Without an organizing document I think that anything can happen. That doesn't mean it is a good idea. I mean what if your group, as a group, wants to pay for teacher appreciation lunch and the principal says she doesn't want you to. While I think a great relationship with the principal is essential to having a successful PTO, I am personally not an advocate of having the principal on the bank accounts.
Is the PTO just a fundraiser and the principal gets to use all the money that is raised as she sees fit? Sounds like your principal may be looking for a budget increase just not from the school board.
While are two sides to every coin - the way that I am reading your posts, if I were a parent at your school I would not be inclined to help raise money - and that means by purchasing, contributing, or helping those who are involved with things that would raise money. I would help the teachers in the classrooms, help in the lunch room, etc. By all means stay involved, but as far as the PTO itself is concerned, until there are checks and balances put in place, and an actual plan for what the group is doing, I'm not sure my heart (or checkbook) would be in it.
Hi IMovePeople, thanks for you reply !! The principal is really pushing this election...we had the nominating committee picked yesterday and she had them today sign off on who she wanted to run today and stoped all nominating. Our big problem is that we are not sure if she as a principal can say who is a PTO officer at the school or if the board of education can say she has that right to as she said today....if i dont like this years officers then I can just say there will be no PTO this year and thats that. The lady we want is a really well spoken lady & we think she could handle herself well with the principal.
ONE MORE QUESTION....THE PRINCIPAL WANTS HER NAME ON THE CHECKING ACCOUNT AND WANTS TO SIGN ALL CHECKS WITH THE PTO PRES AND TRES..PLUS SHE MUST APPROVE EVERYTHING BEFORE SPENDING IS DONE....CAN WE AS A PTO STOP THAT???? :confused:
If you have a president and a board but no bylaws, could you "table" nominations until you have bylaws implemented? Just say you want to do things in a different order? Is the current president and board willing to work at this for a couple of more months while you iron out the details of the bylaws? Seems that may be an end-run on the situation.
One other thing to consider is that your board needs to have a good working relationship with the principal. If there is a conflict between someone who is president and the principal, it may be difficult (at best) to get things done at all. Is there a happy medium between the person y'all want to be president and the person that he wants to be pres? I am not a big fan of co-presidents, but how about one of them as pres and the other vice?
Not sure if I've helped - I'd go route # 1 if I could.
Our nominating committee was just picked last night at the PTO meeting - today the principle called them in for a meeting and ask about who they were thinking of nominating! They picked really wonderful PARENTS. The Principle told them right away NO...I want these PARENTS WITH THESE TEACHERS for officers!! Last year was the first year that the school was a PTO....THERE WERE NO BY-LAW MADE!! We have nothing to go by as far as what we can do and cant!!
At the PTO meeting yesterday the pto pres. told the nominating committee they had all week to work on nomination...less than 12 hrs later the principal stop all nomination made to the committee!!
Us parents know that they must take nominations off the floor at the next meeting, but this principal said if a certain parent runs for pres. she will refuse to let her take office even if she is VOTED in at the meeting that night....CAN A PRINCIPAL DO THAT??? There is nothing wrong with this person..she stands up for us parents and can stand her ground while doing it nicely!! SHE IS WHAT THIS SCHOOL NEEDS!
SURE HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP US OUT....WHAT CAN WE DO????
