every child. one voice.

ADVOCACY

Proposed Resolution from the Duval County Council PTA

On April 15, 2018   /   ADVOCACY, DCCPTA, FEATURED  

Proposed Resolution from the Duval County Council PTA

Dear Local Units,

Your DCC PTA Board voted to present local units with the following Resolution On Arming Teachers. We are fulfilling our mission as a child advocacy organization and need your help. Please review the resolution with your general membership and hold a vote. We will then do the same at our April General Meeting (4/24) where you can let your local unit’s voice be heard. If the resolution passes, it will be presented to the DCPS School Board at their May meeting. Please contact us with any questions.

Melissa Daniel, DCC PTA
advocacy@dccpta.org

 

RESOLUTION

Whereas the Student Code of Conduct prohibits weapons on school property and teachers should set the example, and

Whereas teachers are not trained to be law enforcement officers and do not have the time or resources to obtain proper training, and

Whereas it would be extremely difficult for law enforcement officers to determine who was legally armed during a crisis, and

Whereas the responsibility of teachers should be to protect those students in their classrooms, not to get involved in a shooting incident, and

Whereas the Duval County School Board does not favor arming school personnel, and

Whereas the Sheriff of Duval County does not favor arming school personnel, and

Whereas the Mayor of Duval County does not favor arming school personnel, and

Whereas the Governor of Florida does not favor arming school personnel, and

Whereas other security measures such as keeping exterior building doors locked and keeping classroom doors locked while classes are in session should be implemented, and

Whereas teachers carrying guns could be overpowered by a student or a group of students, and the weapons could fall into the wrong hands, be it therefore..

Resolved that the Duval County Council of PTAs supports the employment of armed School Resource Officers (SROs) as the only armed personnel to aid in the safety of our students.

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Legislative Alert: February 20th

On February 20, 2018   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED, FLORIDA PTA, LEGISLATIVE  
Legislative Udate:
 
Now that HB7055, commonly known as the “bullying bill,” has passed the House, it has moved to the Senate, where it will be heard in the Education Committee this Tuesday, February 20th at 11:00am. Under a “strike-all” amendment that Senator Hukill filed, the content of the bill has changed to eliminate some House provisions and to reflect Senate positions on a number of issues. Still included in the bill, however, is the Hope Scholarship, which will allow children who have been subjected to a classmate’s verbal or physical abuse to attend a different public or private school at state expense.
The Hope Scholarship has two major flaws. First, it does nothing to address the behavior of offenders, thus leaving them in place to victimize other students. Second, it diverts the tax dollars we pay when we buy a new or used car from the state treasury to private schools, without taking into account the ability of the victim’s parents to finance a private education on their own, the academic performance of the private school, or its policies regarding incidents of physical or verbal abuse.
Florida PTA opposes the expansion of school choice without full accountability, and the diversion of tax dollars away from general revenues, where they can be used to address the needs of all Floridians. At a time when we have been made newly aware of gaps in our ability to protect our students and our schools, and of our obligations towards teachers and other school personnel, three of whom have just laid down their lives, we must insist that our precious dollars be spent where it counts the most.
Please email your legislator today and tell them to provide real, common-sense solutions to the problems of bullying and other abusive behavior. Tell them as well to exercise sound fiscal judgment, and to allocate our tax dollars in support of all of our students, their teachers, and their schools. To do otherwise would mean that the lessons we have learned these past few days have been wasted on us.​
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/6eLILRl0cP2Y703n9QvfqQ
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Legislative Alert Feb 1, 2018

On February 2, 2018   /   ADVOCACY, FLORIDA PTA, LEGISLATIVE  

 

Thank you for your continuing interest in Legislative session 2018!

This past week, the House has been pushing through HB 7055, which is a train bill similar to HB 7069. This legislation is steamrolling several bills into one, each of which should be heard on its own merit.

HB 311 and HB 427 are two good pieces of legislation that have yet to be heard in committee. This new legislation, respectively, provides alternative pathways to a standard high school diploma and will eliminate unneeded testing by allowing school districts to set teacher salary schedules removing the merit pay requirement currently in law.

The Florida PTA urges you to call your House Representative and urge them to support or co-sponsor HB 311 and HB 427.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/7KsZuZ2leNASC52v4eM4xg

 

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January 30th Lunch & Learn- Human Trafficking

On January 14, 2018   /   ADVOCACY, DCCPTA, FEATURED  

DCCPTA will present a Lunch & Learn on human trafficking following our General Meeting on Tuesday, January 30th at 11:30 a.m. in the Cline Auditorium.  

Human trafficking happens close to home…Florida continues to be 3rd in the nation in calls to the National Human Trafficking Hotline.  According to a study of U.S. Department of Justice the average age that a trafficked victim is first used for commercial sex is 12-14.  Children are particularly vulnerable to human traffickers.  Please join us to learn more about this important human rights issue.

