What should I do?

Question

I am the Secretary of our Elementary School's PTO. I am also the Secretary of a Parents' Support Group (parents of disabled children). At the beginning of the year someone else besides me wanted to be Secretary of the PTO but she didn't get it because I have been Secretary for the past 3 years and she just moved here. She came to one of our support group meetings and when I was elected Secretary there she must have thought she had it made. Now she is weaseling her way around kissing everyone's butt, especially the principal. She is doing things (that she wants to do) that are my job. The other PTO officers are just letting her do it because they don't care who does the work as long as they don't have to. They are also not voting on issues like they are suppose to and they are scheduling the PTO meetings at the last minute so there is not time to even announce it. Should I throw a fit about it or step down and let her have it?

Answer 1

Oh the joys and pains of working in a PTO! I could have posted almost the same question two years ago! I would never work with PTO again. If you feel that you really want the job then stick up for yourself! I didn't, I allowed them to all worm me out of the jobs I had and I was very upset by it. If you really want these jobs you may have to fight for them. This woman sounds very pushy. From my experience a lot [but not all] are very rude and think because they are on certain boards that they own the school and walk around like nobody's business. You have to decide if the job is important enough for you to stick it out. Good luck to you!

Answer 2

I just say let her have it. Why would you worry over something that is volunteer anyways. It is great that you are even there supporting the group. This lady has a strange problem where she needs the pat on the back from strangers, perhaps their friendship? Maybe she is a very lonely lady. Perhaps after you step down it will not be so much fun for her. This lady has some real problems and I think it is just best the let her have her own train wreck :) Keep supporting the group and don't let this experience sour you. There are just some people in this world that are very strange and she is one of them.

Answer 3

This is your job, stand up for your job and if you have not had any complaints in the past.. then you should not let someone else step on your toes. Make a bulletin for the others on when planning a meeting they should know the date 2 wks ahead of time and this will allow you to make notice for the parents. I would tell the other lady to back off and find something else to do. That if you were in need of help .. you would gladly ask her. But if you allow them to make you feel like this.. then they will continue to walk all over you.

Answer 4

I am 56, a retired elem teacher, and have seen this over and over and over. It is a power trip, and often for people who don't have much area to get power. The \pta is an easy target for these people. It probably is a losing battle and you could use your talents in a better way and accomplish the same thing coming at it from support of the teachers in the school etc.

Answer 5

whatever you do, do not step down. you were there first and you earned your spot. don't let someone who has to have surgery to remove their lips from the peoples butt take over your job. it is not right or just. i worked with people like this for three years and i know how hard this is. me and my co-worker (if you want to call them that) argued all of the time because i was not going to back down and either was she. what she did was run to the higher ups and make up a bunch of stroies about me to try to get me into trouble. i did not put up with this. i had the people there so upset with me that they could not see straight and that was the way i liked it because if they were going to make my life miserable the same was going to go for them. now i did not do anything illegal, i just documented everything that i did to prove that i did something, i also found out that the place that i worked for hired someone who shouldn't have been working there due to a felony and let them work there for a long period of time before they finally decided to let them go. i had it in my mind that if they upset me too bad that i was going to turn them in for it and they knew it so in a way the good guy got what he wanted and that was to run things the way i was supposed to and got the respect that i deserved. this may not work the same for you but sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. if you backdown, you are only going to be used as a welcome mat. stick up for yourself because trust me no one else is going to. hope this helps. good luck.

Answer 6

DONT STEP DOWN--NEVER you are been there 3 years shes new everyone knows you she dont as long as you keep your job properly why worry on her let her kiss every ones butt while your doing the right thing when the time they believe on her let them at least you have a clear mind

Answer 7

Instead of worrying about what she's doing, try outsmarting her at her own game and start doing things she's supposed to be doing. I doubt she is kissing everyones butt. Maybe she just enjoys her job. Don't throw a fit, let her be and quit being jealous.

Answer 8

Sounds like you and her should talk. Maybe there is a way that she can assist you in the many tasks without you feeling like she's stepping on your toes. Keep your friends close and enemies closer. If you wanna keep up with her, give her certain responsibilities...

Answer 9

work with this person and together you can achieve much more than if you fight each other.

Answer 10

Please, if you care about this organization, step down graciously, and give your valulable time to an area where it is needed!