Free Republic

JERICHO, N.Y. — For school officials here, the numbers did not add up. Even as enrollment swelled to 3,200, from 2,600 a decade ago, attendance at Parent-Teacher Association meetings shriveled by half. Even as more students got accepted to Ivy League schools, turnout for the guidance department’s information nights was so anemic that counselors cajoled students to come — and bring along their parents. Then teachers and administrators noticed something else: Jericho High School’s 90-member orchestra had become 70 percent Asian-American (the student body over all is about 30 percent Asian-American), but it still played for a mostly white audience...

March 16, 2008 -- Joel Klein is a pizza-party pooper. The schools chancellor's food police have put the kibosh on a 20-year-old "Pizza Day" tradition at a Queens elementary school, opening the door for a citywide ban, infuriating parents and upsetting kids. "This borders on cruel," said Michael Teoduro, vice president of the PTA at PS 193 in Whitestone. "It's one thing that the kids really look forward to in school, and for no legitimate reason it's pulled out from under them." Pizza Day took place once a month, when kids would eat 90 to 100 pies from local shop...

NEW CITY, N.Y. -- A former prosecutor and PTA leader had sex with two boys, shared marijuana and alcohol with other teens and kept it all a secret from her police chief husband, officials said Tuesday. Beth Modica, 44, a mother of four, was indicted on 35 counts alleging statutory rape, criminal sex acts, sex abuse and endangering children. Wearing an olive-gray suit and handcuffs, she pleaded not guilty at her arraignment in Rockland County Court and was ordered held on $75,000 bail. "These are serious charges, against children in her community," said Judge Catherine Bartlett. The judge issued orders...

Dear xxxxxx, We have received information from National PTA concerning the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). President Bush has vetoed legislation that would have reauthorized and expanded this children's health program. National PTA tells us that there is a coordinated effort to influence representatives who voted against the House/Senate compromise bill to vote to override the veto. The Virginia PTA took a stand in support of providing "the greatest coverage to the greatest number of children ..." in a resolution passed at the 1998 Virginia PTA convention. The state PTA's Resolutions Committee is also bringing forward a resolution to...

The California PTA, which boasts of speaking "for every child," has endorsed the homosexual indoctrination plan assembled by the state Legislature that could be used to ban even the words "mom" and "dad." "The California State PTA supports SB 777 (Kuehl), which would revise the current list of prohibited bases of discrimination and the kinds of prohibited instruction, activities and instructional materials in the Education Code…," said a letter submitted to the state Assembly on behalf of the state PTA. As WND has reported, the plan passed the state Assembly on a 43-23 vote and it now moves forward...

How is the PTA Membership really helping our schools other than supporting their liberal agendas?

Montgomery County school officials announced yesterday that they are temporarily banning outside groups such as parent-teacher associations and the Boy Scouts from distributing fliers about activities and events in student backpacks. The decision comes less than a week after a federal appeals court ruled that the school system's policy for flier distribution was unconstitutional because it gave educators unlimited power to approve or reject materials. The case is the outgrowth of a dispute between the school system and Child Evangelism Fellowship of Maryland. The group filed suit in 2001 after the school system denied its request to distribute fliers about...

Christian Schools’ Achilles HeelIt turns out that Christian schools have their problems too. But even these drawbacks may result from too much reliance on the methods and texts of public schools. “So why do Christian schools not use Christian books?” the Mel Gabler’s Educational Research Analysts Newsletter asks. “Often, they say, because public school texts teach superior critical thinking skills.” “Yet about 75 % of public school edition answers to ‘critical thinking’ student text questions are verbatim quotes from the student text narrative.” The Gablers’ researchers are based in Longview, Texas, in a state considered make or break for textbook...

(KDKA) PENN HILLS We now know the fate of the 10 year old boy who got into big trouble for taking a squirt gun to school. The Penn Hills School District has decided to expel Jokari Becker until 2007. Jokari hasn't been to school since April 5, when he was suspended. His parents got a phone call from the superintendent Wednesday saying the fifth grader has been expelled until at least January 2007, for violating the school code of discipline and responsibilities. In part, the district's discipline code says a weapon is defined - but not limited to - a...

'Ex-gay' group booted from conference School counselors objected to materials at exhibit Posted: April 4, 20061:00 a.m. Eastern © 2006 WorldNetDaily.com A group that believes people with same-sex attractions can abandon homosexuality was evicted from the Virginia Schools Counselors Association annual convention. PFOX, Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays, said school counselors at the event in Richmond, Va., last week objected to some of its materials and insisted the group leave. Blogger Warren Throckmorton said PFOX was registered officially as an exhibitor at the conference, held at the Holiday Inn Select Thursday and Friday. But the counselors association's current president,...

