Neighbors stepping up to establish PTAs at schools

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - Increasing the membership of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) is the assignment of the day.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg School (CMS) Family Engagement Counselor and National PTA leader Harold Dixon and his team are working to make sure all CMS schools have a PTA. Dixon says having PTAs present can make or break a school.

"They not only support schools and students through finances," Dixon said.  "But engagement encouraging parents to be involved, connecting parents to the curriculum, connecting parents to build relationships with the teachers, connecting parents to each other."

Dixon says last year CMS had about 16 schools with no PTAs. His team got to work and he says there are about three CMS schools with no PTAs this year.

"A lot of schools have parents that may have challenges at home and in the community and may not have the time to invest in organized parent organizations," Dixon said. "When they hear of PTA - they automatically think fundraising. They automatically think dues. They automatically think I got to be there all the time."

Dixon says that on the state level North Carolina PTA membership is slightly down. On the national level, membership is stagnant. This concerns Dixon, and that's why he is ready to recruit people from the school neighborhood to help establish a PTA.

Allenbrook Elementary School didn't have a PTA for several years.

"A lot of the parents are single parents," Allenbrook PTA President Lucian Cooke Sr said. "Some of them are working two jobs, most of them don't have transportation, so it's a lot of factors."

Cooke has no children at Allenbrook but stepped up to be president.

"We are still waiting on a nice parent participation," Cooke said.

He says while he waits for parents to step up, the members will look out for the teachers and students.

"When I go there to read books to the kids, a lot of times they say, 'Mr. Cooke, can I hug you?' They appreciate it," he said.

The PTA president is telling parents if they can't make it, then maybe a cousin or a sister can participate. Dixon says CMS staff is working with schools that have no PTA.

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