Entire 16-school district in California makes the switch from PTA to PTO. Stated reason: groups didn’t want to keep sending $3.75 of each $5 membership to Sacramento and Chicago. The savings: likely in the range of $12,000-$15,000 per year.
Well-researched and well-balanced piece on the trend toward PTOs from the Sacramento Bee. (Note: free registration may be required.) Writer and many PTA leaders still use the 6 million PTA member number. Actual count is down now to 5.5 million (which includes many, many parents with kids in multiple schools double or triple counted) or so. Presents facts on both sides. Good read.
Today’s Wall Street Journal (page W13) has a feature-length opinion piece taking PTA to task. PTOs and PTO Today mentioned prominently toward end of article. Read the full text here. And there’s a discussion re: the article here.
Interesting dust-up in Massachusetts. Boston Globe covers fight between Governor and Mass. PTA. Good story, but misses the key question: why the heck is the Mass. PTA responsible for this nomination? Classic case of a politico assuming that PTA = all parent groups, when in reality Massachusetts PTA represents less than 5% of Mass parent-teacher groups. Love idea of a parent requirement on the state Board of Ed., but i can think of 10 better options for how to choose that parent. Troubling, too: state PTA president says PTA’s nominee has to agree to support all national PTA positions. Absurd, considering that Massachusetts has close to zero voice with National PTA (less than one-third of one percent of national membership). Will follow…
 Tim Sullivan |
 Kathryn Lagden |
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