What the PTA is Now
To survive and thrive in the next century, the PTA must do an about-face and revert back to its educational purpose. In this new role, the PTA would become the major resource for accurate, impartial materials to help parents understand what is happening in their own children's learning environment and in education generally. In time, the PTA could be a trusted resource for the public, for policymakers, and for teachers.
As it operates now, PTA's ineffectiveness can be attributed to several inter-related problems:
PTA's Course
At its centennial celebration kickoff last month, PTA leaders revealed their goals for the next century: shed the bake sale image, step up lobbying efforts to become serious players in policy making efforts, enlarge the membership, collaborate with businesses, other organizations and government to make a greater impact, and oh yes, help train parents. Clearly, most of these objectives are intended to enhance the position and prestige of PTA's national leaders.
What Works
It should come as no surprise that greater family involvement in children's learning is a critical link to achieving a high-quality education. In fact, the formula is quite simple: Families must take a more active role in their children's learning. All of these can be accomplished at home - without the PTA: Read together. Use TV wisely. Establish a daily family routine. Schedule daily homework times. Monitor out-of-school activities. Talk with children and teenagers. Communicate positive values and character traits, such as respect, hard work and responsibility. Express high expectations and offer praise and encouragement for achievement.
What PTA Should Do
To be effective for parents - and ultimately for children - the PTA should: Abandon its intent to become yet another group lobbying for government programs and increased government funding. Drop its union-like unified membership structure. Replace the practice of fundraising activities which are now all too often a diversion to more meaningful discussions and activities. End the practice of taking sides on issues which then eliminate parental debate. Instead, PTA should strive to become the most prestigious, unbiased, educational resource center in America by greatly expanding its role as a non-profit, charitable and educational organization.
To accomplish this, PTA should support original research on issues of concern to parents. Where unbiased information already exists, PTA should translate that into parent-friendly publications useful for their use.
Most parents are concerned about what's happening in the schools. Many don't know what's being taught or how their children learn. And they don't understand how to relate to teachers and school systems. Often parents are intimidated by the system and don't know what to do. When so many others are obviously in charge of making decisions, there seems to be little left for parents to decide. Furthermore, parents feel intimidated by their unequal role.
That inequality gap can be closed by accurate information and open discussions. Both are essential to eliminating some of the barriers that now exist for parents, between parents and teachers, and between the school and the community.
As a national resource center, the PTA could insure its productive role into the next century; as it operates now, it is merely an adjunct of the NEA.
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