RESOLUTIONS from ACPTA
Resolution In Support of AISD 2008 Bonds
Adopted by the ACPTA general membership on April 11, 2008
WHEREAS the quality of public
education in a community significantly contributes to the quality of life
of its residents;
WHEREAS the Citizen’s
Bond Advisory Committee met throughout the fall of 2007, visited campuses,
and hosted public forums to evaluate a number of urgent issues including
building and health code requirements, safety, state-mandated science
graduation requirements, relief for overcrowded schools at 125 % plus
capacity, much-needed repairs and renovations, and improvements in energy
and environmental responsiveness;
WHEREAS, technology is
an important tool for teachers to monitor student achievement and to allow
students to become more actively engaged in the classroom, and whereas not
all schools have equitable access to technology;
WHEREAS, the bond will
improve education by constructing and renovating high school science labs
to meet new four-year state requirements, construct new schools and
classroom additions at currently overcrowded campuses, and provide a
performing Arts Center for all AISD schools to use;
WHEREAS, AISD continues
to protect the environment by renovating heating and air conditioning
units and by purchasing low-emission-fuel hybrid buses
WHEREAS, there will be
no impact on senior citizens who have claimed their property as a
homestead;
WHEREAS, a Citizens’
Bond Oversight Committee representing all parts of the District will be
appointed by the Board of Trustees to monitor the scope, timeline and
expenditures of the bond funds;
NOW THEREFORE be it
resolved that the Austin Council of PTAs (ACPTA) supports the passage of
the Austin Independent School District 2008 Bond Package that will improve
education, expand technology and protect the environment.
RESOLUTION
AGAINST VOUCHERS
WHEREAS,
private
school vouchers would cause a loss of billions of dollars to Texas public
schools; and
WHEREAS,
our limited
tax funds are necessary to adequately fund and strengthen our public schools and
help underachieving students to succeed; and
WHEREAS,
Texas
taxpayers do not want their property taxes raised to compensate for money lost
to pay private school tuition for a few; and
WHEREAS,
Texas already has a $1 billion school choice pilot program in the form of
charter schools; and
WHEREAS,
the vouchers
divert taxpayer money from neighborhood schools, while supporting franchised
for-profit schools, private schools, religious schools, home schools, and even
investor-owned on-line "virtual schools" offering classes over the Internet;
and
WHEREAS, public schools are financially accountable to local and
state taxpayers, proposed voucher legislation does not provide financial
oversight of the public dollars going to private entities; and
WHEREAS,
stringent accountability mandates are imposed upon public schools, denying
promotion and diplomas to children based on TAKS performance, voucher proposals
introduced in the Texas Legislature do not make private schools subject to these
requirements; and
WHEREAS,
private schools are not bound by the numerous state and federal laws and court
decisions that apply to Texas public schools, such as laws related to open
government, special education, transportation, teacher qualifications,
curriculum and textbooks, class size limits, discipline, eligibility for UIL
competition and no-pass/no-play, compensatory education, bilingual education,
and myriad others; and
WHEREAS,
Texas schoolchildren are not trapped in low-performing public schools because
parents have choices for the public schools their children attend, including
intra-district and inter-district transfers, magnet schools, charter schools,
and open-enrollment schools.
BE
IT RESOLVED,
that
the Austin Council of Parent Teacher Associations opposes any and all voucher
proposals introduced in the Texas Legislature, either as pilots or full-scale
programs.
Adopted
the 6th day of March 2003.
Resolution
to Support a Smoke-Free Austin
Whereas,
secondhand smoke causes health problems just like active smoking;
Whereas,
secondhand smoke is linked to cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness in
non-smoking adults, and it is especially harmful to children;
Whereas,
secondhand smoke causes serious health problems in children including onset and
exacerbation of asthma, respiratory illness, middle ear infection and has even
been linked to low birth weight and SIDS;
Whereas,
smoke-free public places encourage children to lead tobacco-free lives;
Whereas,
many parents and family members who are exposed to secondhand smoke at work are
primary or secondary caregivers to children;
Whereas,
secondhand smoke creates a serious occupational health hazard for workers,
especially bar workers who suffer a 50 percent higher rate of lung cancer than
the average office worker;
Whereas,
the Texas PTA supports smoke-free environments and partners with other
organizations to advocate for policy change across the state;
Therefore,
be it resolved that Austin Council of PTAs supports a strong municipal ordinance
that makes all public
buildings in
Austin smoke-free to eliminate unnecessary exposure to the toxins in secondhand
smoke and create healthy environments for children and families to play and
work.
Adopted
on this the 6th day of March 2003.
PARENT SUPPORT
SPECIALISTS RESOLUTION
The
Austin Council of PTAs Board adopted the following resolution on February 11,
2003.
Be it resolved, that in light
of the current budget crisis, AISD is proposing eliminating district funds for
Parent Support Specialists (Budget Item 27) and that Parent Support Specialists
perform vital functions on many campuses, that the District promulgate
guidelines requiring campuses that receive Title I federal funds to support a
Parent Support Specialist.
Background and Rationale:
ACPTA
Executive Board has determined that the Budget Item #27 Account for
Learning has omitted any funding for Parent Support Specialists. The specific details for
item #27 include eliminating approximately sixty Parent
Support Specialists funded by Account for Learning, eliminating Field Trips it
funded, and also cutting back on the Instructional Specialists to 35.
Our organization requests that some mechanism be adopted to ensure funding for
the Parent Support Specialists. Clearly the funding can come from Title
I funds and we request that the District provide guidelines to the campuses
for the Parent Support Specialists to be included in allocation of federal
funding.
We
base our position on the fact that Parent Support Specialists help the quality
of the children's education by making the school a welcoming place for parents,
by getting parents to volunteer or spend time at school, and by indirectly
instilling the value of education in children. We have seen innumerable cases
where the Parent Specialist was the single factor in parents becoming involved
in their child's school. The Specialists also work to address the
specific needs of their community.
Further
we would like to remind the committee that Title I requires that schools
receiving Title I funds must spend part of those funds for Parent
Involvement.
In
some cases, funding may be possible through No Child Left Behind funds which is
equally viable.
Lastly,
we wish to clarify that schools now use their Title I funding for
salaries of many other positions. If left to a campus-level decision, the
reallocation of funds for this position may not occur. To ensure these positions
are funded, the District needs to stipulate that the Parent Support
Specialists be funded and this would be accomplished with the federal
funds.
|
