PTO Today

We’ve seen this before, but the issues have really come to a head in this Connecticut town election.

PTO Council sponsoring a candidate’s forum (perfectly OK, by the way), but all Republican candidates boycotting it because the PTO president had a recent letter to the editor in favor of the Democrats.  Her biggest mistake — she signed that letter with her PTO title included. 

The real trick: will Republican parents now hesitate to join the local PTO?  Hope not, but I imagine they’re facing a real involvement challenge in that town right now.  What a good lesson in why we have to be so careful about mixing politics and PTO work.  The two can often be at odds, whether it’s an issue campaign (”support the tax levy for our schools”) or a personal campaign like this one.

Man, the fur is really flying in Utah over a high-profile effort to bring school vouchers to the state.  From the looks of it, the pros and the cons are running an ad and PR and consultants war ahead of a big upcoming vote.   Lots of passion on both sides.

But my point in covering it here at PTO Today is to take a look at what can happen when politics gets wrapped together with parent group work.  This current Utah story looks at a state PTA official opining that voucher proponents are doing Satan’s work. The proponents are, let’s just say, displeased with this assessment.

And here’s where the trouble comes in, in my opinion, if you’re a local PTA in Utah.  There are bound to be many voucher proponents in your school.  Are those parents going to be happy joining your organization, especially if vouchers are a passionate issue for them.  (more…)

This messy story just goes on and on, it seems.  You may recall that the Prince George’s County (MD) county PTA was disbanded by the Maryland state PTA last spring. County officers (a new slate had been elected just weeks earlier) were less than pleased.  So, the update today is the the state and national PTA have appointed seven “team members” to help local PTAs, though the county complaints contiue.

Doesn’t this all just seem like a whole lot of hubbub about stuff that’s a long, long way from the typical parent group’s goals and experience (and needs)? Or is that just me? Worth noting that the PTA’s in this County send roughly $32,000 per year out to state and national PTA.

So I was interviewed for this embezzle story from an Arkansas paper. Reporter did a good job of capturing most of the basics (PTA dues structure, PTA membership decline), but missed one really key element of the story. Arkansas state PTA leaders make the really bold claim that being a PTA would have prevented this PTO’s embezzle loss. All I suggested was that reporter do a google search on “PTA + Embezzle” and another on “PTO + Embezzle” The clear conclusion: embezzlement is an equal opportunity challenge for parent groups. No doubt. Related link: All of these stories make it more clear than ever that your PTO should get insurance.

Now it’s the Dallas PTA council that has its charter revoked by state PTA. Similar story in Maryland this past spring. Bureaucracy is a lovely thing.

Ouch. Boston Herald opinion piece pulls no punches in questioning the effectiveness and political role of Massachusetts (and national) PTA.

St. Louis paper uses occasion of this year’s national PTA convention in that town to take detailed look at severe PTA membership drop over past decades.

Maryland state PTA shuts down a regional affiliate, over objections of local community leaders.

Detailed feature from Dallas looks at declining membership numbers for Texas state PTA and PTA overall. One quibble: declining PTA numbers often do not equate to declining parent involvement. If state PTA loses 250 members because a unit goes PTO, that doesn’t mean parent involvement is down; it means that PTA membership difference. Subtle but key difference. Want to talk about PTo v PTA — check out our message board on the issue.

Local PTO president on Long Island, NY makes an impassioned case in her local paper about the merits of her quite large parent group.