MetzyMom,

Definitely a compliment on taking the time to be aware of what is going on, not just at your school but at a national level. Many parents don't.

I also compliment you on your efforts, apparently very successful, at keeping your membership informed. That has been one of my personal goals and pet projects, and to do so, we send out printed newsletters, weekly email newsletters, school announcements, posters in the halls, and occasionally printed flyers that we send home with the students (though that doesn't work so well in high school). Still, a large number of our parents remain "in the dark".

So, if you have tips that help you enlighten your membership, I would love it if you'd share.

JanV- I hope that that was a compliment...lol...

I have always agreed that all parent groups do good things, regardless of what they are called. My mother was a PTA president for years when I was a kid. That group did wonderful things for our very poor school. I think PTA does wonderful things for schools separately and collectively. I also think that every group has to decide for itself what to do as a parent group, whether being a PTA or a PTO. I know that this PTA v PTO thing gets out of hand when the tempers flare, but I really do admire both types of groups as they both have childrens interests at heart. Michelle is correct that I misunderstood, not all but part, of what she was saying and part, but not all, of what she meant. I think our group is informed, but when I think about it, I think that may be because I keep them informed. Truthfully, I'm not sure that they wouldn't be clueless about this topic if I didn't know... well, you know what I mean...lol...

MetzyMom, I think you are a rare jewel. I have been involved with PTA/PTSA for 9 years, and it is my experience that the average member has no earthly idea of what it is all about, much less what types of things the State and National PTAs are involved in, despite our best efforts to inform them. In fact, a very high percentage don't even realize what their own PTA/PTSA is doing at their child's school. I offer as proof of this the NUMEROUS times I have heard the following comments: "I can't join PTA because I work during the day," and "How much do PTA Board members get paid?"

Furthermore, I always have to be sure my husband is in the audience at PTA meetings with instructions to please step up to the plate if no one is forthcoming when we need a motion to approve a budget or to move along some PTA business. Even the parents who attend the meetings don't seem to want to "get involved" enough to do that much. In fact, they wouldn't even show up for the meetings if we didn't set them up just preceding a school event in which their children are participating (sort of like holding the performance hostage until the PTA business is complete).

My point is that while some groups may switch from PTAs to PTOs because they have become disenfranchised with the National PTA's political efforts, I think the majority do so for more local control over the group and in order to avoid sending so much money in dues out of the school. (In my area, the schools themselves and various extracurricular groups do so much fund-raising that PTAs/PTOs have a very difficult time raising money.)

Besides, while the National and State PTA stances on certain political issues may rub some members the wrong way (say, school vouchers, for example), it would be difficult not to agree with some of the PTA's political stances since their mission is to try to do good things for children and education.

And, if you do disagree with something specific for which the National or State PTA is lobbying, it is your right and obligation as a member to make your voice heard. Write them and be sure your group is represented during votes. As a non-profit organization, the PTA MUST be responsive to the wishes of its membership as a whole.

Of course, if you disagree strongly with something the PTA supports or with a majority of its tenets, then it becomes time to disassociate from the PTA.

Either way, PTA or PTO, the overall goal is the same. I think all groups that work so hard to help children and schools, in whatever way they are able, are to be commended.

Our PTA went throught the PTA vs PTO thing this spring. The superintendent is pro-PTA because of the national exposure. At the meeting, our president let everyone know this and also used the angle that why do we need to reinvent the wheel. PTA supplies by-laws, offer help with legalities, etc. The vote was something like 10 to 3 to stay PTA.
For the people talking PTO it was strictly a financial thing, but the $80 or so dollars don't make a huge dent in our budget.
In our first newsletter of the year, sent home during the first week, I put in info about PTA, like a did you know? I included that PTA is the nation's largest non-profit lobbyist for children's issues and that the PTA was instrumental in getting kindergarten started and the hot lunch program.
I think most folks realize from that info that there is a political agenda, and it's up to them to seek further info, whether from our board or from the organization itself.

Metzy, I think you misunderstood (and probably because I didn't elaborate as well as I could)

The leveled readers, the playground equipment, a computer lab or whatever are needed by our schools. The parent group can pay for as much as they can raise, or the BOE, our federal and local tax dollars can be used in a way that the parent group can do something else to enhance education instead of worrying about buying something that should already be bought with the funds that we pay in mandatory taxes.

A PTA, state or national, uses part of the dues to fund materials (like postcards for our legislators asking for $.05 of every tax dollar for education funding-preprinted for the members to send out) or a lobbyist (in Nevada our lobbyist is unpaid but our legislature is a good distance from where she travels and she does get reimbursed mileage) to be on the legislative floor to argue that a cut to our education budget is unacceptable and that we already have groups fundraising for necessary items.
That $1250 can provide a temporary fix for needed items by buying it this time or it can fund the ability to make certain that a parent group never has to buy them again. That's the difference and most members that take issue hear about the "politics" (if that is the issue), that are maybe 1 that they disagree with out of 250 that they do agree with. Usually it's the money though that they see that they immediately need, not realizing that the alternative is a future possibility of never having to do it again.

Michelle, you know I love you but...

I think that it is a lot of both. I think you are underestimating the intellegence of the average parent with the following statement:

For the most part, these parents have no idea what is happening behind the scenes at state and national and not even realizing that their individual few dollars are funding programs, resources and yes, even political activity regarding children.

I also think that the money answer can be found in one of your lines:

Even using your average of 250 members at $5 a member,(a little high for my state but we'll go with it) $1250 looks like a large amount of money but when you consider that it will buy 4 sets of leveled readers or that it's only 7% of what would be needed to fund a $20,000 playground

When I was a member of PTA back in Nevada, I don't remember PTA buying us those much needed books or funding our playground even by 7%. I do remember sending in my money and never hearing from anyone again... and finding out that my $5 helped fund PTA paychecks and political agendas... even if it was just a small percentage...

I love you but I definately knew what was going on... That doesn't mean I think the PTA isn't a good thing. It is. We just needed those 4 sets of readers more than we needed to fund politics that we had no say in...