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dmauser
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Posted: Oct 18th, 2006 04:29 pm |
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Kris and Steve,
all good points, and I know that I spend hours and hours lobbying and volunteering to make education better for our kids, but as long as we live in an area that has a)low poverty and b) high scores we will not be getting anything other than the bare basics for our school. For instance at our middle school, we were predicted to lose 150 kids to Northern Middle (we did) however we grew by 70 kids just with regular growth. Do you think we got more money for those 70? Not yet, but I am still trying. I have asked many times for mass emails to be sent to the board of ed., state senators etc and that ticks them off so now I work quieter and hopefully smarter.
I could write pages on this, and I know that the PTA should be more political, and I try but truthfully most parents only care about their school and their kids, not the education of the nation and the National PTA focus on the whole, of which we are a small part. With that in mind I have decided to focus my energy on our area and try to help our schools as much as possible-- and unfortuantely that usually means enhancement of our education and educational supplies (i.e. money)
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 01:07 pm |
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Deborah,
I know this is a "thinking outside of the box" kind of idea (changing the focus of local PTAs). It would require parents to get involved in other ways (lobbying, attending school board meetings,etc) instead of just by financial support. It would be a radical change of thinking and I don't know that it would even work but it's something to think about...
Do you think that our low poverty/high score/involved PTAs with ability to fund needs not being met by the school system is sort of a Catch 22 situation? I wonder what would happen if PTAs stopped raising funds and paying for the shortfalls of the school system?
I know there are good folks like you who regularly attend school board meetings and lobby our elected officials. Thank you! I just wonder if an organized, consistent effort by even more parents would be more effective?
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dmauser
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 01:19 pm |
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Kriss,
Undoubtedly more involvement in the political venue would make a difference-however I have found that with the juggling that parents do with school, work, sports, music etc., going to the school board meetings are the last priority. It is easy to email and they rarely do that.
I would love to brainstorm and figure out how to get people to see the importance but I haven't been successful doing that.
As far as the PTA goes, we could quit raising money, but the only people that will hurt is our kids. It would take years for the county to notice and by then the kids would have done without for years. The true needs that we as parents can't help, overcrowding in the buildings, too many students per class, etc. So if we can take away the stress of not having products to teach with, the funds that the school has can be utilized in the best possible way. But with all of these problems, we are more fortunate than most. We have great teachers, fabulous parents, low drug problems, lower violence, positive learning environment.
I see it as a vicious cycle and I don't know how to change it!
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Vicki White-Lawrence
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 01:36 pm |
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Debora/Kris,
I agree with both of you.... It would be great if we could figure out how to convince parents to be more involved on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, we've seen folks turn out for specific causes (more teacher assistants, for example) but then they aren't visible again until the next big issue.
I'm sure that if we could figure out how to get people to be more involved on an ongoing basis, we could all be rich (or at least famous) by teaching other PTAs throughout the country how to do it!
The reality is that, until there is an issue that personally touches them, most parents are content to let someone else monitor what is going on by attending meetings or even watching them on TV or reading about them. This is also true in the local schools. How much attention to most parents even pay to who is on the PTA Board, or what the Board is responsible for, when they meet, etc until something happens that they don't like?
Perhaps PTAs in the Northwest area could hold some kind of summit about the direction PTAs SHOULD be going in? To focus on what the true mission and purpose of PTA is? I'm sure we could get support from some folks within the County Council of PTAs and NCPTA (Mildred Poole quickly comes to mind) because they are always reminding leaders that PTA is NOT supposed to be about raising money. Our main goal is advocacy, but how many of us have struggled through the years to even get someone to agree to chair an ADVOCACY committee?
And, as Debora said, if we don't raise the money, then our kids suffer. There would be some parents who would contribute for their child's class, but that doesn't benefit the entire school, as concerted efforts by our PTAs do.
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Kris McNeill
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 02:28 pm |
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Debora, I'm sorry I misspelled your name up there!!
I know you and Vicki both speak the truth from experience! It would be almost impossible to stop PTA fundraising and cause student programs to suffer because of it. I just wish that the school system could somehow be held responsible for funding the wonderful programs and initiatives that PTAs are funding now.
Vicki, a PTA "summit" is a really great idea! I know you have advocated before for a concerted effort by the northwest area in lobbying the school board....
I will have to admit that I really just brought this up as "food for thought". Like I said, it's all a radical idea. My youngest child graduates this year and I find myself thinking differently about the school system, PTA,etc now that I soon won't have a "vested interest" in it all. (Except that I do hope I'll have grandchildren in northwest area schools one day!) I have always supported the school bond referendums but I don't think I will be supporting another one after watching years of mismanagement go on.
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Vicki White-Lawrence
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Posted: Oct 20th, 2006 03:06 pm |
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Kris,
I'm glad you have brought up these issues recently. We need to look at what we are doing and why every now and then. If no one challenges the status quo, nothing changes. You've raised some valid points and generated some good thoughts and conversation. Thanks!
I do think a summit would be a great idea and hope we can work toward making that happen. Even if we only get a few folks to show up at first, that would be a start.
Keep those "radical ideas" coming, Kris! Some folks are the ones who generate the ideas, and others are the ones who do the work to make it happen.
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DToney
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Posted: Oct 22nd, 2006 12:11 am |
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one thing that Lex, SC school district 5 did was break away from the "PTA" due to the cost involved with the affiliation. They had a "PTSO" (aka parent, teacher, student organization) key word "organization".... they can be more profitable doing the same things with less cost. I don't know what costs are involved... but that was the explaination we parents were given.... and they include the "student" (talk about radical ideas... & some work!) 
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I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. - Thomas Edison
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macca
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Posted: Oct 22nd, 2006 12:52 am |
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| Middle and high schools here also include students.... hence the name PTSA at those levels. The cost to belong to NCPTA and National is around $3 per member, I think, and is covered by the membership dues. Must point out that folks who are more knowledgeable on this topic are likely not available tonight, since they are chaperoning the homecoming dance for NWHS -- a project sponsored by the PTSA.
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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. Herm Albright
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DToney
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Posted: Oct 22nd, 2006 12:56 am |
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it was great of those in charge of our homecoming dance to have the good sense to move the dance... I bet it will be BUSY anywhere near the coliseum tonight.... & a much older crowd than teens........
sure wish the school board had that forethought... reckon we can get the PTA to counsel the board? 
Last edited on Oct 22nd, 2006 12:58 am by DToney
____________________
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that don't work. - Thomas Edison
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dmauser
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Posted: Oct 22nd, 2006 02:25 am |
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I hope the homecoming is safe and fun for the kids. $2.75 of each membership goes to state and national organization. They do alot of lobbying (I get weekly updates on hot topics, anyone can sign up for those at pta.org)
At NWMS we charge $5 for adults and $4 for kids. With any two memberships you get a free directory. We have sponsors that help defer that cost. PTO's can be a good thing, but most organizations benefit from the leadership of PTA, especially with financial advise. It is important that all funds are handled correctly with no chance of emblezement. You would be shocked at how easy something like stealing money could be if you had shady characters and most importantly no safeguards, like audits etc. I think that is one important benefit of joing PTA instead of having a PTO. Training is a great tool provided by county, state, national PTA.
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