Problem with PTA

[PTAproblem]

Can I ask a quick question from all you knowledgeable PTA people? The chair of our PTA has a bee in her bonnet about fundraising for a very particular (and very expensive) thing. The school has explicitly told the PTA chair that it does not want this thing. There are a number of very good reasons why it does not want this, but mostly because it opens the school up to substantial on-going financial liabilities. In addition, raising for this project will divert fundraising away from what the school really needs (a project which will immediately benefit all children in the school). It would also cause considerable problems for the school when expectations are falsely raised amongst parents.

The PTA chair is determined to launch a fundraising drive for her pet project despite numerous conversations with the head teacher and governors, all giving the same message that this is unhelpful and not wanted. The PTA chair has said on a number of occasions that she plans to use her fundraising post to alter the strategic direction of the school, despite having no teaching experience or any real knowledge of the priorities or needs of the school. The school has been explicit in telling the PTA what the school's priorities for fundraising are.

My interest in this is that I am a governor and we are trying to manage the situation before it all goes very horribly tits up. Any suggestions?

I'm not on the PTA, but am a governor.

What do the rest of the PTA say? Do they understand the position? Can the Head arrange a meeting with them explaining the reasoning?

I am afraid I think it will only be the rest of the PTA "shooting her down" that would perhaps stop her. I am interested to know what she is trying to buy that would be turned down by the school.

Did anyone else mention it? or has she just decided that it is something that the school should have? Do the PTA not vote on what they are raising money for? It sounds like it is a dictatorship rather than a democracy.
Could the HT and the Governors not go to the next meeting and tell all the PTA together that they do not want it and instead give a list of what the school does need or would like? Also do your homework and provide a list of the ongoing financial burden it would leave the school and what would have to go from the budget to be able to to keep/maintain this item.

She seems a bit pushy to be fair and needs putting in her place that she may run the PTA but not the school. It is up to the governors and HT to decide on the strategic strategy for the school. If she wants a say in how the school is run she needs to become a governor.

Interesting! We are in the opposite situation. Our HT wants us to purchase something very expensive which we don't think will be worthwhile to the children. A tricky one.

Both scenarios are wrong! A Chairman is not the sole "owner" of a PTA. They are not a single person with the power to decide. If the rest of the committee say no to the suggested fund raising commitment then it should not go ahead!!! She has one vote only. She cannot make a decision on her own. If she cannot live with the normal democratic process of a PTA then vote her out at your annual meeting. Secondly, a Headteacher cannot dictate what parents do with money raised by parents. It is for the committee to decide having weighed up all the pros and cons of various proposals. If the Head is suggesting something that is in the school's development plan, I would have some sympathy, but, if the parents feel the head's suggestion is not appropriate, then they have the right so say so. I always like the idea of agreeing beforehand what the parents might like to raise money for so everyone has a common objective. The parents come in board more readily if they know what the fund raising aims are. Parents do not like to see money just going into a bank account nor do they like it spent on essentials IMO. Can be hard with all these strong personalities though!

Surly if the rest of the PTA think her idea is barmy, they don't print posters, don't bake cakes, don't put up marquees and don't turn up to the event they haven't help organise.

It's just conceivable that our chair of governors or a long gone PTA chair had the resources to organise an event without help, but the rest of us couldn't.

Our PTA works because we have a whole collection of skills, useful DHs and contacts. Also it's us that mainly attend the events and spend the money.

So to answer your question OP, there will either be an enormous bust up and you'll end up with no PTA or the chair of PTA will back down and probably resign.

Reminds me of a sports committee I was on once.
Chairperson wanted one thing (that would benefit her dd). Rest of the committee didn't. After a very long drawn out arguement someone pointed out that anything like that had to be voted on. Chair was so convinced her idea was correct and everyone could see-result: Never seen the committee so united-about 15 :2 against (always will have a friend that votes to back it up)

We received the resignation the next day stating "I see my position unsustainable as I disagree with the way decisions are made". Straightspeaking chap responded very quickly with "you mean you want to run a dictatorship not democratic voting".

