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March 29, 2024 2:21 am
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OPEN FORUM: The Over-reach Of The National PTA

By CHAD LEAVITT

I recently became aware that the National PTA is advocating gun control legislation. Each year the National PTA publishes a public policy agenda that outlines policy priorities and recommendations for Congress. The 2013 Public Policy Agenda features four key policy areas: 1 Education, 2 Child health and nutrition, 3 Juvenile justice and delinquency prevention, 4 School safety.

In the school safety section the National PTA has a section on Gun Violence Prevention. It recommends that the US Congress do the following: 1) Promote programming to improve public awareness and education on firearm safety. 2) Require, prior to purchasing a firearm, a waiting period and background check. 3) Ban non-sporting ammunition, including large-capacity combat magazines. 4) Ban the sale, purchase, and possession of military-style assault weapons, including firearms which were originally designed for military or law enforcement proposes; and for fully automatic purposes; are designed to be fired in full- or semi-automatic mode in combat; and are designed to accommodate a large-capacity combat magazine.

Ute V Perkins Elementary school in Moapa, NV has a local PTA unit. Perkins Elementary’s PTA does a remarkable job of supporting the positive efforts of local educators. They provide support with fundraisers, volunteers, teacher recognition, and much more.

I have seven children who are, will, or have attended UTE V Perkins Elementary and I have always strived to support our local PTA. I am also a strong advocate of the second amendment. I believe in the right to bear arms. I am opposed to the government limiting or controlling my rights.

I believe that the National PTA has grossly overstepped its mission and objective. The issue of gun control is a hotly contested topic. I believe that this is not an issue the NPTA should address.

Members of local PTA units pay annual dues. These dues are paid to the state and national PTA. The dues are used to pay for professionals on the national and state levels, insurance, influence in Congress, and other items (www.pta.org).

I am paying dues to promote policy to the Congress. So I was shocked to discover that the NPTA was using its influence in congress to promote policy that I am so adamantly opposed to. Talk about ‘Taxation without Representation’. I received no survey or request for my views on this topic.

I attended our local PTA meeting last week and participated in a discussion about this issue. The local PTA unit formed a committee to investigate what options are available.

The leading option being discussed is to disband our local PTA unit and form a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization). There are obviously pros and cons to each structure.

These issues will be further discussed at the next PTA meeting and a vote is expected to take place among the members to disband the local PTA and form a PTO; or continue with the PTA. The meeting will be held on Wednesday May 15 at 8:30 am. The meetings are held in the Art room at Ute V Perkins Elementary. All are invited to attend and voice their opinion.

This is not only an issue about gun control. Being a member of the PTA requires that local units follow the by-laws setup by the NPTA. A PTO has much more freedom and autonomy to pursue the policies and needs that they feel their local unit needs.

Bowler Elementary left the PTA years ago to acquire the freedom to act as they desired and not as the PTA mandated.

There are an estimated 55,000 PTO’s in our country verses about 24,000 PTA units. Americans love freedom and balk at any attempt by government or others to limit that freedom.

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2 thoughts on “OPEN FORUM: The Over-reach Of The National PTA”

  1. The author might be interested to know that National PTA’s policy positions are informed by National PTA Resolutions and Board Position Statements. The Association is barred from advocating for/against any policy that is not wholly aligned with approved resolutions and/or position statements. The resolutions and position statements of the National PTA relating to firearm safety and gun violence prevention date back many decades and are not new. As an association promoting the safety and well-being of children and communities, I find the positions of the association that promote responsible gun ownership and reasonable limitations on the purchase and possession of deadly firearms to be wholly aligned with the association’s mission. There are limitations on other freedoms to promote public well-being…why is the second amendment seemingly immune to similar examination? That said, the main federal advocacy focus of the association continues to be family engagement in education…I would hope the author can support those policy goals.

    Additionally, when it comes to dues paid to a national association, it should be noted that each member contributes $2.00 per year to the national association – that’s it. $2.00, which breaks down to less than $0.25 per month in exchange for not only staff, but also academic and parenting resources, national partnerships with vendors who provide discounts and benefits, insurance, liability, and tax guidance, and of course valuable programming like Reflections – the nation’s largest arts in education recognition program.

    As an association with more than 5 million members nationally, not every single member is going to love or carry the banner for every single policy priority. The author is not alone in his dislike of this one policy position – but the fact of the matter is, the majority of PTA (and the majority of parents everywhere) support commonsense gun violence prevention measures.

    I hope the parents of Ute V Perkins Elementary School do their research – the benefits of PTA far outweigh the negatives.

  2. The author might be interested to know that National PTA’s policy positions are informed by National PTA Resolutions and Board Position Statements. The Association is barred from advocating for/against any policy that is not wholly aligned with approved resolutions and/or position statements. The resolutions and position statements of the National PTA relating to firearm safety and gun violence prevention date back many decades and are not new. As an association promoting the safety and well-being of children and communities, I find the positions of the association that promote responsible gun ownership and reasonable limitations on the purchase and possession of deadly firearms to be wholly aligned with the association’s mission. There are limitations on other freedoms to promote public well-being…why is the second amendment seemingly immune to similar examination? That said, the main federal advocacy focus of the association continues to be family engagement in education…I would hope the author can support those policy goals.

    Additionally, when it comes to dues paid to a national association, it should be noted that each member contributes $2.00 per year to the national association – that’s it. $2.00, which breaks down to less than $0.25 per month in exchange for not only staff, but also academic and parenting resources, national partnerships with vendors who provide discounts and benefits, insurance, liability, and tax guidance, and of course valuable programming like Reflections – the nation’s largest arts in education recognition program.

    As an association with more than 5 million members nationally, not every single member is going to love or carry the banner for every single policy priority. The author is not alone in his dislike of this one policy position – but the fact of the matter is, the majority of PTA (and the majority of parents everywhere) support commonsense gun violence prevention measures.

    I hope the parents of Ute V Perkins Elementary School do their research – the benefits of PTA far outweigh the negatives.

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