Overlooked in the criticism is the fact that parents are trying harder than ever before to get involved. They're frightened about their child's inability to learn and they want to help. But PTA meetings aren't like they used to be. They're accused of being book burners and censors. The PTA has changed.
Parental advocacy is nowhere to be found.
The policies of the National PTA are, by its bylaws, automatically adopted by state and local clubs. If the PTA provides volunteers to man the classroom during a work stoppage, in the interest of protecting the immediate safety and welfare of children, it is branded as a strike-breaker. If the PTA does not take sides in issues being negotiated, it is accused of not being interested. If it supports the positions of the Board of Education, which is the representative of the public in negotiations, the teacher members of the PTA have threatened to withdraw membership and boycott the local PTA activities. The paper goes on to suggest the proper PTA activity should be to stay alert to symptoms of teacher dissatisfaction.