I wish I had the answer--we're going through something similar. With us it's not an entire administration, just the principal, and beleive me, that's enough!

We try communicating, but it just doesn't seem to work--usually she COMPLETELY misinterprets what we say--i.e. I send out three different memos etc with dates about a lengthy fundraising event AND had a meeting, and when we discussed it later to put it on a schedule she was annoyed and told us she thought it had ended! We invite her to meetings, she doesn't come, then is surprised when we inform her of a decision we made--how come she wasn't made aware of this decision? I'm, like, "Well, isn't that what we're doing now?"

OR she denies ever being made privy to info, or worst--accuses us of NOT doing something when we DID, or doing something when we DIDN'T!

For now we take things one issue at a time, and hold our ground if we think we're right. We try to keep her as updated as possible, but if we were to do it HER way, we'd NEVER get anything done--she bottlenecks things by not being available enough. I really wanted this to be a great partnership, and thought at first that it was going to be, but it turned out that she's a control freak, and since she can't technically control us (we're an independent), we make her crazy, so she uses passive-aggressive means to deal with us. When we figure out the panacea, I'll be sure to share!

BTW--Welcome to the boards!

[ 07-25-2004, 02:17 AM: Message edited by: kmamom ]

Your bylaws will outline who has power within your organization. While your principal has the final word on what goes on in her/his school. We are a small school and in the past 4years have had 3 principals. In our case we have learned that money talks.....we have total control over our funds. We do have a very good working relationship with our principal - but she realizes that ultimately we the pto members decide how to budget the funds.

I dont know if I have the advice you are looking for. I have been in a similiar situation that comes up every now and then. I am not sure if you are talking principal or higher up. Either way I hate to say it but if you use the building, send home stuff with kids and recruit through the school they can say yes or no. They can stop you from running your group in their school.
I have found that there are alot of rules that come from higher up, I also have found that my principal sometimes makes decisions by herself, or with a complaint from a staff member. She is trying to make everyone happy and yes it does feel that we are last on the list. I dont know if you can sit down with them and ask how you can work with them. From experience I have found that fighting about us against them is a very hard thing. You need to choose which battles you are going to fight and lessen up on others. For example the first thing I fought for was childcare at our meetings... Constantly fighting only leads to negativity that will eat away at you day and night. My first step is to try to COMMUNICATE with the administration and maybe that will open some doors. Bottom line I know our principal does support us ALOT... just not everything we want. It's a hard lesson to learn or accept and if you make a list chances are there is support there. One way our principal supported us was by starting the group after a very bad PTA experince...but she wanted to give parents another change. Think about how not EVERY school has a parent group so that is support in itself..goodluck

What is a new P.A. suppose to do with an adminstration who are control freaks. Who are use to running the P.A.

We are a new P.A. board and refuse to allow the adminstration to control us.

However, how much trouble are we in?

We believe in being respectful, however the Parents Association is to be run by Parents not an adminstration, especially ones who want to control when we have our meetings.
(just one example)

We would like some advise on how to handle these contol freaks.

Oh how could we forget, they don't want to share information, however they want to know all.

[ 07-24-2004, 12:55 AM: Message edited by: New School ]