An Open Letter to the Clinton County High School Parent, Teacher, Student, Association From: Duane Bristow September 21, 1991 Last April, since my son would soon be a student at the Clinton County High School, I was invited to attend the organizational meeting of the PTSA for the school. I was told by someone in the school system that such an organization would eventually be necessary to elect parent members of a Site Based Committee which would, in a few years, be responsible for managing the school. This meeting was concerned mainly with explanations of what a PTSA is by two guests invited from the District PTSA. As I remember, the gist of their presentation consisted of the ideas that PTSA was better than other Parent Teacher Organizations for some unexplained reason, that as members we would be part of a larger organization at the district and state level, both of which we would send dues to, and that we needed to appoint a ways and means committee to raise money. It was stressed that PTSA was in no way to interfere with management of the school but was primarily to raise money to benefit the children. It was also pointed out that raising money would be difficult because it would be necessary to compete with all the students' organizations in the school also conducting fund raisers for various reasons. I attended a second meeting of this organization on the night of September 19. Most of this meeting was concerned with how to increase membership and how to raise money. Although it is still unclear why or if money is needed or what it is to be used for, it was suggested that a possible use would be to buy equipment for the school. I heard several teachers lament that it is hard to get parents involved in an organization such as this. I don't know about other parents, but for myself, I can see a number of reasons not to get involved. Due to the Kentucky School Reform Act, which I support, I am now paying 6% sales tax instead of 5%, 3% utility tax, increased income tax, and I got a letter from the tax commissioner a few weeks ago stating that my property tax would increase by about $450 per year due to a reassessment of my property necessitated by the School Reform Act. Also as a result of this act, the Clinton County School District budget has increased in the last two years from a little over 5 million dollars to 7.3 million in this school year. I checked with the Superintendent's office and found that an amount equal to $100 per student has been budgeted for this year for each school for the purpose of buying supplies and equipment and that the principals were told that they could request additional money if special needs arose. The amount thus budgeted for Clinton County High School was $63,000. I was told that the principals had seemed satisfied that this is a sufficient amount. I am interested in supporting the schools but I have a little trouble with this entire concept. If eventually this organization will be electing parents to help run the school, why is it that the organization stresses that it is not to get involved in school management? If money is needed for equipment, etc. why not simply request it from the school board? Why should money be needed in light of the operations fund already available? Does it make sense to have a bunch of parents and teachers competing for fund raising dollars with their own children? Would it not make more sense to decide what money is needed for before starting fund raisers? I would like to see an organization such as this whose goal would not be fund raising but would be improving the school and particularly the education received by the students and the environment in which they receive it. I would like to see discussions of pertinent school issues and problems among parents, teachers, students, invited expert speakers, community leaders and others. I would like to see these people working together to solve these problems. I suspect that much of this could be done without any fund raising but if the solution to a problem agreed on by the group did require money not otherwise available, then I would try first asking parents and community businesses for donations. This should be done though only after explaining to the whole community just what the problem is, why the money is necessary to solve it and how it will be used. A good example of this is Project Graduation carried out each year by the teachers, parents and senior class. If anyone is interested in this approach I would suggest a few of the following topics as starters for discussions and problem solving: Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco Open houses and parents involvement School field trips Sports, band, clubs, academic teams, other extracurricular activities School facilities, instructional equipment and supplies After graduation follow-up - college and job success rates Sex education class structure number of students per class cooperation among teachers, parents, etc. cooperative learning hands on learning grades, tests, goals, course contents curriculum and subjects - graduation requirements homework textbooks technology communications, reading, writing, study skills courses offered and goals of education fund raisers by students Enrichment opportunities and extra work for gifted students School buses and transportation School and community attitudes, expectations, discipline, etc. School lunch quality, problems, improvements A fund to pay expenses for trips, clothing, annuals, etc. for kids from families unable to afford these. How much should homework, other outside class work, summer reading programs, etc. be stressed? What are the problems and advantages of these? In what ways can the teacher's schedule be changed to allow cooperative planning among teachers and exposure by teachers to new and different teaching methods? What are our needs regarding research materials and opportunities?