Not just bake sales anymore

PTAs invest in their schools

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Parent-Teacher Associations — groups of mothers and fathers who help at school functions — are doing much more these days than baking and selling cookies and cakes to raise money to support the school play.

Today, these parent-run organizations are involved in an array of activities and programs to help enhance their schools and, in turn, their children’s education. From organizing dances to hosting superintendent roundtable discussions, PTAs give voice to parents’ concerns and act as conduits of information.

“The Lawrence PTA presidents regularly meet with district and school administrators to discuss issues that arise in our school and district, then work together to find solutions to those issues,” said Pam Makaea, co-president of the Lawrence Middle School PTA with Sasha Young. “The PTAs work hard to fundraise to provide educational programs, financial support for students, equipment and programs such as Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, book fairs, school carnivals and events, and student awards.”

PTAs in the Lawrence district have supported the Life Skills School Store, where students with special needs have learned to stock shelves, make change and interact with other students; a review of reading, writing and grammar; and district-wide construction projects.

In Hewlett-Woodmere, the PTAs provide information on pertinent educational issues, such as the state test opt-out movement and school budgets, and help to bring more cultural arts, science and history programs to the students, according to Linda Kreisman, who has been involved in the Franklin Early Childhood Center, Ogden Elementary School, Woodmere Middle School and Central Council PTAs for the past 12 years and served as president of all of them. The Hewlett High School PTA, in partnership with Students Against Destructive Decisions, sponsored a Save A Life Tour event, in which students used a simulator to learn about driving while texting and being under the influence of alcohol.

“We’re not just bake sales,” Kreisman said. “The PTA provides information. We educate parents so they can make informed decisions, but we do not tell them what to do.”

Susette Preziosi and Debra Sheinin, co-presidents of Hewlett-Woodmere’s Central Council PTA, said that new members are always welcome. “We encourage parents that have never gotten involved before to give it a try,” Preziosi said. “We are always looking for volunteers, and we find that being part of the PTA is very rewarding.”

In private schools such as the Hebrew Academy of Long Beach, its Lev Chana Early Childhood Center and its high schools — Davis Renov Stahler for boys and Stella K. Abraham for girls — the parents’ groups support school trips, bar and bat mitzvah breakfasts, Shabbatons (peer bonding events) and other activities and programs, according to HALB Executive Director Richard Hagler.

“Parent involvement is very important,” Hagler said. “It creates a connection, and [PTAs] act as conduits for parents to express their needs and wants. All the money raised goes to the betterment of the schools for the students.”
Local PTAs can reach out to the national PTA to help them improve the ways in which they support their schools. Frank Kwan, chair of the National PTA’s Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach Committee, said that PTAs have always been resources for families, and that the most recent challenge is getting more people involved, especially as the demographics of an area change.

“The challenge in our society in general is, how inclusive can we be in the face of change?” Kwan said. “The key is inclusion — come one, come all, it’s a big tent, and our primary purpose is to help our kids and their families.”

To get involved in the Hewlett-Woodmere PTAs, contact Susette Preziosi, at susettep2002@yahoo.com, or Debra Sheinin, at drsheflin@hotmail.com.

To get involved in the Lawrence PTAs, email lawrencepta@yahoo.com.

For more information about the National PTA, go to www.pta.org.