At Parkdale, the absence of a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has created challenges for both teachers and parents. Despite efforts to form the group, the school has yet to establish a PTA, leaving a gap in collaboration and support for students’ education.

Without a PTA, teachers and parents have had to find alternative ways to communicate and collaborate. According to a study by the National PTA, PTAs help build a sense of community among parents, teachers, and students by organizing social events, family-oriented activities, and collaborative projects that bring people together. This sense of community creates a strong support system, boosts school pride, and benefits the school environment overall.

At Parkdale, not having a PTA has led to fewer chances for building that sense of community and limited ways for parents to get involved in their kids’ education.

A teacher at Parkdale also believes that having a PTA could make a big difference. 

“PTAs are important because they bring together all of the stakeholders in a school to support the students,” said English teacher Neville Adams. “They can help raise money, plan events, and serve as a liaison to the community.” 

Mr. Adams also shared that Parkdale once had a PTA before and reflected on how helpful it was.

“The staff had more of a bond with parents. It also helped more teachers to be more invested in the community,” he said. “It is often not easy to connect with an environment that you only see as you are driving into and out of.” Building that kind of connection again, he believes, would benefit the students of our school. 

Students, too, have noticed how not having a PTA affects the school. 

“I think if we had a PTA, there would be more school events and activities for students to participate in,” said sophomore Treasure Cyprian. “It would help make school more fun and bring people together.”

Other students agreed that a PTA could also help give students more of a voice.

“It feels like students don’t have a say in what happens at school,” said sophomore Leticia Medina. “A PTA could be a way for parents and teachers to hear what we care about.” 

Students mentioned that events like spirit days, dances, and school fundraisers could be more frequent with stronger parent involvement. 

When parents are asked about how they feel about Parkdale not having a PTA and if they’re willing to do it, their response was, “I want to be more involved in my child’s school, but without a PTA, there aren’t many organized ways to do that,” said a Parkdale parent, who wished to remain anonymous. “It would be great to have more events where families can connect with teachers and other parents.”

Despite these challenges, there is still hope for change. Some staff and parents have expressed interest in restarting the PTA, and students say they would support it if it meant more involvement and better experiences at school. While it may take time and effort to organize, many in the Parkdale community believe that bringing back a PTA could be a powerful step toward building a stronger, more connected school environment.