VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1
Massachusetts PTA members have worked hard to raise awareness and advocate for increased public education funding from our state legislature. Through your effort and advocacy, Mass PTA members have helped to pass legislation and a state budget which promises to improve public education for all Massachusetts children and youth.
All of this effort will be for nothing if November’s ballot Question 1 passes. This reckless proposal would eliminate 40% of our state budget – a loss of $12.7 billion. Since it is a binding question, if passed, it would become law effective this January 2009.
The magnitude of such a reduction would have immediate and devastating consequences for programs and services in all Commonwealth municipalities: public safety, schools, roads and bridges, public and mental health, the environment. A similar question was put to voters in 2002 and it nearly passed – 45% of voters supported it.
You can make a difference RIGHT NOW by visiting the www.VoteNoQuestion1.com website and pledge to vote No. Massachusetts PTA has joined a growing coalition of organizations opposed to this reckless question; members of the Mass PTA Board voted unanimously to oppose question 1
READ OUR STATEMENT ON WHY WE SHOULD VOTE NO
We encourage your PTA Board to discuss and pledge to vote no, too. Complete the Coalition’s endorsement form, also on the VoteNoQuestion1 website. Ask your board members to endorse as individuals and talk with your community members about the issue, encouraging them to pledge to vote no, too.
Pass along the actions of your Board’s decision to endorse the campaign to presidentelect@masspta.org so we can connect PTAs across the state with Regional Coalition Organizers who can lend support in your communities. Together we can help keep our students, families, and communities safe and strong.
Thank you,
The Massachusetts PTA Board
PTA Votes
It is critical that all PTA members demonstrate their role as child advocates by becoming educated about candidates for public office and their positions on legislative issues that are important to children and public schools. By exercising our democratic right to vote, we are able to give children a voice. This is especially critical in the upcoming elections on November 4, 2008.
In the 2008 federal elections, voters will determine our president, our vice president, all 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and 35 U.S. senators. In state elections, voters will elect 11 governors, more than 6,500 state house and senate members, and countless mayors, regents, city council members, boards of supervisors, county officials, and school board trustees. Your vote can make a difference for our children and communities.
PTA has launched an exciting new entertainment resource for PTA members, friends and families!
As you know, PTA encourages parents to make informed decisions about their family’s use of media and technology. Now, with support of Hewlett-Packard (HP), the Motion Picture Association of America and Harmony Digital Media consortium, PTA has launched www.ptavideostore.com, a family friendly online video store where parents can purchase or download (G, PG and PG-13 only rated) movies, television shows and other exclusive video content.
In conjunction with this initiative, parents can learn about the ratings system and find video entertainment suitable for their families. (PG-13 content is offered with strict parental controls, requiring that a valid credit card number be entered to authorize the purchase.)
PTA is now offering virtual PTA Video Gift Cards online. This Summer, physical gift cards will be available at select retailers, such as Office Depot. PTA Video Gift Cards can be used to purchase age-appropriate movies on the website and make a great gift. A regular credit card or debit card can also be used to make purchases on the site. As an added bonus, for every purchase made, a portion of the sales comes back to PTA to support services, programs and our mission of serving and protecting children.
Please visit www.ptavideostore.com and spread the word to friends, family and members.
PTA Healthy Lifestyles Awards
Apply for a PTA Healthy Lifestyles Award!
What you need to know
PTA Healthy Lifestyles Awards will be given only to PTAs in good standing.
All applications will be subject to competitive review. Judges will be looking for programs that
- Promote healthy lifestyles in the home, school, and community;
- Promote family involvement in the school;
- Emphasize the connection between healthy lifestyles and student achievement; and
- Engage a diverse group of family and community members.
Each qualified local PTA that submits a completed application will receive at least one of the following:
- A monetary award of up to $1,000 to support its PTA Healthy Lifestyles activities
- A visit to its school by a PTA national officer
- A certificate of recognition
The monetary award may be used only to cover direct expenses for the proposed PTA project. (Awards granted may be less than the amount requested.)
Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 5, 2008.
Recipients of awards will be notified by Monday, September 29, 2008.
Planning Your PTA Year
- National PTA E-Learning
- PTA Basics
- Planning Your PTA Year
- Planning and Goal Setting
- Parliamentary Procedure
- Running a Successful Program
- Membership Awards
- Reflections Program
- Roadshows