CHILDREN’S SERVICES DISTRICTS
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to exclude Children’s Services Districts from the definition of public body as defined in the Community Redevelopment Act.
CLASS SIZE REDUCTION
(1994) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to phase in maximum class size standards lower than those mandated by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) by the year 1999 and to establish class size standards for Exceptional Student Education classes; and
The Florida PTA urges the legislature to fully fund the capital, personnel and operational cost necessary to decrease or maintain class sizes under these levels.
National PTA supports class size reduction
proposals that consider actual class size, meaning the number of
students in a teacher’s room for whom that teacher is
accountable, rather than pupil/teacher ratios, which do not
accurately reflect teachers’ contacts with children. National
PTA recognizes that class size reduction efforts will require a
significant financial commitment for recruiting, hiring, and
training qualified teachers, and increased school facilities.
However, this investment will be offset in the long term by the
money saved when the economic and social costs associated with
grade retention and dropping out of school are reduced.
National PTA supports parents, school
administrators and faculty, community members, and government
officials working together to assure that research-based,
successful education practices to reduce class size are
replicated in their communities until all public schools in the
country are effective schools.
CLINIC ATTENDANTS
(1991) The Florida PTA supports the full funding through public funds of a paid, trained clinic attendant or health aide in each public elementary school during student hours.
COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLANS
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to include public schools in the infrastructure, as it is designated in the concurrency section of FS163 dealing with Comprehensive Land Use Plans.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
(1992) The Florida PTA strongly urges the legislature to prohibit the use of corporal punishment in schools.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
— ALTERNATIVE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES (1987) The Florida PTA encourages school districts to develop and implement positive alternative disciplinary measures in lieu of corporal punishment.
COVERAGE FOR THERAPEUTIC AND HABILITATIVE TREATMENTS FOR CHILDREN
(2000) The Florida PTA urges the Florida Legislature to support legislation mandating health insurance coverage of therapies for all children in need of Speech, Occupational, Physical and other Habilitative Treatments; and therefore be it further
resolved that the Florida PTA submit a resolution in favor of insurance coverage for Habilitative Treatments for children, to the National PTA.
CURRICULUM —
COMPREHENSIVE (1982) The Florida PTA believes that quality education should include a basic comprehensive curriculum which would include, but not be limited to: (1) Basic Skills-language arts, writing, mathematics, arts, music, health, physical education, science and social studies; and (2) Life Skills-problem solving, decision-making, understanding of self and others and communication.
CURRICULUM —
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (1986) The Florida PTA urges the Legislation to require one year of lead time to phase in, beginning at the 9th grade level, any changes in course requirements and/or graduation requirements. Changes in post-secondary education entrance requirements should not affect students already enrolled in high school at the time that changes are made.
- DAILY
RECESS (2004) The
Florida PTA urges the school districts to
require daily recess (defined as supervised, active,
unstructured play) with adequate equipment and adequate
supervision of at least 20 consecutive minutes for all
elementary children.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS
(1988) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to require the Department of Transportation to receive approval for projects which
have an impact on a school or school crossing from the school board and the county or municipality.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
(1997) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to adequately fund services that reduce domestic violence and its impact on the lives of children.
DOOR TO DOOR SALES
(1990) The Florida PTA urges school districts to adopt policies which would prohibit door to door sales and/or solicitations by kindergarten through eighth grade children, unless accompanied by a responsible adult.
DROPOUT PREVENTION FUNDING
(1989) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to fully fund Dropout Prevention Programs. If a district exceeds its established caps on this program, these FTEs should revert to the appropriate basic cost factor.
DRUG FREE SCHOOLS ZONES
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to amend Florida Law Chapter 90-111, Section 893.13 (Drug Free Zones) to include school district offices and ancillary facilities as well as child care centers and public libraries.
DRUGS — SUBSTANCE ABUSE AWARENESS
(1987) The Florida PTA encourages PTAs at all levels to participate in or to plan appropriate activities that will develop among citizens a maximum awareness of substance abuse thus insuring the health and well-being of future generations.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Readiness to Start School (1998) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to ensure that early child care and education programs are safe, nurturing, and developmentally appropriate by establishing licensing requirements based on statewide standards that reflect current research. These programs should be affordable, available, and accessible with assistance for parents with inadequate income.