I would just wait until she's talking about it at the next meeting, and (preferably with PTA constitution in front of you, so you can show that you have to vote on anything like that) say along the lines of "well, we've discussed it long enough, we really need to vote on it, in line with regulation 295 (or whatever) as we don't want to be fundraising for it, and then find the vote goes against it.
You probably will find some people vote for it, you may be unpleasantly surprised, because people may, when it actually comes to it, see how much it means to her and not want to stand against it.

Don't tell her in advance you're going to ask for a vote, or she'll make sure a support committee is there.

I agree that the school/governors need to make it very clear to the committee that this is not wanted, and then that the PTA should be voting on what is collected for / where raised money is spent.

Contact PTA-UK, they were really helpful to us when we had some PTA issues.

www.pta.org.uk

It should not be her decision, it should be a group decision on what the money is being spent on. The head teacher can refuse to allow any fundraising to happen and also not take delivery of said item.

If there are ongoing running costs for the 'white elephant' item, these needs to be quantified and included in the debate. If the school cannot meet them, it should be made abundantly clear that said item will have to be mothballed. That might clarify the thinking a bit.

I second checking the constitution to make sure you have enough people at the meeting to vote.

Also as it's an expensive item and there is disagreement, you should ask Head and Chair to present their argument to the PTA meeting which will give the school the chance to show their inability to pay ingoing costs and state that the item will therefore be unused (I'm assuming that would be the result) and hence a waste of money.

Well that is ridiculous. Someone needs to pint out to your Chair that the PTA is there to support the school not run it. Have never heard the like! Good luck.

Advise the Chair that PTA funds are for 'extras' NOT teaching costs. Absolutely outrageous that she has even suggested it!

She has been told explicitly by both the head and at least three members of the governing body, including the Chair of Governors, that this is not wanted. On numerous occasions. It's quite a bizarre experience!

I think going to the committee is the way to go. I anticipate it will all spectacularly explode.

I think you need a vote of no confidence in the Chair.

In our PTA the teachers provide us with a wish list (head gives us this having consulted with pupil council, teachers and governors). Do you know if the PTA is a charity? If it is it will have a constitution which defines how projects are selected. Even if its not a charity I would expect there to be an agreed way of spending funds. Teachers should be part of the PTA so should be able to make the position clear at the meeting where this is decided.

"The PTA chair has said on a number of occasions that she plans to use her fundraising post to alter the strategic direction of the school". (my emphasis) is what actually worries me more. If she wants input on strategic direction she needs apply to become a governor; they are the only ones who impact strategy. Are the governors aware of that statement; if not please tell them; if yes, they should be acting! The LA should be able to advise them on what to do.

I rather stupidly failed to name change for my earlier post so I've asked MNHQ to delete it in case the details makes me identifiable. Thank for all for your views.

Governors are aware. (I'm a governor). We need to decide how to robustly address the problem. It's just a question of how we do it. I think that going to the whole PTA committee is the way forward and being explicit about the fact that we will refuse to accept any funding towards the pet project. Comments earlier about making sure everything is minuted in PTA and Governor minutes were very helpful.

And if that doesn't work, how does one go about staging a coup?

Please tell me she doesn't want something like a swimming pool...

Well I would hope that if you attend the pta meeting and put the Chair in the position of being outvoted on this that she would stand down. But to have the nerve to do this in the first place, maybe not.

You should be able to propose a vote if no confidence shouldn't you?

May I put forward the suggestion that a Governor cannot just turn up at a PTA meeting unless they are also a parent! The PTA is a parents' association and is separate from the Governing Body. It is also the PTAs money, not the school's budget controlled by the Governing Body and, as such it is separate. What has not been addressed is what the other committee members of the PTA think. If they support the PTA chairman, then the PTA can spend the money on what it wants providing it is not in contravention of its constitution. It is a sad state of affairs when there is disagreement but it is not the role of a Governor to interfere unless you are also a parent OP. Neither should the Governers seek to unduly influence the parent body but I do agree that the PTA is not involved with the strategic direction of the school. I think blurring the lines of responsibility and accountability are dangerous.

I am a parent, so am perfectly entitled to intervene in the PTA.

MMM - Can I ask, did you see my earlier post about what she wants to do? In this case, the PTA would not be able to spend the money on the particular pet project unless the school agreed. It just couldn't. Promise.