Our school Vice-princ informed me today that the new principal and she don't want the PTSO to have any fundraisers. She stated that the school was going to do there own fund raiser - yep, the one we have been using these past several years! She also stated that since they have a Parent Information meeting that they don't need to have the PTSO meetings anymore. She does need someone to take minutes at these meeting, however! Also, there will be no more titles i.e., Chairman, Secretary, etc. I get the strong impression that they don't want us around! They will inturn get to keep all of the fundraising monies without having to go through any grant requests and approvals. Also, if the PTSO folds, then the school will get to keep the money in the PTSO account which is about $6,000. How should I go about keeping the PTSO in the school? We have been around for over 20 years and have done wonderful things for the school, students, teachers and staff.

HELP!

Originally posted by kmamom:
Dealing with someone who is overtly working aginst you is one thing, because then you have a definite tangible wrong that can be worked on.

In our case the principal doesn't work against us, but she definitely doesn't help, AT ALL, either. We feel that the problem of parent involvement in our school is partially because the principal (and vice principal) doesn't actively support many parent group activities, especially fundraisers! Things like she doesn't announce reminders to the kids the day before/of an event, nor will she allow posters to be made by the kids to remind people that certain things are upcoming/ongoing projects.

It sounds petty in light of the uber-evil principals out there that actively hinder groups, but it's still a problem for us. We feel the parents will follow where led, but if the principal doesn't lead them anywhere....If you have a principal who refuses to become personally involved in things like fundraisers, it subtley sends the message to the greater parent population that she deosn't think it's important, so why should they? I broached the subject (not about her so much, but couched it in terms of the reminder posters) and her reply is that she doesn't want to make the kids/parents feel like she's endorsing us FORCING them to monetarily support the school. We're not FORCING anyone to do anything--but are we wrong for wanting to encourage support of projects?

:confused: So-- how do you point out to the principal that they could be doing a LOT more to help, without antagonizing them? We're afraid if we say anything, it'll really pis* her off, and then she'll start acting AGAINST us!

UPDATE

My VP and I had a meeting with our principal and vice principal. We started the meeting by asking (nicely, conversational) if everything was all right with them concerning us; did they have any problems, feel that communication was a problem. They looked at us like,"what are you talking about?" They then asked WHY we were asking, and I explained that we were getting a bad vibe: it was hard to get a meeting with them, our phone calls took forever to be returned, we were seeing little active encouragement to us or the students/parents to help support us--in short we were worried that we were being placed in Purgatory. They apologized--explained they were extraordinarily busy, and that they themselves were going through growing pains, as are we. While my VP and I more concerned about their busy-ness (as parents we feel they are micromanaging and as a result other issues in our school are falling through the cracks), I was happy to see that it wasn't a personal issue.

They said the only problem the knew about was the denial of our walk-a-thon. We explained WHY we were insistant on having it when we wanted it, she stuck to her, "too much going on," so we dropped it, and said we would figure out when to have it next year. Personally I felt it was a "line in the sand" test, and I wasn't about to make it a fight.

I then moved on to say that while we're doing fine, we did have some issues that we needed more help with. I went through me list of 4 items: flyer approval bottlenecking, more proactive encouragement from teachers and staff, leeway with our fundraising for next year since we couldn't have the walk-a-thon when we needed it (we will need to throw some "nickel and dime" things in the mix like a couple of catalog sales), and permission to hand out our group's newsletter. I suggested giving her any and all proposed flyers to OK now, that way we wouldn't have to get them approved when we needed them. They were both agreeable, and only requested that they saw our proposed catalog sales to make sure they wouldn't "compete" with the already established groups.

All in all I feel better. I got what I felt the group needed (though I know my fundraising chair is having major problems with the outcome--she's like a dog with a bone concerning this walk-a-thon), and the principal and vice are claiming no problems.

I talked to the parent who put together a grant proposal for us, and I felt she made a very good point. She sat me down and said, "I've got to be honest with you. You guys need to better define yourselves to her. YOU know what your intentions are,how hard you're working, how organized you are and what your goals are. All she knows is that you want to build a playground. You may have stated what your intentions and plans for the group in the future are, but you haven't actually acted on them or proven yourselves. You need to start putting more down in black and white that you're group is MORE than just fundraising. Right now you're probably just one more thing she has to deal with; in the greater scheme of things you're just a drop in the bucket. I think you should just keep doing what you're doing, and eventually you'll be taken more seiously. Don't forget--this group is NEW and UNTRIED. She's going to be hestitant to throw herself behind something that may not pan out." I expalined though that in order to prove ourselves, we really need her support. My grant-writer said, "so let her know." I did, and at least for now it looks like we're back on track! Dealing with my fundraising chair is another posting though....

More venting!

Our problem just isn't getting better, and is fact getting worse.

Any suggestions on how to ask for help without antagonizing our principal? What do we do if she STILL says, "sorry--can't help you?" We have a good relationship with the Superintendent (as of now!), but we LOATHE going to him with this--not only is it going over her head, but it certainly isn't going to help our situation any (you know, like your mother telling you to be nice to your annoying little brother!). But we're at the end of our rope, and just aren't sure HOW to handle it.

No, no volunteer coordinator! The current board, who've been swapping positions until my friend and I got involved, have been very effective in chasing any volunteers away. True pieces of work. They really capitalized on intimidating and controlling those that they did approve to help as well, to make sure only programs they were comfortable with or would benefit from somehow would be instituted. Laziness and lack of self-confidence also plays a part here.

Talk about feeling kicked! There were times I left there feeling like I was being chased out by the villagers with torches and pitchforks! The worst part about it is that they still insist they NEVER had any support, THEY had to do everything, and that we all should be grateful for their generous and giving souls (i.e. "no one" signed up to be class mother in some classes, so NATURALLY they're friends HAD to do it. The fact that myself and some other "no ones" I know DID sign up made the "no one helps" part especially galling).

The principal, though professional and nice, has just been a disappointment. We expected so much more support from her, and are finding we're happy if she just doesn't interfere. She and others wonder why morale is low at the school, and there's no school spirit, but if they just looked at themselves a little more closely they'd see why. People will only follow where they're led. If those given the task of "leader" don't, what are the masses to think? If the "leaders" don't take an active and enthusiastic approach, it doesn't set the bar very high, nor does it generate any energy.
The whole "good enough" is good enough mentality makes me NUTS--why "settle" and not strive for excellence when the rewards are so much better?

hi kmamom-
Isn't it so very frustrating!!
I have found that some of these chairpersons are so rude and extremly threatned by any new ideas. I don't understand this mentallity because I go into every event full of enthusiam and come out feeling like I have been kicked.When all I want to do is help. A few ways that I think that this can be changed is to insist that any committee should have sub-committees and that anyone should be able to join and be included on the decision making process and to put all ideas to a vote.
Also do you have a volunter coordinater it seems to me that this might help also.
I would like to hear your thoughts-thanks