The Florida PTA opposes using a standardized testing tool as the basis for major decisions regarding early childhood placement or progress, or to deny entry to public education.
The Florida PTA urges its PTA and county councils to work within their communities to make available to parents the materials, resources, and education needed to foster optimal early childhood development.
EDUCATION FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED CHILDREN: That
the National PTA endorse and support educational programs in the
public schools for those children identified as gifted and
talented.
That the National PTA prepare materials that parents might use
in local school districts to encourage schools to pursue
identification of gifted and talented children and to realize
their responsibilities to provide educational programs for these
particular youngsters.
EDUCATION FUNDING AWARENESS
(1996) The Florida PTA directs its board of directors to provide information and training to its PTAs and county councils on the history, current status and processes surrounding education funding.
The Florida PTA urges its PTAs and county to work within their communities to facilitate understanding of education funding issues at the state and local levels.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES
(1989) The Florida PTA shall urge and support the passing of legislation requiring that environmental impact studies be completed prior to the construction of new schools and that new school construction should be a distance of no less than four hundred feet from the right of way of high voltage power lines.
ESE INCLUSION IN FLORIDA
(1994)
The Florida PTA endorses the Joint Philosophy statement entitled
"Inclusion in Florida" and the Florida PTA and its local units
and councils (will) educate their members as well as the
community at large to the purposes and direction of Inclusion in
Florida.
EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR
(1999) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to adequately fund districts that submit a plan to extend the minimum public school
year. The Florida PTA encourage our members to participate in school level and district level planning, if an extension of the school year is being considered.
EXTREMIST GROUPS
(1983) Local PTAs and county councils should become informed of the tactics used by extremist groups, either to the right or to the left, and be prepared to assure that all PTA decisions are constructive, based on facts, and are by a majority vote.
We will consider the impact of any legislation on the family and support laws that encourage the rights and
responsibilities of parents and children.
FAMILY UNIT (1980) The Florida PTA wishes to reaffirm its position that the home is the basic unit in the structure of our society and should be the most constructive influence in building character, a sense of values and a concept of the world for all children and youth. To reinforce this belief, we pledge our efforts to identify, understand and help family units as they exist in today’s world. We will work to provide parent education and support activities that involve family participation. We will encourage schools to include components in the curriculum that prepare youth for their role as a worthy member of the family unit. We will work in cooperation with community agencies to provide help for families in trouble. We will consider the impact of any legislation on the family and support laws that encourage the rights and responsibilities of parents and children.
FIREARMS (1995) The Florida PTA shall seek and support state and national legislation that would accomplish those goals espoused in the National PTA legislative directive regarding firearms: "National PTA supports federal firearm restrictions that protect children, schools and communities by maintaining a waiting period and background check, requiring safety education before the purchasing of a firearm, and outlaw certain military-style, semiautomatic assault weapons and non-sporting ammunition."
FLORIDA TAX STRUCTURE
(1997) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to increase tax revenue through tax structure reform and order to adequately fund services necessary to meet the educational, health, safety, recreational and other basic needs of Florida’s children.
The Florida PTA urges immediate reform of Florida’s system of sales and use taxes. Exemptions for products and services should be retained only where they meet an overriding public policy interest.
The Florida PTA supports amendments to the Florida Constitution
that enhance the ability of the state to fully fund services to meet the needs of Florida’s children.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE CURRICULUM
(1999) The Florida PTA urges the state Legislature to include and fully fund foreign language instruction as part of the curriculum within the school day, beginning in kindergarten appropriately sequenced through elementary, middle (junior) and high school in the public school system in Florida.
FULL SERVICE SCHOOLS
(1991) The Florida PTA supports full service schools.
FUNDING (1989) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to place priority on the basic education programs and ensure that the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) be adequately funded to guarantee an equal educational opportunity for all children. Funding formulas must assure equalization of funding for all school districts.
FUNDING CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to take whatever action is necessary to fully fund strategies and programs that ensure the health, safety and education of the children of Florida.
GRADING SYSTEM
— STATEWIDE (1987) The Florida PTA supports a statewide grading system of numerical averages with all honor and advanced placement programs weighted the same in each district.
GRADUATION
CREDITS The Florida PTA asks
that the Legislature require 24 credits for high school
graduation.
