Some choose to write to the papers but more accurately, we are contacting our elected officials. Sure, it's important to find out what the PTA is lobbying for. Our positions start small, for example, in the local unit Yucca Mt, the nuclear waste repository in Nevada was put to a vote to each unit, do you support this action? The vote from each local unit goes to each state where it again, goes to a vote from each state based on the units results. The majority of members decide, what we stand for. You as a member have a voice in the decisions National makes. They don't just make them without you so yes, you have a voice.
In a perfect world, you know what decisions are being made for your children and then you can contact or make your voice heard through a vote and they'll seriously listen. But what about the representative who believes in everything you do, except schools? Do you vote him/her out even though you agree with 90% of what they say?
I can't tell you how many times I have sat beside a representative and they have just deleted their e-mails, without even reading them. If you went to your legislature alone and voiced your opinion, how much weight would it carry? What about a group of 100 people all saying the same thing? It isn't about writing letters to newspapers, it's getting in the faces of the politicians and telling them, do this for our children.
Do you always know what is happening at the state and national levels of government? Do you know that a bill for DC, which is not education related, has a portion attached that would allow vouchers for private schools-in other words public funds paying for private schools? (Vouchers have been fought for over 50 years because it takes money from an already underfunded public education system) Have you ever sat and looked at all the bills being proposed just for your state alone? How do you know which ones affect your children? Do you sit and read over 100 bills just to find the one that matters to you. If the news doesn't pick up on it, how do you know if you don't approve or appreciate what they've done.
We do that, someone goes through the bills and find out which ones propose funding cuts, vouchers, etc.
As for whether or not you agree with the stance, you can see the resolutions in your handbooks, and on the national website. Would you really have a problem with being against underage smoking? Tobacco settlement money being used for education? Seatbelts on school buses? The stands are only how they relate to children. We don't endorse any politicians.
Cathie is right, it is great that we all have our opinions but you wanted to know, what does PTA do that PTO doesn't. It's not an opinion, it's fact. This is largely what we do.

Janis . . . if you would like an opinion I'll give you mine. I believe that my voice is heard through my vote. I vote my conscious and I fight passionately for what I believe in. If an elected official does something that I do not agree with - it is MY responsibility to let them know that I don't approve or appreciate what they have done. I do not think that my paying dues to an organization makes as much difference as those lone voices crying in the wilderness . . . or more accurately - emailing, writing, phoning, writing letters to the editor of papers, etc. - when those lone voices do not stand alone but when many speak their minds.

If that sounds PTA to you, I am not going that direction at all. I think dues are better spent on your own school than sending them to a lobbying group. Are you sure that you personally agree with what the PTA is lobbying for? Does the board of your PTA always agree with what PTA national is lobbying for? When your dues go to PTA national I think you loose more voice than you gain. If you agree with what they are saying - you would have said it anyway. If you disagree, then you are fighting twice as hard, against the "political machine" as well as against the PTA whom you have funded.

Now - one of the other great principles of our country is freedom of choice. Lest anyone think I am PTA bashing, nothing can be further from the truth. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own passions - GOD BLESS AMERICA for that. I respect groups who are PTA - and I have and will continue to learn from many of them. My decision is to be PTO and the fact that PTA'ers respect that makes it all a wonderful world to live in.

ALWAYS, always for the kids!

Cathie

PottsvilleMom-
I spent the better part of last year, when I wasn't working or doing something at the school, at our state legislature. Like other states, we were facing a budget shortfall and as you may know, in Nevada, we had no budget at the beginning of the fiscal year. I was on e-mail, every day with one assemblyperson or another. We got phone calls in the early parts of the morning from someone at state or local that we had to hurry and get down there. We were the only group there that was lobbying for our children's education. Members from all over the state, some driving over 300 miles converged on the Capital building, more than once. I have three e-mails in my mailbox right now from our State's senators, one regarding vouchers, two regarding Federal funds in the amount of .05 of every dollar to be spent on education(it's currently around .02). We have been alerted and acted on bills that were proposed or attached that affect all our children and within a matter of hours have a majority of our members on the phone, on e-mail or doing it the old fashioned way, writing. Several thousand PTA members bombarding our elected officials for my child, your child, the nations' children. I'd say we spend far more time on that then we do here.
I don't think for one minute that I am lobbying you to become a PTA. You are probably just as passionate about PTO as I am at PTA, but perhaps you can learn something from me, and I from you.

I just hope that the PTA spends as much time lobbying for children as you guys have lobbying for us to become PTA's.

Janis- As Tim has stated before, there are people in PTO that do things, but not as a group. I can say that you can see what PTA has accomplished since 1897 as advocates. School lunches, resolutions calling for Physical Education in schools, 1899-father's involvement,1900 legislation suggested for child labor laws, flouridation of community water supplies(1952) see www.pta.org/aboutpta/history/mile1890.asp
I don't know if your question was for me or for others who don't see the benefits. But if anyone wants to know what we as an organized political entity have done, it's in the history books.

[ 09-03-2003, 06:48 PM: Message edited by: Michelle B ]

Our elementary school is discussing the benefits of becoming a PTO vs PTA which we currently are. I think it's important that the PTA has people out there on a state and national level trying to enact laws and protect laws that benefit our children. They also have a voice in the government in trying to better education for our children. Does the PTO network do anything like the PTA on a state and national level? What would happen if the PTA was no longer and entity and there was'nt a voice for our children on the state levels and in Washington DC? I'm wondering if the dues we pay to PTA really are important.