One possibility that I think you're discounting: there are really smart, generous, politically active people/moms all over the country who know about the PTA's advocacy goals but who believe really strongly that their parent group work is not the place to mix that all in.
For these folks, the parent group role is to build community and involvement around their school, to connect school and home and create a partnership between parents and school, to support teachers and staff -- so that the school/kids can achieve the most it/they can. And they believe/know/have experienced the fact that mixing in the politics takes away from that effort, can turn off many parents to the parent group.
There's this often subtle, sometimes overt implication by PTA supporters that PTOs are giving up on the advocacy role or are ignorant to the importance of advocacy. I'd submit a strong alternative: PTO leaderss are fully aware of advocacy, often are very active on education issues in their own lives, but believe that their parent group is not the place for it.
I'm guessing that you believe the parent group is the perfect place for it. But it's a fair debate, no?
I am not knocking your parent group, but it is a proven fact that there is strength in numbers. Most individual parents would not know the first thing to do to advocate for education. PTA has templates for us to use to contact or congressman and legislators, petitions initiated to address adequate funding, State organized along with the K16 coalition a rally to our state capitol, here we had almost 13,000 people rally for education funding. Our governor spoke along with the Michigan PTSA administrator who spoke on the importance of quality education. PTA is a well respected organization in its 108th year. Since its founding in 1897, PTA has been responsbile for passing laws on Bus safety, innoculation for our school children, the hot lunch program and even particpated in the Salk Polio vaccine testing, this is just to name a few issues PTA has been involved in. The National PTA provides people to serve on committees organized by the National Institute of Education, the National Science Foundation and other governmental agencies and educational intituions to review cirriculum, advise on textbooks and discuss education policy. It is unfortunate that there are some parent groups out there, whether they be PTA, PTO, or PT others that give their organiztion a bad name. Some of those individuals are in these positons for all the all reasons. How unfortunate for those of us who are trying to make a difference. If our agenda is not what is best for our children then, we have no agenda!
the hostility started with michaganmom. While I do feel that PTA has its good points, and it does but lets get real. Just because our group is PTO doesn't mean that we are not willing to fight for better education for our children. We just do it on a smaller scale.
AS far as it being a safer and better world because of PTA- I think not. It will be better and safer because of the way you raise your child,teaching them right from wrong and what values you instill in them. Definitely not because of PTA.
Dollar value on education you say? Have you had a look at my tax bill? It's scary to think how much I'm paying for my children to have an education. It's one of the best investment I can possible make, regardless of the cost!
Hey Bertha,
What a hostile group this is on this website. Don't get so defensive, I think what supermichiganmom was trying to say was that your child may not run the country one day, and most likely neither will hers or even mine for that matter, but regardless someones child will, and that is why it is so important to lobby for quality education so the world can be a safer and better place to live. That is why PTA membership is so important, because without the membership there would not be a parent organization that would lobby for your child, her child and mine. Its really that simple. I don't think you can put a dollar value on education, it is too important to all of us.
Our group paid out $3.75 per member per year. Ot of that $1.75 went to National, $1.75 went to state and .25 went to county. I'd show you my checkbook but County took it away!
$3.75 doesn't seem like that much but when you multiply that by our members, we paid out $1450 a year! For most schools thats one fundraiser a year.
I'd rather keep the money in our school and give the children an extra assembly or program instead of wasting it.
I've gone to both PTA conventions and PTO conferences. To tell you the truth the PTO conferences are a hell of a lot cheaper, more informative and a lot more fun!
Originally posted by SAFin RI: But the fees for PTA affiliation average $1,000 per year, every year.
I don't remember any "fees" from National PTA. I have seen fees charged for PTO Today conferences, and I have paid to attend state conventions.
The ACTUAL dues for National PTA are $1.75 per year!!
Couple of key notes, SAF. C'mon...
1. Those dues are per member and the average unit has well over 200 members. The services are per group (according to the PTA) so we need to calcualte the fees per group. And you conveniently left out the state dues and the (often) county dues. Nationally, the total dues outlay (from local unit to something/somewhere outside local unit) averages over $4 per member.
2. Lest one think the PTA dues covers all training, PTA also charges for its trainings and conventions. The entrance fee for the National PTA convention last year was somewhere well over $100 per person.
Again -- some feel this is a good deal. Others don't. But let's not fudge.
