Our school is in the process of setting up SAP(student assitance programs)groups. These groups are for students who need help with social skills, attitudes, or other problems. This is done through the school with the help of mental health professionals and other groups who help the at risk students. The school is also forming a schoolwide behavior management committee that will have parent volunteers. This is new to our school and I'm not quite sure how it works but if you would like more information e-mail me and I will try to get that information to you.

I hope I have this right, what I think you are asking is for insight on how to deal with disruptive unruly PTO volunteers who have blinders on when it comes to their "lil angels" misdeeds? How's that??? The discipline problem should not be something that your PTO has to handle. The children are the direct responsibility of the school and its administration during school hours on school property. On the other hand, the parents then attending your meetings and trying to hash out their lets say "dirty laundry" that is an issue you need to talk to your other officers about. I believe the best line of attack is to be prepared and EXPECT them to come and be disruptive. Have a standard line something like ... "Personal matters should not be discussed in an open meeting. If you have a dispute with the principal or administration please take it to them as we are trying to conduct matters that pertain to the mission of the PTO". I don't know how you would be able to go about .. haha the word that came to mind was dismembering (hehe) but what I mean is how you could throw out of your membership any volunteers. I would just try to keep control over your meetings but buying a very LARGE gavel and bang it HARD & LOUD when these parents get unruly. Good Luck and sorry for the puns but it is late and I am slap happy !

We have had real problems with parents not wanting to 'face the music' if you will when concerning issues with their children. This involves our PTO because we are discussing with the other school committee formed by the school board how we can get these parents to be accountable or you lose volunteering and may not be allowed in our school. This happened last year with a parent politicting to have the principal removed (it didn't work,all alligations were false) and was harassing the staff. Other schools in our disrict don't have the parent involment our school has been fortunate to have so our school district board is not sure how to help but have been very supportive with what we have had to do. Unfortunatly these parents that are causing problems then come to our PTO meetings, bring up their issues; they are reminded this is not the place; wait until we adjourn then start all over. We have lost members AND students because of this and our by-laws and Roberts Rules have done little as these parents then complain etc. Parents sign a contract in the back of their handbook that says they read and understand the book and as we have a three strikes policy with our students the committee is asking other schools out of our district how they would handle this. Yes, in a perfect world our school board and district would handle this but we want our own policy.

I don't think there is anything wrong with getting input from parents on discipline. After all, they're our kids. I'm sure it will have to be run by the school board, right? We have a rural elementary school with about 120 kids. We also belong to a district with a little bit larger schools. In fact, we were just discussing this at our PTO meeting last night. The other schools in the district don't seem to have as polite and well-behaved children as ours. When our kids go to middle school in town they can't believe how the other kids act. Our discipline is pretty simple. If you are disrespectful or the rules are not followed, you are sent to the principals office and recieve a gold slip that has to be signed by a guardian. The child usually gets a detention after a couple of gold slips. I don't know of anyone ever having to be suspended. It would have to be something pretty bad. The teachers also have incentives for being good in their classrooms. For example, one teacher has different colored slips of paper for each student on the back wall. You start out with green. If the child misbehaves, they have to switch their slip of paper to the next color. I think they get 3 chances. If they end up with red they are sent to the principals office. I think they get to start off at green every Monday. I think too, that if they get to the step before red they have to stay in for recess. Each classroom has their own system and they all seem to work very well. If you'd like, I could probably email you a copy of our principal's discipline statement. She gives the exact steps that are taken. Hope this helps.

PTO is to allow communication between the school staff and parents and to fund raise to supply the extras that the school budgets to not, so the school can be special. PTO is not to deal with school teaching, disipline of students and parents, parking issues or other day to day matters in the school. These are to be dealt with through superintendents, school commitees, site councils, principal and teachers. Sorry but we do not deal with this issue.

Hi!
First off, these are totally seperate issues. The discipline issues are totally the school board issues. And, I believe, only my opinion, that the school should handle "problem children". Our tax dollars at work. I apologize for no positive feedback, but these issues don't seem like parent/teacher organization issues. I am truly sorry, you asked for any input.