VA PTA ACTION ALERT! 03-25-06 Dear Virginia PTA member, Gov. Tim Kaine has scheduled additional transportation town hall meetings. We should make every effort to attend these events and take a friend. The meetings will be held as follows: Monday, March 27 - Danville 5:30 p.m. Institute for Advanced Learning and Research - Executive Auditorium 150 Slayton Ave., Danville, VA 24540 Tuesday, March 28 - Loudoun County (Sterling) 7 p.m. Dominion High School 21326 Augusta Dr., Sterling, VA 21064 Wednesday, March 29 - Chesapeake 6:30 p.m. Chesapeake Conference Center 900 Greenbrier Circle (off of Woodlake), Chesapeake, VA 23320 Also, on...

I've recently been going thru some old papers that my mother saved when major events happened in the country. Of course a weeks worth of them are from the week of Kennedy's assassination. I've come across 2 articles, not about the assassination, that I found very interesting, and thought I would share them. They are not long, but show the different tone of beliefs that were around then. These articles are from the Tulsa World, Nov. 22, 2963 The first one is titled: "Hollywood Curbs on Film Believed Only Temporary." By Harold Heffernan Is Hollywood beginning to tone down it's...

Yesterday, the Senate Finance Committee went on record for the first time in its history in opposition to giving parents in Virginia the freedom to choose the most suitable education environment for their children. In past years, any school choice legislation presented to this committee was killed without a vote. In fact, the bill had never received a motion for any action at all. But yesterday, to the apparent dismay of several Republican members of the committee, Democrats Dick Salsaw (D-35, Springfield) and Janet Howell (D-32, Reston) motioned for the bill to be "Passed by indefinitely" or defeated, forcing a...

I have recently learned that student attendance at the PTA/PTO-organized book fair, "winter boutique" and other school sales at my 5-year old daughter's kindergarten are mandatory. Yes, mandatory, if you consider the fact that all children, regardless of whether they bring in money or not to shop with are taken to these sales to "browse". In other words, children do not have the option NOT to visit these fairs, and parents do not have the option to either consent or not consent to their child being taken shopping or "browsing" by their teacher. Yes, technically, parents and children have the...

For years the National Education Association has taken teacher dues money and pursued left-of-center social advocacy objectives. Now another acronym in the American educational establishment — the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) — has joined the NEA in choosing sides in the cultural debate over homosexuality in the schools. As detailed by George Archibald in the Washington Times (but ignored by the rest of the national media), last year the PTA invited the group Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) to exhibit at the PTA convention and to make a presentation. This year, the Parent and Friends of...

School bench message said too religious Wednesday, July 6, 2005 3:06 AM EDTE-mail this story to a friend | Printable version By David Burch Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer MARIETTA - A simple message greets students arriving at Marietta High School - Jesus Loves You! The words are inscribed on a bench located outside of the school's cafeteria and near the spot where school buses drop off and pick up students. Private donations from the school's PTA paid for the bench as part of a larger fund-raising campaign more than four years ago at the school, located on Dallas Highway...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The goal of safe-schools programs on behalf of children with same-sex attraction should be to "encourage them in their identity," workshop presenters for a pro-homosexual group told delegates at the national PTA convention. "Most gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) kids do not feel safe in school," said Roy Gilbert-Higginson, deputy director of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). "They stay away, they truant, they don't get value of an education." The Rev. Lawrence Rezash, pastor emeritus of St. John's United Church of Christ in Dayton, Ohio, said PFLAG has developed a program for...

HUACHUCA CITY - Home Depot employees and other volunteers performed much-appreciated maintenance Saturday at Huachuca City School. The early summer cleaning at the school was the Sierra Vista store's quarterly community project. Parent Teacher Organization members, students and faculty also donated time on Saturday for the project. Cindy Craven of the Home Depot personnel office said the Sierra Vista area was a part of the company's Tucson district, but a redistricting took place so the store is able to give back directly to this local area. "Every quarter we get x-amount of monies to give back to the community," Craven...

Amid a dizzying array of acronyms, a weekend convention of the national Parent-Teacher Association in Ohio will include a homosexual "rights" group, but exclude a group made up in part of individuals who consider themselves former homosexuals. The convention, opening in Columbus, Ohio, Friday, will mark the second time that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has invited the homosexual advocacy group, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Regina Griggs, executive director of the group, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), sought her own group's access to the convention this year and was turned down. "The PTA denied...

all parents in the United States who have anything to do with the National Parent-Teacher Association should request in no uncertain terms an explanation as to why the PTA has refused an ex-gay group's request to exhibit at its annual convention, while at the same time welcoming a gay-activist organization and inviting it to present a workshop.

