In regards to money, does your treasurer present a report at each mtg., with each check listed, deposits, etc.? You have the right to see the checkbook.
At any time where $$ needs to be counted, deposited, have several people on hand to handle this, so one person doesn't take it home to count it.
Good luck. Go back. In the end, you'll be glad. Heck, I'm a PRESIDENT< and sometimes I don't want to go to my meetings!
MIGHTYJO:
In answer to your question, the following is what took place:
The principal and 2 members/parents had accused the pto president of theft of pto funds>> an overview was done on the pto funds and it was found that the president nor treasurer had stolen/misused any pto funds, in fact it was found that the president had put $790.00 of her own personnel $$ into the pto to cover some items for the students. The accusers refused to make a "public" statement to such affect and the president offered a copy of complete financial paperwork to anyone wishing to look it over.
The principal had the $$ withdrawn from the pto acct, without any of the officers knowledge, still don't know how, belief is that he knows someone at the bank. Information was turned over to the banking commisioner in the state.
principal was noted as failing to have a school council provided under law. Pto president pointed this out to principal. principal dissolved the pto, was found to have no grounds for such action by the state dept of education.
I also believe that a few members of this pto filed or are planning to file a discrimination complaint against the principal due to his not allowing them to be involved in their children's education>>>the scope of this goes deeper than just pto happenings.
principal refused to meet with parents to move forward in a positive manner for the benefit of the students at this school.
There is no pto at this school anymore>>>
ALL the students are the ones who suffer from this.
A group of parents have formed a new
non-profit community based organization which supports the students and teachers city-wide and are still working on their foundation to build on. One of the steps yet to come is to receive the authorization of the school committee to access this particular school in order to support it.
I agree with ecrea. Everyone who is a president of a PTO should have a pariliamentarian available. Almost every major town has an association of Pariliamentarians. They offer workshops often free. If you cannot find a free resource consider hiring one. It is a legitimate expense. Meetings in the meekest surroundings can get out of hand and when there is a knowledgable person there it is most productive. I know quite a bit about Robert's Rules but in the throws of a bad meeting I want someone at my side to direct me.
To Concerned Mom: I just waded through this topic for the first time today. I'd love to hear an update of how everything turned out.
I have 2 concerns. 1. I hope you contacted your president to make her aware of your support. (It doesn't have to be in a gossipy way, just a statement that you support her & was embarassed by this officer's behavior. No more...) 2. I hope you continue to attend meetings! From the information you passed on, you seem to be sensible. I'm sure your meetings will benefit from the attendance of concerned parents such as yourself.
This all sounds so familiar...I come from a PTA background and the school my childen are in now has a PTO...which I have no problem at all with. I went out of my way as I did when I was PTA to give of myself in the small amount of time I have in between juggling all my responsibilities. On a previous PTO agenda they wanted someone to volunteer to do a PTO website. I did one and showed it to the PTO pres who hailed it as exactly what he wanted. Then at the next meeting I took on the position of VP of Publicity. At this same meeting the PTO pres wanted to get the membership to vote in acceptance of the website. Well the Principal shot it down as she does with everything and the PTO Pres sat there and said nothing he totally lost control of his organization and meeting. The next topic was why don't parents attend meetings. Parents who were there stated its because the principal shoots down everything. We are not allowed to table discussions about school policies which affect our children,We are never given any information at these meetings about happenings and changes in the school or district, we are not allowed to be part of decision making and suggestions to improve the curriculum and academics of the school, we are met with constant bickering and opposition from the principal and the teachers she lets come in to back her up. We tried to revise the bylaws and the principal brought in almost all the faculty and out voted us the parents and then the teachers left after the vote. It became so frustrating. Here I a concerned parent who has always been part of my childrens educational experience time and time again heard teachers yell at parents, heard the principal get irrate because she felt we didn't have a right to know of certain groups and committees that make the rules for the school. Parents don't want to go anymore to the meetings because lots of us do come from other school system backgrounds (military area so we move lots)where Parent Involvement was welcomed and our feedback and suggestions were appreciated and if there was going to be a change in policy like uniforms or dicipline special debate sessions were called to discuss and get opinions. There is very little communication in our district and school. You get no answers from the district or the school. There is no forum for the parents we are only needed to fundraise and the $$$ is controlled by the staff they decide where to and how too spend it. There are never any PTO sponsored events for the children our 8th graders will graduate in May and there were no plans made to make this year special for them the suggestions were shot down. This is why Parents don't come back to our meetings. I have since resigned as VP of publicity because it was not worth it I was doing my job and then some and other officers had no clue what was expected of them which presented a very unorganized organization. The school hides behind the initials P.T.O when it is really a T.O. in speaking to many others its a big problem in many schools. Knowone wants to attend a meeting where there can not be communication of concerns in a positive manner, or where parents do come out in support and are ridiculed by the very same people we trust the minds of our children too. You hear all too often staff complaining oh we have no parent involvement and then you find a school that literally fights the efforts of many good parents. We have Teachers that just want our limited involvement and fundraising abilities.
Its a sad suggestion but most of us parents who don't agree with how meetings are run no longer go and we no longer throw financial support to this organization which the principal depends greatly on so that she doesn't have to find funds in the school budget. We are trying to form a P.O.
"Politics" I think is the right term. Why do these same situations seem to happen everywhere and in every forum, soccer, baseball, etc.? Could it be we are all too worried about what everyone else is doing? Maybe everyone should think about what we would (or at least should) say to our children if they were to act like this.?????
