No you don't have to be a PTA, it's for all schools but it is a good representation of dues dollars from PTA members at work. Perhaps if you don't want to be a PTA you can help support the efforts by joining a community PTA....
In addition to supporting it in that direction, you can also do much at the local level as PTOs. But someone will need to organize your groups.
You can do A LOT as a PTO. Galvinize your PTO members and the rest in your community and attend a board of education meeting. Put this topic on the agenda ahead of time and have speakers and perhaps a petition on why you think this is important. There are statistics out there you can find with just a bit of research that will lend credibility to your arguement and then present a program where recess is phased back in. Perhaps consider offering recess volunteers to assist in the integration so that the teachers are relieved of the requirement and can get the extra time for themselves at first. I agree recess is important...and you and you PTO leaders should fight for it. I suspect with a little organization, you will have a lot of success at the grass roots level affecting YOUR board's decisions....
Please advise:
This is a program that the PTA and Cartoon Network are working on together. Has anyone heard of it? What do you think? Do you think that the National PTA would work with other parent groups or would there be a push to join the PTA?
We are a PTO and have NO plans to change to a PTA, but this is something that all kids could benefit from. In our county we have 20+ elementary schools, and only one has a PTA, all others are PTOs. Currently, our school distric does not have recess, we have 2 classes of P.E. a week and that is only because of state mandates. In years past, the children only had P.E. one day a week. I feel that our children need to be children, and recess is an important part of their education. There is talk about lengthening the school year to concentrate on core courses.
I realise that we could take this up on our own, but would it have as much voice alone as it would with the national group?
