The "New" PTA

The PTA changes their leadership. Membership has been declining for years, probably because dues go to a national HQ whose lobbying stance is indistinguishable from the most Leftist of Dems.

Does it occur to them to perhaps adopt a more balanced approach? Well, in a way. They think they can up their membership by attracting fathers to the group and have hired a man without children to be their new president.

Many local chapters left in the first place to form independent PTOs, as Democrat politics always have trumped local concerns, and the core Dem constituency, the teachers' unions, always put their own welfare ahead of the children's.

The final irony is that the PTA is headquartered in Chicago, one of the worst school districts in the country, though some strides have been made under Arne Duncan. With all this right under their nose you would think the PTA might be more open to real education reform. But no.

Perhaps there is some recognition here by this hire, though, that the public schools are failing our boys in record numbers. Even in upscale suburban schools the gender gap is still there--to the detriment of boys. This has been going on in my suburb of Wilmette for years. They are trying to change their teaching methods, but probably it now has to do as much with dumbed-down math curriculum.

The new PTA, probably the same as the old PTA. We can always hope, but it probably won't be enough.