VERDE VALLEY – Celebrating its 125th anniversary this year, the National Association of Parents and Teachers was founded in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, mother of William Randolph Hearst, the Hearst Communications magnate .
At the time of the organization’s founding, women did not have the right to vote, social activism was frowned upon, and Jim Crow laws were widespread across the country. The idea of mothers conferring with teachers, workers, and lawmakers to improve their children’s lives, education, and safety was pretty revolutionary at the time. In 1970, the original organization became the National PTA after merging with the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT).
At the local level, some schools choose to join the national PTA with a member community affiliated with the national organization. West Sedona School has an official PTA group, as does Mountain View Preparatory (MVP) in Cottonwood. Other schools form parent-teacher organizations (PTOs), which are independent of the national PTA, such as Oak Creek School in Cornville. Others follow a different route, such as Sedona Red Rock Junior/Senior High School (SRRHS), which has a Site Council made up of teachers, parents and students that acts as an advisory board and a Booster Club that conducts fundraising activities for to school. All these organizations depend on the parents.
“As a parent or guardian, it can be difficult to know how to get involved in your child’s education,” said Jeanna Mandeville of the Oak Creek School PTO. “That’s one of the reasons our PTO was created. Of course, school boards and administrators can make the big decisions, but our PTO can fill in the gaps and provide support and information for families. The our organization is a great way to get involved behind the scenes and in the school community.”
The Oak Creek School PTO hosts fundraising events throughout the year, including the upcoming Halloween Carnival in October and the Old Tyme Country Fair in November.
Rachelle Jarvis is in her first year as president of the MVP PTA.
“We are a starting point for communication,” he said, “So that parents can meet other parents and teachers to achieve common goals. We raise funds to bridge the budget gap to help provide the necessary elements, such as a structure of shade on the playground and interactive televisions in the classroom.”
West Sedona School hosts its Wildcat Carnival each fall to help raise much needed funds for the school. This year’s carnival is on October 22 and will feature bounce houses, slides, face painting, a escape tank and a trampoline.
Heather Hermen of Sedona is both the president of the SRRHS Site Council and the Scorpions Booster Club. “The Site Council is strictly an informational and advisory group to the school administration,” he said. “The Booster Club is the non-profit fundraising arm. Our fundraising efforts benefit students and teachers in grades 6-12.”
In addition to the many ongoing fundraising activities, for this school year the Scorpions Booster Club has created a program called “Strive for .5” to help motivate students to improve their GPA by .5 or more. “We will offer prizes and awards to students who make it,” Hermen said. The Scorpions Booster Club has also become known for their annual Casino Night which takes place this school year on February 11, 2023 at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.
“We are always looking for ways to improve the student experience and help make a difference in the lives of as many students as possible,” Hermen said. “Teachers are a big part of the equation and we do everything we can to help them have a pleasant experience and want to stay at our school. Our efforts help supplement when the school district does not have the funds to help in different areas. Arizona is one of the most underfunded states in the country, making PTA and Booster organizations more important than ever.”
Cindy Cole is a freelancer for the Independent. She is a writer, editor, photographer and artist. Contact her at cindycole@live.com.
