TJHSST PTSA Election

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great. So the VA PTSA can threaten revocation due to thought crimes.

no actual crime

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd be curious to know how many people pontificating about the TJ PTA's actions and behaviors (both individual members and Exec Com) have read the By Laws? https://tjptsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/TJHSST-PTSA-2019-Bylaws.pdf. Yes, there's a lot of standard, flowering language in the document; however, there are some pretty clear statements about the purpose of the organization as well as it's legal relationship to the VA and National PTA entities. Moreover, the by laws do outline very clear expectations with respect to behavior of leadership and the entire charter in relation to the VA PTA. You can also cluck and bristle about whether there should be a TJPTA or if they should move to a PTO. Whatever decision is made, the current TJPTA does have a legal obligation to operate within the confines of the by laws.

Most notable for me in the by laws was the following:

"The association shall work to engage and empower children, families, and educators within schools and communities to provide quality education for all children and youth, and shall seek to participate in the decision-making process by influencing school policy and advocating for children's issues, recognizing that the legal responsibility to make decisions has been delegated by the people to boards of education, state education authorities, and local education authorities."

Seems to me, recent efforts to call in the legality of the counties authority to change the admissions process falls well outside what the TJPTA's purview. They can have an opinion and share that opinion, even advocate for a different approach but they are not the decision makers and are bound by decision vested with the recognized legal authorities.

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering what their by-laws said. I was a PTA President last year and if volunteers are seeking roles on the Executive Board for the primary motivation of obtaining a greater voice in advocacy, that's misguided. Particularly if your goal is counter to that of the school. A LOT of work goes into being on the Executive Board and running the day to day functions of a PTA - student events, teacher appreciation, fundraisers, chairing meetings, managing committees, communicating with the school, planning speakers, attending county meetings, assessing needs, budgeting/appropriations, etc, etc. Advocacy can be one piece of that puzzle, but my concern is that this hostile situation of "who's in charge of the TJPTA" is more about people thinking these roles give them access to affect change and not about about crafting and supporting the student-parent-teacher experience at TJ.

It is difficult to imagine that the Coalition 4 TJ would send a bloc of their soldiers to run as the “recommended slate of candidates” for the TJ PTSA EC if their goal wasn’t to try to impact policy, specifically with political aims in mind.

Ah, didn't realize they were from a coalition. I think people who don't understand how PTA works thinks it's some sort of power postition, but it's not, not really. Particularly if you're at odds with the school. Their Coalition 4 TJ would have just as much of a voice without all the responsibilities of volunteering for leadership roles. Stakeholders and stakeholders - whether they're the PTA President or not. Doesn't mean you can affect policy either way.

And they need to stop blasting their issues to the media. They now have a larger responsibility to the community whether they agree with how the students were selected to go there or not.

[Anonymous]

It's the VA PTA being overly political. The parents obviously have opinions about education policies and they should be free to express their views on those policies directly impacting the school. VA PTA is mainly an advocacy organization. They are meddling with the election of a local school PTA. The parents elected the new board. Let's wait and see what they are going to DO. Their thoughts and views are no grounds for VA PTA to interfere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Under the authority of the PTSA? If not, the PTSA is not playing politics.
On the other, the VA PTSA is, under it's name, playing politics by trying to get elected officials it doesn't like unelected.

And I thought the VA PTSA was accountable to it's member organizations, not the other way around.

Frankly, even as a TJ parent, I wish this dispute continues for a long time as it continues to demonstrate the unaccountable and authoritarian nature of the education establishment.

People of your ilk are just hoping for chaos because they changed the admissions standards and you don't like it. Having a disgunctional PTSA doesn't help students and you're ok with that because it's suits your agenda.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so the admissions process is toxic, the pta is toxic, there have been reports that the culture is toxic- what isn't just closing the school on the table?

