PRINCIPAL ANSWERS TO THE JOB THEY ARE DOING, IT IS GOOD TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. AND YOU MAY REALIZE LIKE I HAVE~~BEING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD IS WHERE I WANT TO BE. GOOD LUCK!!!

At our last meeting it was brought up that the PTO may want to purchase Meap Guides to help our students prepare for the "big" test. When one of our parents asked why doesn't the district purchase these I honestly answered...I don't know! Our PTO has bought dicitionaries, encylopedias, and totally fund our library. I went on to say that we should perhaps asked to be put on a school board agenda and present that question directly to them. Well to say our Principal was "upset" with me would be the understatement of the year! He instructed our parents that this issue would be dealt with by him and he would inquire about it...there would be no need for us to ask questions. This by the way is not the first time he has poo-pooed any notion of a PTO member speaking at a school board meeting. Am I wrong here or do tax paying citizens have the right to attend these meetings and ask a simple question?? And if we have the right to do so...then how can a principal make us believe we can't??