You will be missed! You are so funny and you always had a lot to contribute.

I too have a very difficult principal to work with and it just baffels me. I have often wondered what you can do about a problem principal. any ideas?

This will be the first year with a PTO at our school and I am already having problems with her and I too have thought about quitting and taking my children out of the school because of her.

Then there is this side of me who thinks that things will change (probably being very nieve.)
Who knows what the year will bring.

I say find your self another niche (maybe one that will ruffle her feathers)in school-and rally the parents- drive her nuts!!Sorry that sounds so mean.

Some times I think that it may be a woman thing--A power struggle because you are a strong woman and she feels threatend by you. Woman are like that sometimes.

Stay strong and keep in touch with all of us who feel like we know you!

Gosh, my computer gets a virus and look what I miss!!!

non-- the underground is fun if that's where you end up helping. We had a Prez that I just couldn't work with and I needed a break so for about two years I just helped the teachers and other areas. Planning the events for the children at our church is a BLAST!

I recommend documenting all this and letting some district people in on this . You know FYI kinda info...... Sounds like if she isn't careful this will catch up with her...

Good way to start the year eh?....I am SO SURE there are many other things that your group does than just the things you mentioned in your post. Don't sell yourself short that those are the only things your group does for your school and students...Hang in there. Kill em with kindness....If these are new Vice Principal/Principal maybe you should schedule a meeting with them face to face and explain how much PTO has done over the years to help your school and that you would be happy to help out in any way you can... perhaps explain how your group has aided the school in voluntary areas as office help... running....I think the first thing you need to do is go and meet with them.. Maybe they haven't made "it clear" since you did not speak personally with them. You have to give them a chance first. I had a new Principal a couple of years back, met with him...explained how we operate within our schools and it was great. Communication is key. Try it! Be optimistic and have a good attitude when approaching them. Then and only then will you know where you stand. Good luck!

After only the morning of the second day I too am ready to quit. Only there is no one else at the moment to dump PTO on, so I won't. We have a new principal and vp, and they have made it clear that volunteers are not needed. Only they don't have the nerve, or common courtesy, to tells us to our faces. They have had the clerks in the front office tell us they have everything "under control". As parents we have always been happy doing the scut work, running messages, brining new kids to class, finding bus numbers for students. Right now I am just so disgusted. Even our volunteer coordinator plans on resigning. I can't blame her, who wants to be responsible for brining parents into a hostile enviroment. I know that PTO will not be introducing any of the new programs that we had discussed. I just don't have any enthusiasm for school at all, and can't fathom putting in the extra effort when it"s not going to be appreciated. Even when I didn't see eye-to-eye with the last principal, which was often, I at least knew he was happy to have parents at school, and we were appreciated. If I wanted to be used and abused I could get a full time job and be paid for it.

I must admit it feels good to vent, but it also saddens me that for the first time in six years,I am actually at home on the second day of school. Thanks for listening.

That is sooooooo GREAT! I think that at times we all get so frustrated that we are trying to make things better for our kids and everyone else's that it is hard when we get "betrayed". I have been in your shoes twice, once this last June. i agreed to stay on but the funny thing now is that the principal hardly even talks to me(her choice-long story). I have decided though that I can make this work and maybe something will go wrong , but you know what we are all only human and if she can't respect my decisions then that's really too bad. I think alot of the PTO/principal issues are that the principals wants total control and have a hard time dealing with very oriented parents. Think about that...Parent groups could take over the world..ha ha ha. So glad you are staying....

Okay. okay. So I won't be doing the big event. I've been thinking maybe I can just go underground. There are still a lot of things I can do without being high profile and attracting unwanted attention.

Now that I've been destressing a bit, I realize that this is an opportunity. I have been confined to working with the few most difficult people on the hardest events. Now I can get into established things that won't drive me nuts with people who have more self control and less agendas.

I'm sorry - it just felt like the end of the world to quit that position because I love it so much and everyone wants it done but no one wants to do it but me.

I love you guys (ladies). You have made me feel better. I'm still torn though; I'm afraid to say anything yet because the class lists aren't posted until 4pm the day before school starts. My son has ADHD and it's very important not to get a teacher that doesn't have tons of patience.

I'm afraid of retaliation. I know I've already been bad-mouthed by the principal because I put the brakes on a failing event. But then it was with another person I don't respect because she fudged bids at our last silent auction, so who cares?

The people I really like working with have seen the whole thing and have been there. They KNow I'm more reasonable than the principal gives me credit for.

I wish I didn't know a lot of the things I know about her - like wanting to rip off the free lunch families by not telling them their fees are waived, and that she already has some serious vendetas against a few teachers for not pulling her line.

But I guess it's good that someone knows so we can try to keep it in check. Our brand new board members have certainly learned a lot through me.

Thanks again, you talked me into staying addicted.