The admissions standards are not toxic. They improve access to all geographic regions of FCPS. That does alter the make up of the school but does not create a toxic environment. Those who have the "if my kid can't have it no one should" mentality are doing their best to cast a race neutral change as easiest and as toxic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so the admissions process is toxic, the pta is toxic, there have been reports that the culture is toxic- what isn't just closing the school on the table?

at this point the best thing the BOE could do is shut the place down

Sorry, not happening. They will rehabilitate it into an environment that's welcoming to students from across the county that are interested in STEM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the VA PTA being overly political. The parents obviously have opinions about education policies and they should be free to express their views on those policies directly impacting the school. VA PTA is mainly an advocacy organization. They are meddling with the election of a local school PTA. The parents elected the new board. Let's wait and see what they are going to DO. Their thoughts and views are no grounds for VA PTA to interfere.

The person who was voted out by the new board was elected to serve until June 2022. Why is it ok to remove that person prior to the date the electorate intended?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's the VA PTA being overly political. The parents obviously have opinions about education policies and they should be free to express their views on those policies directly impacting the school. VA PTA is mainly an advocacy organization. They are meddling with the election of a local school PTA. The parents elected the new board. Let's wait and see what they are going to DO. Their thoughts and views are no grounds for VA PTA to interfere.

The person who was voted out by the new board was elected to serve until June 2022. Why is it ok to remove that person prior to the date the electorate intended?

That person allegedly committed a lot of fouls - locking out system access for new board members, bullying, and colluding with PTA? The person openly campaigned against the current board members. When that person lost the majority, they colluded with the VA PTA to essentially void the election result. The person was voted out 3 - 1. PTA has this weird two-year term. Had that person been part of the May election, the person would have been voted out by the members.

[Anonymous]

Every school should have a discussion of quitting PTA and forming a PTO instead. The state and national PTA do nothing to support individual schools. They take some of your money and interfere with your local affairs. PTO is the way to go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every school should have a discussion of quitting PTA and forming a PTO instead. The state and national PTA do nothing to support individual schools. They take some of your money and interfere with your local affairs. PTO is the way to go.

The local PTA is doing harm to the school and its students. I for one am glad there are checks to guard against these parents and their agenda to cling to their privilege at the expense of everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Every school should have a discussion of quitting PTA and forming a PTO instead. The state and national PTA do nothing to support individual schools. They take some of your money and interfere with your local affairs. PTO is the way to go.

VA PTA provides easy non-profit status and discounted insurance.

You just don't like that they advocate for kids.

[Anonymous]

They were "blasting their issues" before they were elected.
They haven't done anything yet.

I do find it amusing how many politicians on all sides seem to have PTA president on their resumes. Nice for such non-partisan organizations.

I am so proud that I have never been active in any PTA. They seem all to be political hacks clutching their pearls about others acting political. And it seems obviously worse as you go up to the state level.

You can't see this obvious hypocrisy, but you think I live in an alternative reality.

At least wait until they act politically in the name of the PTA before you bring out the big guns.

[Anonymous]

A high-ranking official with the Virginia Parent Teacher Association has resigned after she was filmed at a rally saying “Let them die,” seemingly in reference to parents gathered at a counter-rally to oppose critical race theory.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-pta-official-resigns-let-them-die-comment/2021/07/17/79f8129e-e712-11eb-8aa5-5662858b696e_story.html

VA PTA is very political. It should worry about its own mess and stay away from TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

A high-ranking official with the Virginia Parent Teacher Association has resigned after she was filmed at a rally saying “Let them die,” seemingly in reference to parents gathered at a counter-rally to oppose critical race theory.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/fairfax-pta-official-resigns-let-them-die-comment/2021/07/17/79f8129e-e712-11eb-8aa5-5662858b696e_story.html

VA PTA is very political. It should worry about its own mess and stay away from TJ.

No, VA PTA should stand up and do the right thing and advocate for the students. Protect them from the vile anti-education twats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
They were "blasting their issues" before they were elected.
They haven't done anything yet.

I do find it amusing how many politicians on all sides seem to have PTA president on their resumes. Nice for such non-partisan organizations.

I am so proud that I have never been active in any PTA. They seem all to be political hacks clutching their pearls about others acting political. And it seems obviously worse as you go up to the state level.

You can't see this obvious hypocrisy, but you think I live in an alternative reality.

At least wait until they act politically in the name of the PTA before you bring out the big guns.

You don't understand. If they agree with you, it is not political. If they don't, then they have no business being political.