Hi TerriK,

I understand what you mean. I am the current president of our PTA and was just reelected president for next year. We are a pre-K--5 school. We do 1 Fall fundraiser, 1 winter/holiday fundraiser and our spring carnival is our 3rd. We do a few little ones (Mother's Day flower sale, etc.). We strictly follow the PTA guidelines of 3 free activities per fundraiser. We do 3 free movie nights; Big Step Breakfast; Open House; Student of the Week monthly luncheon; Muffins with Mom; Doughnuts with Dad; Grandparents Day; Family Entertainment Night; Trunk or Treat; Breakfast with Santa; Family Arts/Crafts & Game Night; Family Literacy Night (includes free spaghetti dinner); Nevada Reading Week activities; and so on. We also pay for any field trip admissions; a 2nd set of field trip buses for each grade level; 5th grade vs. staff softball shirts; DARE graduation shirts; Field Day drinks, etc. We are very proud of all that we do at no charge for our school. We also pick up the costs of things that might come up during the year like new batteries for our head custodian's golf cart and a transport chair for the nurse's office. I believe the parents must see and understand what their hard earned money is going for. I put out a list of all that we have planned during the year a couple times a year. I am also getting ready put out a "Thank You" for all of their support and outline what all our PTA has supported this year because of their support.

If this other PTA isn't doing what they should with the parent's and community's money, I believe it will come back to bite them in the butt! The parents at this K-8 school will eventually get tired of this and stop supporting them. It's a shame because the kids suffer in the end. Especially the parents coming from your school and knowing the "right" way a PTA/PTO should be doing things for their school then seeing how this other school is doing things. Maybe it will take some shaking up to change things for the students.

As for the spirit wear thing... I think that this other school's PTA/PTO should have contacted you and received permission to do this. We have a Kindergarten Round Up next week and we might offer this year's school shirts at cost to try to get rid of a few. The school sells the shirts, not us, so they'll have to decide for sure. We will be giving our incoming Kindergartners the welcome packet for next year encouraging the parents to join our PTA and let them know they are welcome to share ideas and such.

It all comes down to common courtesy on the part of this other school you're dealing with. Courtesy to you and your school and courtesy to their own parents.

Good luck to you!
Holly
McCaw PTA

Hi All, Thank you for all of your opinions. Whether you agree with me or not I do respect you all for your input.

I got exactly what I was hoping for. PTA is FINALLY stepping up to the plate and getting involved. This was only one of our many, many issues and problems. Hopefully now things can get under control! Thanks again for all your input!

So your saying meeting were there are hot objects is a really bad idea......

This sounds like a issue for DR PHIL!! (this is were you hear trumpets!!) HA!

This is why everyone loves these boards! People from all over, discussing common, and in some cases new, problems. Getting the understanding shoulder you long for, the solution you hadn't thought of or in some cases the posse you wish to organize to take care of business!

This is the thing--discussions between the two groups have happened, with the superintendent in attendence no less! It's not exactly an "us vs. them" case, because I happen to know Terri K also has the luxury of being a MEMBER of the other group! (As do I). It started as trying to point out there were some problems (and let's face it, no matter how nicely you say it this is one of those topics that is going to be confrontational) and the response was, "And you have a problem with the way we're doing things? Tough Sh!+. We'll do what we like."

The worst part is that the kids at the one school get the worst of it, literally. Out town is small, and everyone seems to know everyone. You really get to see how nice things are at the other schools and how much more the other kids get for their money--both PTO fundraised and tax dollars.

There's a core problem that isn't being addressed.

I second that motion and wonder if tere neds to be a couple meetings/lunches over the summer to work out some issues.

Nothing is worse than having so much going on "behind your back" when they are maybe have good intentions. Sure doesn't feel that way to you but wouldn't be nice to met at a Starbucks and talk this over a cup of coffee?

But I do agree that there is more to this....

TerriK - I do see how frustrated you are. Obviously, you needed to vent to a sympathetic ear. I didn't miss the points you were trying to make: PTA vs PTO; Fundraising overload; Bullying; Misappropriation of funds; Aggressive competition; Questionable practices. Individually, each item is difficult and you have quite the mixed bag.

Mostly, though, it seems to be an "Us vs Them" problem. Students attend 'your' school for 6 years then go on to 'their' school for 3 years. Why is there such a great divide and so much animosity between the groups? There's a core problem that isn't being addressed.

You are clearly very passionate about your work and the community you serve. Surely there are other like-minded parents at both schools who would help to mediate these problems positively for the benefit of the students.