Column: Learning Matters: Sending happy birthday wishes to the Parent Teacher Assn.
As fall is to hunting and April to fishing, February is to the Parent Teacher Assn.
It’s Founders Day month, and in addition to celebrating the 1897 birth of the National Congress of Mothers (now PTA) and Glendale Council PTA’s 108-year history, all our PTAs are in the midst of board nominating season.
They’re looking for volunteers.
A couple of recent observations of anxious or angry groups of parents brought to mind the importance of PTA and its mission, “to positively impact the lives of all children and families … with skills in advocacy, leadership and communication.”
Turning to PTA’s five stated purposes, I was struck especially by the fourth as necessary to the accomplishment of all “to bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.”
Concerned that the battle-prone mood of our times may be making its way into home-school relations, I asked a number of Council PTA past presidents to share the ups and downs of their experiences and why parents should consider saying “yes” if called to volunteer for an office.
Virginia Young, Council president whom I met at my first Founders Day event 30 years ago, was among the first to reply.
“Happy birthday, PTA!” came her cheery voicemail message. Speaking about her 15 years helping schools and parents, she said she “didn’t intend to make it a career, but with eight children, it turned out to be a career for me … [and] every year was so rewarding.”
She said she wouldn’t hesitate to do it all over again.
Lina Harper, school board member for 10 years after her PTA term, sent me via email a long list of benefits to PTA participation, starting with the strong message it sends to children that school is important.
“PTA provides you with … a network to build personal relationships … so you know the families of your child’s friends; … the opportunity to build a working relationship with … the staff, [so] they know who your child is; and ... a more enriching school experience for your child and all the children.”
She added that “PTA is fun,” which reminded me of her two-part PTA theme: “Take time for PTA … and time to smell the roses.”
Lynn Miyamoto, California State PTA’s vice president for family engagement, wrote in an email how she loves the opportunity to remember the founders “who made it possible for all children to receive a public education.”
She credits PTA with helping her make wonderful friendships, become an advocate for the arts and continue her efforts “to be sure all families have a voice at their local schools.”
Monna Johnson, a substitute teacher since completing her term two years ago, said in a phone call that she wants parents to understand that every school is different.
“PTA really helps people understand the culture of the school,” she told me.
She sees the difference between schools that have parent involvement and those that don’t, and she encourages parents to begin helping in small ways to gain familiarity with the school.
Patty Scripter, another past president who has served PTA at the state level — recalled in an email her start in PTA.
“Just like most,” she wrote, “I joined PTA for my kids … but school was intimidating, and I started out not knowing much.”
After a few volunteer jobs, she became unit president “…because no one else would.”
Scripter wrote of the first time she attended the annual gathering for new PTA presidents.
“I was … thinking about book fair chairs, the Halloween carnival and what our fundraisers would be when the Council president, Mary Boger, gave her welcome. She told us we were not just unit presidents but we were child advocates, and I can literally tell you, that moment changed my life.”
Scripter said the mission of PTA still speaks to her.
“I hold firm to the PTA core value that ‘all children are our children’ and am a proud member of the organization that speaks for ‘every child with one voice,’” she said.
Mindful of the challenges of office, particularly in a state ranked 46th in per-pupil funding, Susan Hunt and Sandy Russell acknowledged in emails the hesitations parents may feel.
“We do all forget that fundraising is not the purpose of PTA,” Hunt wrote. She also cautioned about PTAs forgetting “that the principal of the school has the final say about what happens on the campus [which can lead] to much strife and anxiety on both sides.”
Russell, now serving as president of First District PTA (stretching from Burbank to Pomona), said it this way.
“Our biggest headaches are when people forget the purpose … and let their personal issues take over and make it an uncomfortable environment for others who want to participate ... The drama does not need to happen,” she said.
Russell went on to express the continuing commitment shared by many who have joined the PTA cause.
“The reality is that most of the same issues still exist. We are still worried about the budget … school climate and student stress and … getting good officers in place to carry on what needs to be done. That doesn’t mean we have not made a difference … It goes to show that we must repeat the important message of our founding mothers: ‘The National Congress of Mothers, irrespective of creed, color, or condition, stands for all parenthood, childhood, and homehood. Its platform is the universe; its organization, the human race.’”
Who wouldn’t want to volunteer for an organization like that? I realize hunting and fishing are not the best metaphors to use here. But I’m glad PTA caught me.
JOYLENE WAGNER is a past member of the Glendale Unified school board, from 2005 to 2013, and currently serves on the boards of Glendale Educational Foundation and other nonprofit organizations. Email her at jkate4400@aol.com.