Please RSVP if you plan on joining us.  Lunch will be provided based on RSVPs.

January 30th Lunch and Learn-RSVP

January 30th Lunch and Learn-RSVP

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K-12 Education: A Look Ahead to the 2018 Legislative Session 

On November 15, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED, LEGISLATIVE  

Education Works Virtual Forum

K-12 Education: A Look Ahead to the 2018 Legislative Session 

Tuesday, December 12th | 3:00 – 4:00 pm EST

Learn about the education priorities of key statewide organizations and policymakers, the budget outlook and the latest education priorities from Tallahassee in this no-cost, one-hour webinar open to those interested in Florida education issues.  
Click HERE to register and receive login information.

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Jacksonville Public Education Fund

On November 9, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED  

Join the Jacksonville Public Education Fund at a public forum on December 4 to discuss improvements to public education.  Parents/caregivers and middle/high school students will have a great opportunity to give their ideas about how we can improve public education.

Event Flyer

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HOUSE BILL 7069

On September 4, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED, NEWS  

HOUSE BILL 7069: WHAT’S IN IT, WHAT IT MEANS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT

The Duval County Public School Board has voted to join a proposed lawsuit that will challenge the constitutionality of a controversial education law the Florida Legislature passed this spring.  Are you wondering what all of the fuss is about?

Florida PTA has provided a concise and informative summary of HB 7069, outlining the damaging aspects of this law to the public education system and where the State Legislature is mandating that your Duval County tax revenue be spent.  We urge all Duval residents to take the time to familiarize themselves with this issue and contact your lawmakers  to let you opinion be heard.

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Take Action National PTA Take Action

On June 1, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED, LEGISLATIVE, NATIONAL PTA  

Trump Administration Proposes $9.2 Billion Cut to Public Education.

 

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Take Action Today- Florida PTA Opposes Conformation Of Bill 7069

On May 8, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FEATURED, LEGISLATIVE  

Late Friday afternoon a massive education bill was introduced through the budget process.  This bill was negotiated behind closed doors, bypassing the democratic process of public input and the option for amendments.  While testing reform, daily recess, and other good education policies have been placed inside this bill, it has a devastating impact on the education budget that will leave our most vulnerable children behind.

Now is the time to act!  Please CALL today and tell your Senator to vote NO on Conforming Bill 7069. Our children are worth more than this.

Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/RCWdk1a6uaeOUIvNT94MeQ

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As the largest child advocacy association in the state, the Florida PTA’s mission has always been to serve and support EVERY child.  Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that the Florida PTA must oppose conforming bill 7069.

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?m=1104540460460&ca=c72d3503-aa21-4f47-94ed-193595e2ba4b

 

BLUE LOGO-SMALL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 7, 2017

Contact Information:

Cindy Gerhardt, President

president@floridapta.org

407-855-7604

FAX 407-240-9577

www.floridapta.org
Late Friday afternoon, a massive education package was introduced through the budgeting process.  While there are many valuable elements in this bill like sensible testing reform, parent friendly testing reports, daily recess, and important early learning initiatives, conforming bill 7069 will leave too many of our most vulnerable children behind.  The Title I provision takes away our school districts’ ability to effectively support our at-risk students.  The required sharing of local tax dollars intended for school construction and repair diverts resources away from traditional public schools in all neighborhoods.  Other provisions of this bill were never vetted in committee, thereby excluding essential input from parents and other community members.
As the largest child advocacy association in the state, the Florida PTA’s mission has always been to serve and support EVERY child.  Therefore, it is with a heavy heart that the Florida PTA must oppose conforming bill 7069.
Florida PTA comprises hundreds of thousands of families, students, teachers, administrators and business and community leaders devoted to improving the lives of children/youth in our state. PTA is the oldest and largest child advocacy association in the state of Florida, as well as the nation. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children. More information is available by contacting Florida PTA (407/855-7604 or executive.director@floridapta.org).
 
For more information visit our website www.floridapta.org and/or our Facebook page for programs available in your community. 
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PTA Members Take Action Now! April 27

On April 29, 2017   /   ADVOCACY, FLORIDA PTA, LEGISLATIVE  
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General Meetings:

General DCCPTA Meetings
are above and run from 9:30 am - 11:30 am, hospitality 9:00 -9:30 a.m. meeting 9:30 am. Make sure your PTA/PTSA has a representative. Join us at:
Duval County Public Schools
School Board Building
Cline Auditorium, 1st floor
1701 Prudential Dr
Jacksonville, Florida 32207

PTA – Applications – Forms – Spreadsheets – Samples

Mailing Address:

DCC PTA
P.O. Box 5397
Jacksonville, FL 32247
 Email DCC President
Email Local Unit Team