A recent email to members of the High School PTSA showed that membership is down from 916 last year to 674 members this year. That is a 26.4% drop in membership from last year. In jest, the PTSA President asked, "Was it something we said?" There is a message here somewhere. WAS it something they said? Are people cutting back because they don't have the money to pay the $8.00 membership? That is the equivilent to two lattes, the new gold standard in Mt. Lebanon. Do they not agree with the High School renovation project as it stands? Or are parents unhappy with the way the High School is being run in general?
I am overwhelmed at the comments that are coming to me privately. Someone even sent me this comment.
ReplyDeleteParents push back at schools' requests for volunteers
"coming to me privately" !
ReplyDeleteIsn't it absolutely amazing that parents will not come forward openly or publicly to be critical, for good and valid reasons, of the PTSA, PTA or the District because or fear of possible intimidation, retribution and/or harassment of their children or themselves....whether from actual prior experience or just perceived.
This is not an exception example but a confirming example of a long standing behavioral practice that occurs all too often.
Bill Lewis
That's right Bill, we live in a community of 30,000+ people, yet I can count the number of people who actively comment on the blogs on one hand. Perhaps it's because when people do speak up (regardless of their view) they are slapped across the nose like a dog jumping up on the kitchen counter. A couple regular bloggers have single handedly sapped the amicable debate and conversation right out of the blogs.
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteWhen I was collecting signatures for the petition, I heard from so many people who said that they couldn't sign because:
1. They worked for the school district and were afraid to sign.
2. They worked for the municipality and were afraid to sign.
3. Their child played sports and were afraid to sign.
4. They were involved with the PTA and were afraid to sign.
5. They didn't want to cause friction with their neighbor and were afraid to sign.
The bottom line is there were many more than the 4,000 out there who wanted to sign but couldn't out of fear. That is pathetic.
This blog is not neutral. You all know where I stand. And come election time, the others will come forth.
Elaine
All I know is that few people are more vocal than me, and I've never received a threat, a unkind word or anything else that would lead me to stop voicing my opinion on this issue. And I've never come close to anything that I would consider official revenge or intimidation. I'm not buying it. This town is so wired now that if anyone received even the slightest bit of official intimidation or retribution, everyone would know about it before the next day's 6:00 news.
ReplyDeleteAnd the sports argument is complete nonsense. I'm opposed to spending $113 million on the school and I'm on the Board of 3 sports associations and my daughter plays a high school sport. When we make up teams for little league baseball or youth football, we don't have a list of who is in favor of the project and who isn't.
Dave,
ReplyDeleteI can't respond to the sports argument, but I can say, first hand, that quite a few of us (me included)have been intimidated at school board meetings, personal attacks have been made against us and they have been documented on the podcasts, character assassinations have been made against us (again on the podcasts), have been accused of sign stealing and have had "visitors" at our doors with cameras. Puleeze. Dave, you are fortunate you have not been treated this way by the very vocal group here in Leboland who like to bully their way through public meetings. This same, small group does not support their statements with facts. The fact remains that the HS PTSA membership is down 26.4%. Was it something they said?