Sixth District everychild.onevoice.		Click here to join!

August 1, 2008

Dear Friend of Children and Families,

The PTA is committed to helping parents understand the importance of supporting the whole child -- not just education, but health and welfare issues as well. We encourage parents and community members to be informed about these issues in order to understand and support our schools and children.

For over 110 years, PTA has been at the forefront, championing for such things as the juvenile courts, crossing guards, the warning beep on trucks and buses that are backing up, and many other safety measures designed to protect children. Recognizing that hungry children do not learn well, PTA began school lunches -- today, in many cases, expanded to include breakfast. When libraries were not as well-placed as they are today, it was PTA that established and operated school libraries—and today, many PTAs are raising funds to keep the libraries open.

Many newspaper articles, television programs and radio stories have detailed the inequitable funding at schools around the county. Schools with high populations of students qualifying for free and reduced lunch are unable to raise the needed funds for services from their own school parents.  We have more than 35 PTAs in Santa Clara County where more than 80% of the students qualify for free/reduced lunch. Sixth District PTA, serving Santa Clara County, established the Santa Clara Valley PTA several years ago to provide monetary grants to help those PTAs. Sixth District PTA and Santa Clara Valley PTA have provided several grants in the last few years, but we need your help. Your membership and donation can provide resources to support, sustain and strengthen low-wealth PTAs in Santa Clara County.

By becoming a member of the Santa Clara Valley PTA, you address several needs in the county by:

• Advocating for all children and families in Santa Clara County, California, and the Nation, since members of Santa Clara Valley PTA automatically become members of California State PTA and the National PTA, the oldest and largest child advocacy organization in the country;
• Contributing essential funding to support low-wealth schools;
• Demonstrating that you believe all children, irrespective of their socio-economic status, should have access to the quality education experiences and services they deserve and will need to achieve their potential.

We need your support, and we are asking you to become a member of the Santa Clara Valley PTA. State PTA President Pam Brady stated, “We must speak out and protect children, even if it is not considered politically correct. The real value of being a volunteer PTA member is our steadfast focus on what is right for children.” Please join us in support for children and become a member of the Santa Clara Valley PTA. We need you. 

Please invite family members, friends, and neighbors to join as well.  You don’t have to have a child in school to join the PTA, and you don’t have to be a parent. You just have to care about children and public education. Membership is only $10 per person, and it’s tax deductible.  For a downloadable membership form, please click here.

Thank you!