US Parent Teacher Association Allows Gay Activists but Refuses Ex-Gays WASHINGTON, DC, May 19, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The National Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has refused an ex-gay group's request to exhibit at its annual convention while welcoming a gay activist organization and inviting it to present a workshop. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX.org) has had its application to exhibit rejected because it supports former homosexuals. The National PTA, however, sought the attendance of Parents, Families and Friends of Gays (PFLAG), a pro-gay advocacy group which believes in same sex marriage. Comprising 6 million members, the National PTA is...

The National Parent-Teacher Association has refused an ex-homosexual group’s request to exhibit at its annual convention while welcoming a pro-homosexual activist organization – even inviting it to present a workshop. Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays had its application to exhibit rejected because it supports former homosexuals. The National PTA, however, sought the attendance of Parents, Families and Friends of Gays, a pro-homosexual advocacy group that promotes in same-sex marriage. With 6 million members, the National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States. One of its purposes is "to be inclusive in its efforts...

The national Parent Teachers Association (PTA), which is featuring a pro-homosexual group at its upcoming convention in Columbus, Ohio, is barring Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) from exhibiting there. “It’s blatant discrimination against ex-gays,” Regina Griggs, PFOX executive director, told Concerned Women for America. “They say they don’t want to take a position, but then they allow only one viewpoint – the pro-homosexual one.” The 6-million-member PTA actually solicited Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) as an exhibitor, The Washington Times reported. Ron Schlittler, PFLAG executive director, told the Times that the group was chosen...

The National PTA, representing 26,000 local affiliates, solicited a workshop and exhibit by Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) for public school action against anti-homosexual beliefs at the PTA's convention next month. But another group, Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX) of Alexandria, was rejected as an exhibitor at the June 24-26 convention in Columbus, Ohio.

SACRAMENTO (AP) - The California PTA, traditionally a nonpartisan organization, is adding its voice to the chorus of education advocates opposing Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's education budget. With May budget revisions approaching, the parent-teacher organization plans a "Caravan for Kids" to bring parents and schoolchildren to a Capitol rally next week to urge the governor and lawmakers to restore $2 billion in education funding. "We don't have any special interest except for our children," Carla Nino, president of California PTA, said Monday. "We want the governor and the Legislature to know that parents are not happy." The largest share of the...

Dear PTA Members: Yesterday at our Harbor Council PTA meeting, we discussed signing initiatives without studying the issues. We were asked that to warn PTA members not to sign the initiatives without studying the issues carefully. Those that ask you to sign do not know the issues; this is a strategic plan to overwhelm the voters so that the Governor can then "tell" the voters which initiatives to study and vote on. Here is some interesting information give to me by Katrina Foley, Leg. rep at Sonora Elementary. Today is Tuesday, March 8th. The deadline for filing signatures for the...

During an emotional court session, Torrance mother Sheryl Graham is sentenced to five years of probation and must register as an offender for the rest of her life. By Denise Nix Daily Breeze A Torrance mother of five pleaded guilty Wednesday to engaging in a sex act with a West High School student and was sentenced to five years of felony probation, community service and counseling, and was ordered to register as a sex offender for the rest of her life. While making her plea, Sheryl Graham, 42, cried hard enough to cause Torrance Superior Court Judge Mark S. Arnold...

Strongsville City Council has joined the Strongsville High School PTA in opposing the possible reinstatement of a national military draft. Annette Kopp, president of the Strongsville High School PTA, in an address to council prior to its vote, said twin bills introduced on January 7, 2003 by U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York and by Sen. Fritz Hollings of South Carolina if necessary, could become law within a very short time period, perhaps as quickly as 24 hours. Both bills - S89 and H.R. 163 - would amend the law to include women, Kopp said. The Selective Service System...

Your PTA membership also supports the State of California legislative lobby that has improved our students school experience by promoting among other things: Reduced class size, Healthy snack food, Pesticide Use Notification in Schools.

My mother has resigned from the National Parent-Teachers Association. And that is a significant thing, for my mom has been a leader in the local PTA in our hometown for the past 25 years. She is fed up with the overwhelming political correctness that rules the National PTA, evident in its partnership with Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) at its recent convention. "I do not think the gay agenda should be addressed with my dues money," my Mom explained. The National PTA Convention, held June 26-28 in Anaheim, California, featured a workshop called, "All for One and...

