When it comes to Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTOs), the primary goal is clear: to support our schools, students, and communities.
PTOs play a really pivotal role in bridging the gap between parents and teachers, making another communication route, and organizing activities that enhance the entire school community
However, like any group, PTOs sometimes face a fair share of challenges, especially when it comes to leadership dynamics.
PTO Presidents naturally have a significant influence, but it’s absolutely essential to strike a balance between effective leadership and feel like everyone is working together within the PTO.
But sometimes PTO Presidents fail to find this balance and overstep their role by limiting collaboration and input from others in the group.
That’s what we’ll be covering in this post and taking a reader question that shows the real-life difficulties that pop up.
Real-world example of Difficult PTO President Issue
“Our current PTO President was voted into office when she was not an employee of the school. She is now a paid employee, and she runs the PTO as part of her job. There are plenty of board members, and people were happy to take over. She told us she was not going to run for a third term but has since reneged on that; she is running again.
I’ve checked the bylaws, and there is a clause for removal, but nothing for executive board members. Many of the PTO members feel like she should resign because it’s a conflict of interest. Some examples: she’s being very pushy about fundraising even though there’s over twenty thousand dollars in the bank. They’re using the same fundraisers in the Fall and Spring – flowers both times, no variety. Teacher Appreciation Week is stuff that she likes and she feels the teachers would like.We’ve had two board members quit in less than a month, and I just don’t think things are being run fairly. When the PTO President isn’t available, the VP isn’t allowed to run meetings, not allowed to do anything but just be a regular board member.
– PTO leader who wishes to remain anonymous
We adopted an updated bylaw last school year, and it was never added, even though it was unanimously voted in. Not sure why the bylaws hadn’t been updated for 6 years.
We don’t know what to do.”
Oh boy, there’s a lot right here in that question and description of a tricky situation:
1. A PTO President potentially overstepping her role and dictating the PTO’s activities;
2. Questions about conflicts of interest for school employees serving on the PTO; and
3. Lack of process for updating and amending PTO Bylaws.
First, let’s talk about the tough situation of the President who is trying to control all the PTO things.
It sounds like this PTO President is under the belief that she, as the head of the PTO, gets to have her own way when it comes to the PTO.
But the things is that PTO Presidents is that is not the case.
PTO Presidents are the main mouthpiece for your group; they are the main point of contact, but they are not the decider of all things.
They are not the decision-maker-in-chief.
Really, they should be taking everything back to the board, and it should be majority rule; it should be as simple as that.
It does sound like she’s a little bit of a control freak, though, if she’s not allowing the Vice President to run meetings in her place.
Allowing others to step up when the President can’t, is pretty standard procedure for healthy PTOs.
As a PTO VP I’ve stepped up many times to run meetings when the President has not been available or willing to.
The PTO should not be centered around the President, so there should be no reason why business can’t take place without her being there.
As for what you should do right now to solve this issue, I would recommend you have a conversation with the President, privately.
She probably knows something is going on and that people are unhappy, especially if some have recently quit.
I’d explain that you don’t feel like you’re on the same page as her and express how you’d like to get an understanding of what she sees for the year and how you all can work as a team.
This should signal to her that changes need to be made and hopefully, she’ll pick up what you’re putting down.
There’a lot of interpersonal dynamics at play here that can change my advice, so this answer may not suit this situation when everything else is factored in.
But generally, I’m in favor of having conversations with people rather than stewing, quitting or waiting things out.
Is it a conflict of interest for a teacher to serve as PTO President
The other concerning issue that’s in the mix with our reader’s question is that because the President is an employee of the school, and that fact somehow makes for a conflict of interest.
Just because they’re an employee of the school doesn’t mean that they can’t serve on the board.
There at times may be a conflict of interest that arises, but that’s actually true for anyone serving in a PTO leadership position, school employee or not.
She has an interest in making sure that her workplace is a nice place to be, so I don’t think that immediately disqualifies her more so than any other person wishing to be a PTO leader.
Just because she’s an employee doesn’t automatically disqualify her from being PTO President.
But I think it’s unwise for school employees to be on, for example, the teacher mini-grant committee, where they are deciding on who gets to benefit from different programs and PTO money.
That condition does put more issues into the mix, but it’s one easily solvable with the employee / PTO President appointing another PTO member to serve as the head.
What to do in the future
No matter if the PTO President is conducive to changing her overstepping ways or not, here’s something to keep in mind going forward:
Start by talking with other parents to find your own candidate what would be a better fit for the group.
Nominate them, and when it comes time for elections, have everyone show up and elect your candidate of choice
I’m not talking about trying to get the election overturned or anything like that, but basically, get enough people to turn out to vote for your preferred candidate.
It’s just like political elections and is a practical approach to ensure that the right person leads the group.
This way, you’re preventing the non-ideal candidate from getting the position of their choice and heading off trouble before it starts.
Once the preferred candidate is in place, get some training for them!
The President’s Success Kit for PTO / PTA – the ultimate secret weapon for all you incredible superheroes who lead your Parent Teacher Organization with grace, finesse, and killer dance moves!
Picture this: you, the President, taking charge like a boss, armed with a treasure trove of resources that will make your PTO / PTA shine brighter than the North Star.
This isn’t your average bundle of snooze-inducing paperwork.
It’s a game-changing, mind-blowing arsenal of tools designed specifically to make your life easier and turn your dreams of doing fantastic things for your school community into reality.
The President’s Success Kit is jam-packed with bite-sized nuggets of guidance that will inspire you to lead with flair.
Updating Bylaws
Another issue that’s at play here are the outdated Bylaws that don’t speak to the current issues of the group.
Bylaws and Standing Rules should be reviewed every one to two year to see if anything needs to be updated to make running your groups easier.
It’s better if you just have a rule in the form of the Bylaws or Standing Rules since it’s the law of the land for your PTO and all officers and volunteers should be following them.
Bylaws and Standing Rules are mean to act as guidance for how to handle certain situations and avoid problems, so an updated set is key.
And what’s more, they actually need to have information in them that tell leaders what to do.
This means including job descriptions for the officers.
Include both things to do as well as things not to do.
Since the specifics of how your group operates changes a bit from year to year, keeping the Bylaws and Standing Rules updated is a must.
This post has a complete guide on how exactly to update your group’s set of Bylaws and Standing Rules.
But the short answer here to the question here is that the amended bylaw your group unanimously passed voted on should be incorporated into the bylaws by the PTO Secretary as soon as practical.
And updated copies of the Bylaws distributed to all members soon.
One side note though, the amendment actually doesn’t have to be added to the document for it to take effect.
That happened the instant the result of the amendment vote was announced.
Need help writing or updating your PTO’s governing documents?
Bylaws and Standing Rules Made Simple is a comprehensive guide to creating a set of governing documents for your PTO from scratch or updating an existing set.
You’ll love the step by step guidance and thorough template that covers everything your group needs.
Watch this
Over to you!
The challenges of running a PTO are intertwined with personal issues, boundaries, communications and so many other things.
If you’re facing challenges within your PTO President similar to the ones described here, there are really practical steps to consider, like advocating for change and supporting alternative leadership candidates who align with the PTO’s values and goals.
Your PTO’s success ultimately rests on its ability to work together without the drama, and keep the focus doing good for the school community.
