PTA Convention Notes: "Thank God for Mississippi"

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was a no-show, but I won the big door prize in the exhibit hall (an 80-gig iPod!). Here are some highlights of my four days as a delegate to our state PTA convention last week.

It felt weird to be at a convention where I was not only NOT live blogging, but where finding time (and electrical outlets) to add to my blog was difficult.

Had I not forgotten to bring my stupid AC adapter, I would have posted breathless little briefs about the nightmare of conference registration, the tame PTA swag (no BlogHer pasties or weirdly named water for this group!!), the nominations revolt on the convention hall floor that resulted in the association's first contested election in years, and the endless four-hour general sessions where passionate people argued over stuff like the parsing of the word "encroachment" in an amendment to an amendment of a resolution in favor of lobbying the government to actually follow through on funding for special education programs that was enacted in the 1970's -- but somehow never was enforced.

If my computer and Internet access had been readily available, I would have commented on "Hot Topics in Sacramento," which was the title of the first workshop I attended, where we learned of a "Getting Down to Facts" education finance study commissioned by our Governor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and legislative leaders. Actually, it was over 20 studies by different institutions, costing over $1.5 million (underwritten by a consortium of groups dedicated to improving public education: The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The James Irvine Foundation, and The Stuart Foundation).

The upshot of the study is that now, for the first time, we have empirical proof (not anecdotal evidence) that California schools are underfinanced. The panel first presented us with good news, showing dramatic improvements in our children's test scores -- across the board. But that was followed by the unrelenting bad news: that while the standards we have set for our students go way above the national average, the money we allocate for our schools is pitiably low, and our API ratings are still second to last in the nation. (Hence the quote that titles this post). The way we finance education in our state is complex and (my description:) nutty, and we are the only state in the nation that hogties our communities when it comes to raising revenue for education (thanks to Proposition 13, the passage of which is usually marked as the beginning of the end of first-class public schools here in California). We are also the most populous state in the US, and have the largest proportion of immigrant, special needs and low income students, all of whom require additional services.

The conclusion of the study is that fixing the system would require both reforming the system and and raising the education budget by an estimated additional 40%. As we already spend $66 billion per year on education, you can imagine how tough a struggle this is going to be. But the reports pointed out that how far below the national average California's education spending actually is. "After adjusting for regional cost differences, the research finds that Texas spends 12 percent more per pupil than California; Florida, 18 percent; New York, 75 percent, and the rest of the country, 30 percent." (Quote from project press release.)

This would bring our students up to par in language arts and math -- but it would not address improving their performance in science, social studies or the arts.

If I had been able to live blog, I would have commented on workshops like "Raising Media Savvy Kids in a Digital Age," presented by Rebecca Randall of Common Sense Media. Their site offers sensible ratings of all kinds of media: TV, movies, video games, music and websites -- reviewed by people who "believe in media sanity, not censorship." Randall gave a balanced, powerful presentation, acknowledging the dangers of our electronically stimulated culture, as well as its benefits. This is a resource that I will be frequenting quite a bit.

If I'd been able to use my computer for anything other than email, I would have taken and uploaded a lot more photos of the people I met, in workshops and networking events. Our local district dinner was held aboard the Spirit of Sacramento, an refurbished paddleboat that cruises along the Sacramento River (and gave me the opportunity to enjoy a tourist attraction I'd not previously encountered on my many visits to the city).

I would have reported back on the disappointment -- and frustration -- in the hall when the Governor backed out of his appearance at the last minute -- again. "I guess he's too busy to walk across the street," state PTA President Brenda Davis remarked. (The Convention Center is located just down the street from the Capitol Building and is adjacent to the Sacramento Hyatt Regency, where Schwarzenegger famously lives as he commutes there from his home here in SoCal.) In his place, we did get the State Secretary of Education -- and actress Carol Channing, who has spent the last several years putting in her time -- and money -- to try to get arts programs reintroduced into our schools.

I would have written about the state winners of PTA's Reflections arts program, which at many of our schools, is just about the only art exposure California kids get. We viewed the works of talented kids in visual arts, photography, choreography, and musical composition. WOW. I would love to see what our students could do if their schools were able to give them some instruction.

Most of all, I would have told you how much I admire the people who devote so much of their lives to this un-sexy, non-trendy organization. Most of the ones who have risen to leadership levels no longer have children in the system. I sarcastically categorized them to my roommate as "lifers," but secretly wished that I had enough passion -- and energy -- to follow their lead. These people truly, deeply care about advocating for our children. I may not always agree with their priorities or methods, but I do believe they should be admired for trying to be part of the solution.

Viva la PTA!

Comments

[DrumsNWhistles]

Congratulations on the iPod (she wrote with grudging good will, because an 80 gig iPod with video sounds fun...)!

Great report, too..thanks for giving so much detail!