Immediately cease advocacy efforts in support of the Delaware PTA Position Statement on Parent Opt Out HB50 including but not limited to website promotion, action alerts, e-newsletters, media interview and information flyers.
Per National PTA SOA Policy, if you are unable to comply with the SOA requirements by April 26, 2016 (60 days from this notification), a support team will be assigned to Delaware PTA to help create and implement a plan to move your PTA back into compliance.
Unbelievable! It’s one thing to say you don’t agree with someone for doing something. But then you force them to take a position on it? And if they don’t you will make sure they do? I say the Delaware PTA renames itself and kicks National PTA to the curb! Who do they think they are? What a bunch of arrogant jerks! It is the PARENT-Teacher Association. Not the “we got more money from Bill Gates so we are going to force our state PTAs to shut up about opt-out” Association. What a bunch of sell-outs! What the hell kind of parent organization doesn’t honor parent’s rights? Terri and Yvonne, do the right thing for the parents of Delaware, not this bureaucratic nightmare in Washington D.C. Absolutely ridiculous!
And the Delaware PTA sent some questions to National PTA:
Yeah, they may not say places like the Gates Foundation won’t fund you if you support opt-out. But guess what, they just won’t give you money in the future. National PTA knows this. Time for a clean break Delaware PTA! Meanwhile, Delaware PTA President Terri Hodges sent this out to the Delaware PTA membership this afternoon:
PTA members and supporters,
As you are aware, National PTA issued an updated position statement in January 2016 regarding state assessments. The position statement, developed by the National PTA Legislative Committee and approved by the National Board of Directors, also outlines National PTA’s opposition of the growing parent opt-out movement across the United States.
When the position statement was released in January, we were initially informed that our advocacy of parental rights was not in conflict with the updated position statement, as Delaware PTA has never encouraged parents to opt of testing. However, upon further review National PTA has determined that our advocacy of parental rights is in fact in conflict with the updated position statement. As a result, Delaware PTA has received the attached DE Sanctions Letter from National PTA informing us that as a state association we are not in compliance with the Standards of Affiliation.
As a state association, we are obligated to comply with the National PTA Standard of Affiliations which governs the relationship between National PTA and the state associations. Similarly, our bylaws define the relationship between the state association and our local units in that the local units may not collectively take up any position that contradicts the position of Delaware State PTA and by extension National PTA. As indicated in the letter, the position statement can only be amended /rescinded by the voting body. This will be an action item on the agenda for our upcoming Board of Managers meeting, where we will also accept a motion to amend the legislative priorities at the next state convention. In the interim, Delaware PTA is required to cease all advocacy related to parent opt out.
We recognize that with the support of parents and teachers, several of our school districts have adopted policies, resolutions and/or procedures for honoring a parent’s request to opt out of the state assessment. National PTA’s prohibition on our advocacy only extends to the state association and thus the local units. This position does not have any impact on individual activity and advocacy.
We want to ensure our members that we have done our due diligence in sharing our concerns with National PTA and requesting complete transparency around the new position statement via the Questions posed to National PTA(attached). Delaware PTA remains committed to our membership and advocating for the students of Delaware. PTA is a multi-issue advocacy organization. As such, we will continue our advocacy in the following key areas:
- A reduction in testing across all grade levels
- A reliable and valid state assessment that measures student growth
- A fair and representative teacher evaluation system
- Weighted funding
- Anti-Bullying compliance
We thank everyone for your continued support. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us at de_office@pta.org
Delaware PTA
The Season Of Myths 
The customary naming of a person from Delaware PTA to various panels and task forces as a “parent representative” must now be challenged, and we must insist on being represented by unaffiliated parents instead.
Also – opt out of the PTA!! Individual school PTAs can vote themselves out of Delaware PTA (and thus the National PTA). Dickinson for example opted out of the PTA a while ago. Apparently “PTA” is trademarked so we have to call ourselves a PTOrganization. And I understand PTA membership requires annual payments to Delaware PTA. so if your PTA needs to find a few more dollar in its budget, try converting to a PTO. Maybe NPTA will get the message.
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I live in another state. Our school would like to “opt out” of the PTA. However, we discovered that the cost of insurance would skyrocket if we left PTA. For wealthier schools, the amount is probably negligible. Our low income school that raises about $4,000 a year, this increase is difficult to absorb. That is the only reason we are still in PTA.
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Our school just switched from PTA to PTO and the insurance cost was cheaper! We thought we had to use the company that PTA had endorsed because of the “group discount,” but we were shocked to find out that there are better options. You can go with another company. Check it out, you might be surprised.
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Thanks! Will do. If you have suggestions on companies or where to look, that would be great.
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What does a PTA need insurance for?
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Several things, but, most importantly, leadership liability. There is no way I would agree to be an officer without that insurance, and I recommend no so one else do so either.
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Full disclosure: I work for PTO Today.
But since you asked, we have an insurance option used by many, many PTOs. https://www.ptotoday.com/insurance
It’s not always true, but — most often — the total cost of the PTO format (even if insurance rates are a bit higher) is lower than the total cost to your unit of the PTA format. When you do the price comparison, it’s important to include all the $$ you send out of your PTA in county, state and national dues (per member) when calculating your total cost of PTA affiliation.
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Kevin, we’re reaching almost total national/state control over weakening and destroying our public schools according to the corporate world’s agenda to privatize th
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https://twitter.com/ED_IN_DE/status/703370932551819269
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Reblogged this on Kilroy's Delaware.
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The national PTA did not have to officially take a stand at all. They should have left that to the states, that was the first mistake. The second was to not represent all the parents, after all it is a parent-teacher group. As to the DE PTA, they have no choice to comply or walk away. You are either part of the problem or part of the SOLUTION!
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Thank you for your posts! Here are a couple of ‘opt out’ items folks in DE may like to know, if they don’t already.
1) From NM, a great opt out (with U.S. Constitutional amendments, a couple of U.S. federal laws, and examples of 2 USA court cases cited) document.
Click to access do_i_have_the_right.pdf
2) Here is the Thomas More Law Firm’s ‘opt out’ sample letter:
Click to access Student-Privacy-Protection-Request-Opt-Out-Request-Form1.pdf
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This is not the first time the national PTA has done something like this. When I was the Fed Legislative chair for DE PTA ten or so years ago I asked about charter schools at a national conference. The response was that the PTA supported all public schools. I responded that the law in Delaware was hurting the regular public schools and would it be possible for National to look at the various state laws and encourage a better way to go about charter schools (I was NOT advocating in this dialogue for abolishment.) The response was exactly repeated. The PTA supported all public schools and would not review charters. The speaker would not continue the discussion.
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We are not in Delaware, but our school switched to PTO. We weren’t being heard at the state or national level, and it was frustrating to send 80% of our membership dues away from our school to council, state and national PTA’s.
It isn’t difficult to switch to PTO – Just form a new PTO nonprofit organization and elect a PTO board, vote to donate your remaining PTA funds and property to the new nonprofit PTO or to your school, and then let your PTA chapter die without leadership or funding. There’s nothing PTA can do about it. They can try to bully you, but they can’t stop your membership from forming a PTO to advocate for their children.
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I whole-heartedly applaud Delaware PTA for their stance in this, and for authentically putting the concern of parents and teachers ahead of lobbyist and big business. I only wish our PTA here in NJ possessed the same kind of honest morality. Thanks, Delaware, for being a shining light.
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Thanks Dan! Delaware parents probably see more since we are such a small state. We definitely have more “access” to the power-brokers here. I can’t wait for the day when all of this is a distant memory!
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