Letters To The Editor

Sat., June 19, 1999

Parent organizations perform important, needed service

I’m concerned about Dave Oliveria’s recent comments concerning school board endorsements by parent organizations in Post Falls.

I’m a member of another parent group in Post Falls. Our group has chosen to be affiliated with PTA. PTA is a national and state organization whose goals include academic excellence and safety in our public schools.

As members of PTA we are active legislatively at the state level. We also strive to keep the lines of communication open with our students and parents. On a monthly basis we publish a newsletter that includes current PTA activities at our school and also important issues regarding education at the national, state and local level.

Many times our monthly newsletters are the only place where parents hear about upcoming laws that could affect safety in our schools or educational standards. We also use the newsletters to keep parents informed on upcoming bond levies and school board elections.

Our school’s PTA does take a stance on critical bond levies and occasionally school board candidates. We endorse school board candidates who have a vested interest in our children, who may have been a member of our parent groups, who we see volunteer in our schools, attend school concerts and other activities, and who have no other agenda than to ensure our students receive the best education possible.

When we are concerned about an upcoming levy or school board election we are very careful to use our home computers to compose the letters, purchase our own paper, and have a PTA member distribute the fliers. We also have fliers printed at local print shops if need be. PTA also uses phone trees and mailings.

However, we try to use all of the PTA monies earned at our school to purchase much needed items for our classrooms. When we have to pay postage we are diverting money that could purchase computers, copiers, books, playground equipment, or pave a commons area. Our newsletters are important tools and if we cannot use them for informing parents about important issues our children will be the losers. Gail Worden Post Falls

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