Well.....I had no idea our personal decision would affect others in such strong ways. So since you've directed the questions...I'll answer.
Our PTA spent a week researching, calling, emailing and reading about PTA.
Your PTO may be Non-Profit. But Tim Sullivan (PTOToday.com) is making cash. This website and the only national/networking PTO "organization" would be the PTOToday website and magazine and such. That is a for-profit business.
I'm not knocking Tim, he's got to make a living. And yes, we don't have to pay Tim a dime to be a PTO, but my point only in my statement was that Tim is profiting from many PTAs becoming PTOs when they visit his site, read magazine...etc. He sells advertising on the site, click-thrus, banner ads, magazine ads, etc. I AM NOT KNOCKING THAT THOUGH!!! And more power to Tim to continue making a living, but that was my statement - when I said PTA is non-profit.
As for "informing all of our PTA members what national PTA is making stands on (issues)" - this was my topic for my week of emailing our State office and reading online and searching
www.pta.org
all over from head to toe.
YES, the National PTA has had past Presidents say that the "That's A Family" (pro-homosexuality video) would be promoted and an effort would be "spearheaded by the PTA" (that President's words). YES you can go to
www.pta.org
and find under Organizations and such Resources links to organizations that promote Homosexuality and "tolerance" (I hate that word) of "other lifestyles". YES you can take a ride more toward the west and find more and more schools and PTA members and State Presidents who would agree with all of that too. But let me now bring it all back to OUR PTA in Mississippi – the subject of the first post here.
I, and our local PTA found out where our $400 dollars or so are going each year. We personally met a State Board member (thanks Mary!). And guess what I found out? That board member, our State President and many other State Mississippi PTA delegates are 100% in disagreement with many of the stands "National PTA" has taken on these issues. And guess what? California holds 1/6 of the National PTA membership. Who do YOU think gets in more votes and influence on a national scale? Northeast Mississippi? Heck no - the West (liberal) Coast does. Mississippi PTA has 22 delegates that can represent our schools and parents in the state. Do you know the average that have attended a National Conference (had voting power)?? On an average 3 to 4. These problems in National PTA have not happened because PTA has changed – but because we stopped fighting and we quit and gave in and would not stand up for what we believed in – we read the headlines and quit.
So my conclusion is this. If you WERE a PTA and left because of the "issues" PTA supports.....how hard did you FIRST try to help PTA? How many of your local PTA volunteered to serve on a state level and get involved? How often did your PTA email and write congressional representatives? How hard did you FIRST try to find out indeed if National PTA adopted a "resolution" concerning an issue you did not like? Or are you thinking because some National folks have influenced the press and the media and the headlines that ALL PTA State reps think the same?
No way. They do not. In PTA you have local PTA members, Regional PTA members and State PTA members who disagree with some decisions PTA has made on a national whole. (but….read on)
So why did we stay? Because not ONLY is PTA a "ship worth saving" but it's not the way this honorable southerner was brought up to "hike tail and run" when facing challenges. National PTA is facing a huge challenge. Our State Board office is getting smaller and smaller (physically) because of budget cuts because a group of parents in South Mississippi in a small town heard "homosexuals" and "PTA" together and said, "Heck! That $200 would buy a handful of books for our kids...let's quit PTA!" - but they never asked...questioned....invited a State rep to come and talk....they just quit. Our State board has confessed “we do a lousy job in informing our units of what is going on†– but instead of saying, “well, you need to get with it!†I said….and our local PTA said…
…We will help.
I will not quit.
Our PTA voted not to quit.
And more power to you if you did quit. You have your reasons....and that's great for you.
But I hope one day when you PASSIONATELY believe a cause - and you PASSIONATELY want to fight for something...and a "small influential group" tends to get the headlines and tends to sway the way your organization looks, that you would at least STAY and help fight for what is right instead of quitting.
To each his own. The beauty of our Nation. But do not criticize our decision for staying PTA. Do not assume our members are being fooled...or that they are just so uninformed of the “real†PTA…oh no. I printed out so much info and read it all - we discussed, we debated, and we resolved to one conclusion:
PTA is the best way our $400 each year can be spent to fight for our local public school and public school children. Period.
Our decision. And it was a great one.
You can not criticize that. You may not agree – but the party that was directly affected (which by the way is not you) was in agreement and focused on what we are trying to see achieved with our schools.
And we are going to make that effort through the PTA.
~Daron