by Linda Hodge
2/8/05 -- There is no substitute for parents being involved in their own children’s education. And, when it comes to getting parents involved, there is no substitute for the PTA.
I know this firsthand, as a school board member and as a PTA member for more than 20 years. There is a decision that school board members can be part of that ultimately affects the lives of the children in your school district, in your state, and across the nation. This decision -- to have a PTA -- gives your parents, your schools, and your community the edge in ensuring children have the best education experience possible.
Most schools have a parent group of one kind or another, but not all parent groups are the same. We need to ensure that parent involvement is valued, not cheapened by dot-coms and businesses wielding their advertisers’ wares. A parent group doesn’t come in a box, nor should a parent group’s role be limited to fund raising, event planning, or bake sales.
For school boards to work most effectively on behalf of children, they should have a strong working partnership with parents. Nowhere is a partnership more urgently needed than between school boards and parents.
School boards can do a better job when an informed and involved parent community supports them. PTA volunteers are better informed, better supported, and better connected to effect greater change in the classroom, at the school board meeting, and in the community.
Frank DeLuca, superintendent of the Pawling (N.Y.) Central School District, told the Pawling News Chronicle in January: “Without that parental support, without that encouragement from the parents at home, the job of the schools becomes that much more difficult, if not impossible. We want the parents involved. Look at the magnificent job our PTA does, supporting our children and augmenting the efforts of our staff and the resources of our budget.”
As school board members, we have the responsibility to identify and meet the community’s education needs. It can certainly be difficult to get local taxpayers and community members to understand the real issues facing education today, especially in a country where less than 25 percent of households have children in school. This is where the PTA becomes an ally.
PTAs have the most effective means to rally constructive action. Volunteer members are provided training and perspective to support and challenge public perceptions of education issues.
They have the support of a solid foundation and a body of knowledge built from more than 100 years of experience in health, safety, education, and parenting arenas. They have access to the most current resources and experts who provide parent involvement programs, resources, training, and campaigns for the benefit of children’s education.
The PTA has the experience and foundation of 6 million volunteer members. For more than a century, there has always been a value to being a PTA volunteer. Decade after decade, volunteers have had access to skill development to help them become better parents, resources to help their children succeed academically, learning tools to improve communication with teachers, training to speak out about public school needs, and support to keep the school campus and neighborhood safe.
PTA parents are trained to effect change for their own children, as well as other children. For example, a handful of parents with special needs children in the South River, N.J., school district were finding that their individual efforts to advocate for their children were inadequate compared to what they could accomplish as a group.
So the parents made the decision to organize a PTA committed to the needs of children in the district’s special education programs. Today, the South River Special Education PTA serves 258 special education students and their families. It provides everything from a directory of New Jersey public and private agencies that support families with special-needs children to information on the No Child Left Behind Act.
From coast to coast, local PTA volunteers are making sure their children’s school has what it needs; that such concerns as bullying, childhood obesity, nutrition, and school safety are addressed; and that parent involvement is encouraged and valued.
The PTA gives parents an important way to connect with other parents, their children’s school, teachers, administrators, and the school board, as well as have an educated voice on important issues that affect their children.
Mark Kempf from James Walker Elementary School’s PTA in Blue Springs, Mo., says it best: “In a day and age where it seems that the individual has very little impact on ‘the big picture,’ working with the PTA proves just the opposite. While working with the PTA, you get a genuine feeling that you are indeed having an impact on ‘the big picture’; that you are actually making a difference in the lives of children.”
According to Kempf: “It is the responsibility of each of us as parents to look after the well-being of our children. It is the responsibility of each of us as a society to look after the well-being of all children. PTA has proven to be the perfect vehicle for this.”
Not all problems can be solved in the local community. That’s why PTAs, as part of state and nationwide associations, continue to extend their influence beyond the neighborhood and help to secure state and national action for children’s benefit and well-being.
When a school community supports the decision to have parents organized as a PTA, it translates into better-informed and engaged parents, a more supportive learning environment for students, and a better reputation for the school and community.
Our children are affected by decisions and events that take place beyond city limits and state borders. Our children need parents, schools, and communities to have a broader view of issues that have an impact on the school community. Linda Hodge is president of the National PTA and is a member of the Colchester, Conn., school board.