Just the same, for a group that claims to be "for the kids" I am amazed at the PTA bashing here. And not just from Rockne, but from posters who seem to have an axe to grind. It's astonishing and I think part of what turns people off from joining ANY parent group.

Thanks Monty...it really should be about keeping PARENTS involved in their child's education.

That said, I think it is important that parents are heard in Washington on such matters as funding of IDEA, recess, school lunch, and the parent involvement portion of NCLB!
Thanks PTA

I don't usually post in this section, but I do have to say, PTOs are not just about "channeling your efforts to your school" but about not supporting some major group's political and financial agenda, that you may not even realize is what you are doing.
I really felt like the local PTA wasn't supportive but was pushing their national agenda. So yes, I would rather channel my efforts directly to my school through PTO, my neighboorhood through my NIA, and my political agenda by voting. Not by paying dues to some national group that is "supposed to" help support our group and my school. That is in no way PTA bashing, just my honest and hard learned opinion. I do hope everyone is able to enjoy and use this site without being sidetracked by acronyms.

Full Disclosure: I am a PTA member but came to this baord because I'd heard it was a good resource for ideas (and the homepage says it's for all parents, regardless of acronym).

From the PTA's website, "Even if you're not a member, PTA still works for your child." That's good. So if I want to take an active role in helping the PTA work for all children, I join PTA. If I want to channel my energy and my dollar at the 600 students in my child's school, then I join our independent parent group. It's a win/win in my book: my money is helping my school while someone else's money is helping all kids, including mine.

And there's the difference, I guess. If you only care about YOUR kids and YOUR school, then I guess PTO is your thing. If you think ALL kids deserve a quality education, then maybe PTA is your thing.

Just the same, for a group that claims to be "for the kids" I am amazed at the PTA bashing here. And not just from Rockne, but from posters who seem to have an axe to grind. It's astonishing and I think part of what turns people off from joining ANY parent group.

From the PTA's website, "Even if you're not a member, PTA still works for your child." That's good. So if I want to take an active role in helping the PTA work for all children, I join PTA. If I want to channel my energy and my dollar at the 600 students in my child's school, then I join our independent parent group. It's a win/win in my book: my money is helping my school while someone else's money is helping all kids, including mine.

Hi Monty --

It seems like splitting hairs, but there are some pretty essential differences that really make it apples and oranges.

Everyone who joins a local of the UAW, for example, knows they're joining a union. And they know (or at least the vast majority of them know) that the UAW is a powerful national union. Heck, that's *why* they join.

And to take a more similar analogy to the PTA (a cause-based nonprofit, as opposed to a union), take the NRA or the AARP. Folks join those groups individually. When AARP or NRA claims to speak for its members, then at least it's true that the vast majority of those members understood they were joining a national organization. In fact, they wrote checks to that organization. And many/most of those members (virtually all in the NRA's case) actually joined largely *because* of the political activism.

With PTA, though, the vast, vast majority of its 5+ million members haven't the foggiest idea that they've joined anything except the "parent group" at their kids' school. Heck, lots of PTO members say they're "going to the PTA meeting tonight." The name has been Kleenexed. If the local group said: "we speak for the 260 members of the XYZ PTA", that would be akin to the AARP or NRA analogy.

Maybe the PTA should start requiring that membership campaigns at the local level be done as "please join the National PTA" with checks made out to "National PTA". Then all the members would have amuch more clear understanding of things. They've actually done that with what is called the "national unit" (free plug -- www.pta.org/jp_national_unit.html). And states are doing that, too. I think there are about 100 members of that right now.

I suppose I've bashed PTA before, but in this case I'm not bashing. I think the cause is good. And I certainly think the people leading the efforts have their hearts and intentions in the right place. I just think there's a disconnect with how the PTA gets virtually all of its members and any claim to be "the voice" of them.

Tim

Originally posted by Rockne:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by &lt;All 4 the kids&gt;:
Well isn't it true that the vast majority of those parents join the group in their school too!
The vast majority are not making a choice between PTA and PTO, just joining at their child's school.
And many PTO etc. parents do not even know that they are not part of PTA! And I do know this from many, many discussions I have had with parents.

And I see many requests on this board for info on the National PTO, of which there is none.

Yes, absolutely. It goes both ways. Vast majority of parents don't give a hoot about this issue or the "sausage-making" we're talking about here. PTO parents know exactly as much about the "parent group world ouside their school's walls" as PTA parents do.

Difference is, though, that no one on the PTO side is claiming to be the voice of 18 million parents.

It's that 6 million claim that doesn't hold water. PTA has many services that are valuable and has very laudable goals. But if it's the "voice" of all these parents, then one would assume those 6 million parents have some clue they're part of this larger thing. Most don't have that clue, which makes the claim sketchy at best.

Tim </font>[/QUOTE]First post, though I've been lurking for a while.

But that's really splitting hairs. If parents join at their local unit then they are members of the national organization, regardless of their involvement. PTA can still rightfully and legitmately claim to represent their members. If I join the UAW but never attend a meeting, they still represent me as a member.
And I'm always surprised at the level of PTA bashing on this board, which I never see on PTA's boards.