NO, NO, NO. Do not get "officially" involved. This is an administrative problem dealing with employee relations. Perhaps the best support you can give them would be a friendly shoulder to lean on or an acknowledgement in your newsletter, but as for publicly announcing your position via a letter to the board....No way.
The PTO is a Parent Teacher Organization. Your group is representative of all parents. Some parents may have different opinions and may not like you speaking (as a group) for them. I feel for the teachers as I think they have one of the hardest jobs in the world and I hope for a good outcome for yours. Let's hope your board recognizes their dedication by working so long without a contract!
to me---NO! Unless your group is prepaired for the political junk that can come from becoming invovled in such a matter that really should be between the employer and employee, I don't think this is something that a PTO should become involved in.
Our group had a teacher come to us because her contract was not going to be renewed. Unfortunatly our President that year decided to dig and dig she did! Very long story made short, words were said, and the teacher's contract was not renewed, the President made of mockery of our group and we are STILL cleaning up the image that will take years. (This issue is concidered a personnel issue which- in many states- is not for open discussion in school board meetings. That was the lessoned learned.)
The staff needs to take this issue to the school district board not the PTO.
The teacher's in our school district have been working without a contract for over a year now. Some of our local teachers have approached the PTO and asked for support in their contract dispute. Specifically, they want the PTO to draft a letter to the school board in support of a pay raise. My question: Is this the type of issue that a PTO should be getting involved in?