The 60 percent of parents who believe teacher pay increases should be tied to student performance also get no recognition. The PTA marches in lockstep with the school employee unions, particularly the National Education Association, which opposes performance incentives. Many parents are shocked to discover that the PTA president is an NEA member and the PTA received rent-reduced office space from the NEA for 15 years. Instead of addressing issues that help poor kids trapped in failing schools, the PTA sentences them to failing schools by opposing vouchers and supporting barriers to effective charter schools. The Ohio PTA is party...

Can America's schools teach history? The question ought to be ridiculous -- of course they can. What do we pay them for? History is as essential as reading and writing to a republic of free citizens. America's schools have always taught America's history. Unfortunately, there's a lot of evidence that our schools are doing a poor job of it. Results of the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress showed that 57 percent of high school seniors scored below the "basic" level of history achievement. And "basic" isn't impressive. The test-makers believe that students should achieve the "proficient" level, but only...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Following up on plans outlined in President Bush's annual address to the American people, a Pennsylvania lawmaker formally introduced a new program Wednesday encouraging public schools to test students for drug use. The $23 million testing plan, targeted at grades 8-12, would not be mandatory, but parents who do not want their children to participate would have to opt out. It is sure to draw critics who argue the pilot program will invade student privacy. But Rep. John Peterson, R-Pa., said efforts to get youngsters off drugs far outweigh any concerns over their privacy. ''This is about...

Most voters don't normally associate Parent Teacher Associations with partisan politics. Unfortunately, the Fairfax County Council of PTAs has been taken over by a group that puts their political agenda ahead of all other educational considerations. ... Given the FCCPTA's decision to engage in political mudslinging, the ball now rests with the IRS, and an investigation of the group's tax-exempt status is now overdue. However, the FCCPTA may also be facing another, more ominous threat. Because of their political activities and high fee structure, a number of their subordinate PTAs are openly talking about leaving the FCCPTA umbrella and joining...

Please goto http://www.protectfairfaxschools.org/guide/school_summary.htm online and view the school board candidate ratings. Rita S. Thompson, Stephen M. Hunt and E.J. Hurley are Republicans and got rated BOTTOM OF THE CLASS. Ilryong Moon, Janet S. Oleszek and Lynn G. Terhar are Democrats and got rated TOP OF THE CLASS. The Democrats on the school board were the ones who hired the Superintendent Dr. Domenech. Our local school PTA newsletter contained a full-page free advertisement of this website telling parents to check it out to find out who is pro-school and deserves the vote. What I need urgently is FREEpers to go visit...

<p>"It's done," Southeast Polk District Superintendent Thomas Downs said Thursday morning.</p> <p>After receiving complaints from parents in his district, around Iowa and across the country, Downs canceled a new policy that prohibited students at Willowbrook Elementary School in Altoona from talking during lunch.</p>

<p>Lunch period at Willowbrook Elementary School in Altoona was quiet enough Wednesday to hear the crunching of potato chips and the slurping of juice through tiny straws. In the background, classical music played.</p> <p>The Southeast Polk school district is trying something new this year: silent lunch.</p>

BERGEN NY-- Police have accused a PTA president of giving marijuana and wine to his 14-year-old daughter and her underage friends. James Howard, 42, was charged Thursday with three counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of unlawfully dealing with a child. The longtime president of the Byron-Bergen Central School PTA gave his daughter and two others a small amount of marijuana as he drove them around April 11, said Sheriff’s Investigator William Ferrando. A fourth girl in the car refused to smoke it, he said. After they returned to his home, Howard gave all four...

<p>Fairfax County parents, upset about a school district plan to administer a sex survey to high school sophomores and seniors, are asking the county's Board of Supervisors, which is paying for the study, to quash the questionnaire.</p> <p>"The schools are getting out of control," said Karen Budd, an Oakton mother of two. Her younger child attends a public middle school and her elder child attends a private Catholic high school. "They are assuming parents' responsibilities, and parents are letting them," she said.</p>

<p>A former PTA president was convicted Wednesday of providing alcohol, hiring a stripper and allowing drugs at a birthday party in April for her 16-year-old son and his friends. All the boys are Capital High School students.</p> <p>Joan Boysen, 47, of Olympia admitted in court that she had organized the party at her family's summer cabin in Hoodsport.</p>

Groups call for tax hike on top earners To help preserve human service programs in next year's state budget, a broad coalition called upon lawmakers Monday to embrace legislation that would increase state income taxes collected from the most wealthy Californians. In a Capitol press conference with more than 100 in attendance including union representatives and advocates for the poor participants stood behind a controversial proposal by Senate President Pro Tem John Burton of San Francisco that would temporarily increase personal income taxes on the top 2 percent of California wage earners. Aimed at partially bridging the state's $23.6...