Sarah Palin, PTA and Politics
September 5th, 2008 by tsullivanNot since Barbara Eden was traipsing around Harper Valley have parent group volunteers had this kind of attention. You can’t turn on the TV or read the paper without reading about how this PTA mom has ascended to the national stage. Cool, right?
I ‘m hopeful that the attention leads to even more school involvement. Now there’s a platform we all can get behind!
I do have a quibble, though, or at least something to keep an eye on. While no one is making the case that PTA or PTO leadership is akin to national and international standing, it should be equally clear that volunteering (and leading volunteers) shouldn’t be any kind of a blackmark either. I can’t give you an exact link (if you have one, send it through), but several of the commentaries I’ve seen contain a subtle condescension toward Palin’s school volunteer work, as if no one of real substance would have done that job. That’s equally unfair and says more about the speaker than it does school volunteers.
Finally, one interesting link. Found this memo from/to national PTA leadership re: what to say about Governor Palin.
Will be interesting to see if Palin’s school work/school beginnings stay in the spotlight or if — as I suspect — that element of her biography will fall more into the background as the election nears.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I haven’t seen anyone criticize her PTA volunteer work. I did see her and Rudy Guiliani sneer at Obama’s work as a community organizer. Not a volunteer position, but — take it from someone who has held this type of job — financially not far from it.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:25 am
And having read the link you posted, it is clear that the advise is that PTA spokespeople cannot endorse any candidate, according to the organization’s bylaws and the rules of nonprofit corporations. The letter clearly says, “We can only wish her luck but as an organization we are restricted in what we can do.”
I don’t think they should be “leading the Palin cheers.” Do you?
September 7th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Quick response to both. I think it’s a good discussion.
Agree that there is a good analogy to the “community organizer” stuff with Obama. It’s OK, in my opinion, to question whether community organizing or PTAing is good preparation for dealing with Putin and Russia, but inappropriate, unfair, and harmful to start trashing those roles outright. Both are valuable and worthy of praise.
On the PTA memo, I hear you and did read the reference to nonprofit rules, but I guess I’d just say I’m skeptical. I don’t think it’s accurate to say that all PTA can say is: “yes, she was a PTA volunteer. Period.” Can’t say: “vote for Sarah”. But can say a lot more, if they wanted, than what they are saying.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:09 am
Allison — Just saw your last question. No, I don’t think that the national PTA should be leading the “elect Palin” cheers. But I do think a general: “Congratulations to former PTA volunteer Sarah Palin on her nomination to the second highest office in the land” would be more than appropriate.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
what is the PTOtoday’s official stand on the candidates. Does PTO today have restrictions on endorsing specific candidates?
September 8th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
PTO Today’s official stand? We don’t have an official stand. PTO Today doesn’t advocate or lobby for or against any candidates. I’m not even sure if we’re technically restricted from endorsing specific candidates; we just don’t do it. Additionally, we really don’t advocate one or another on any political issues, though we aren’t shy about speaking up about the importance of parent involvement in schools.
September 12th, 2008 at 2:00 am
501s cannot endorse candidates, but I agree that a ’salute’ kind of release would have been OK.
If you spend anytime on the blogs, you will see that being a ‘PTA mom’ is being derided. What a shame.
She did not compare being a community organizer to the PTA- she compared it to being a mayor. She also didn’t say that’s what qualified her.
She was making the point that when you are involved (PTA/PTO), you get to know other families.
“I had the privilege of living most of my life in a small town. I was just your average hockey mom, and signed up for the PTA,” Palin said before being interrupted by a protester.
She completed her comment about the PTA saying, “I signed up for the PTA because I wanted to make my kids’ public education better,” she said, speaking of her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, with a population of about 6,500.
“When I ran for City Council, I didn’t need focus groups and voter profiles because I knew those voters, and knew their families, too.”
Politico has an article about this, but most of the people refused to speak to them. They only found a few years in the state PTA (paper) records. Not sure how much of that is acurate though, nor does it say if she chaired committees.
September 14th, 2008 at 12:48 am
My understanding is that Sarah Palin was in the PTA before she ran for city council. If she was a member of the city council in 1992 Track would have been 3 years old. Why was she in the PTA if her eldest child was only 3?
September 14th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
PTA membership is open to anyone, and it’s not unusual at all for a politician, especially, to join the local PTA. You’ll find many mayor and city council types with memberships in all of the Elks, the Rotary, the Lions and other civic organizations.
September 14th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
I think it is great that anybody whose eldest child isn’t ‘in’ school yet would join the PTO. Our school serves 2 pre-school classes, I hope to recrute those parents, and Grandparents. So many of our children don’t have Grandparents to look up to and I can attest to the fact that when I get our Seniors to come in…those kids love it!! Many of our Seniors don’t get to see their own Grand kids or don’t have any of their own, and being @ school with our students makes their whole week better. I have had many say Thank You over and over, but the Thanks comes from both their faces and our students. I go to the Senior Center and set up schedules and it can bring tears to your eyes when they all or most of them, want to come ASAP!!
Thank You,
October 14th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
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