GUIDANCE PERSONNEL (Counselors and Occupational Specialists) (1980) Recognizing the importance of early detection and treatment of small problems before they become major, and realizing that any learning problem, including an emotional one, is a deterrent to a child’s educational progress, the Florida PTA strongly supports the continued expansion of the elementary guidance program in Florida schools.
The
Florida PTA supports the full implementation of a guidance and
occupational specialist program utilized to provide prompt,
academic, and personal counseling to students in all secondary Florida
schools.
HABITUAL JUVENILE FELONY OFFENDERS
(1988) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to create a statutory category of a program for habitual juvenile felony offenders in order to provide safety and insure a stable learning environment for all students enrolled in school.
HARASSMENT FREE ZONES
(2001) The Florida PTA urges its local units and county councils to work with school and district administrators to ensure that Florida’s schools become Harassment Free Zones where all students are safe from harassment, bullying and/or physical, verbal, or emotional abuse for any reason, including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity, religion, physical/emotional/mental impairment, eating disorder, sexual orientation, disfigurement, or other distinguishing characteristic.
HAZARDOUS WALKING CONDITIONS
(2000) We must work to eliminate hazardous conditions that threaten the health or safety of pupils who walk or are transported to their schools, including every reasonable safeguard for the students waiting, boarding and leaving school buses.
HEALTH — CHILDREN WITH ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME (AIDS)
(1986) The Florida PTA encourages PTAs at all levels to work with health professionals, educators, parents and lawmakers to assure that children with AIDS shall not be denied equal access to a public education with alternative programs being provided as needed.
HEALTH EXAMINATION FOR ATHLETIC ACTIVITIES
(1993) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to amend Florida Statute 232 to include a comprehensive health examination by a licensed physician as part of the requirement for all students participating in secondary school-sponsored extracurricular athletic activities.
IMMIGRANT EDUCATION FUNDING
(1993) The Florida PTA urges the Congress of the United States to provide adequate and stable funding to local school districts for the additional costs of providing classroom space, special education programs and social services for immigrant and refugee children enrolling in public school districts throughout the country.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
(1993) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to require proactive evaluation of school buildings for indoor air quality and to adopt measures to improve air quality, including raising the minimum ventilation rate to 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air per occupant.
PTA local units are urged to educate communities about the causes of Indoor Air Quality problems and about action that must be taken or avoided to prevent a recurrence of the problems.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
— SELECTION AND REVIEW (1983) The Florida PTA urges its local PTAs and county councils to request school boards to review or establish written instructional and media center selection and evaluation policies, including a procedure for handling challenged materials. Materials should not be proscribed, censored or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT
(1993) The Florida PTA supports legislation which eliminates environmental hazards caused by pesticide use, and requires that Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, be implemented by schools and day-care centers, using the safest alternatives for pest control.
The Florida PTA supports legislation that requires that parents/guardians, teachers and school personnel be notified, in writing, prior to the application of pesticides, of the kind, frequency and health effects of the pesticides being used at their children’s schools and day-care centers.
INVESTMENT IN CHILDREN
(1995) The Florida PTA urges its associations to educate their members and their communities and to communicate to their respective legislators through letter writing, faxes, personal visits and phone calls regarding the harmful impact on Florida’s children of fiscal decisions made by Florida’s citizens and legislature during the 1990s.
KIDS VOTING (1999) The Florida PTA encourages all local units and councils to promote and actively participate
in a program such as Kids Voting.
LOTTERY ACCOUNTABILITY
(1995) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to require the Department of the Lottery to regularly disclose through the media, the total revenues of the lottery, prize disbursements and other department expenses, as well as the amount allocated to each school district.
LOTTERY ACCOUNTABILITY
(1996) Lottery funds that supplanted general revenue funds for education must be returned solely for enhancement purposes and the resulting shortfall should be replaced from other general revenue sources.
MEDICAID THIRD PARTY LIABILITY ACT
(1997) The Florida PTA opposes the repeal of the Medicaid Third Party Liability Act.
NEWBORN METABOLIC DISORDER SCREENING
(2001) The Florida PTA urge the State of Florida to require newborns to be screened for Maple Syrup Urine Disease, Homocystinuria, and Biotinidase Deficiency, in addition to the five disorders currently being screened, as recommended by the March of Dimes.
NONPARTISAN SCHOOL BOARDS
(1993) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to place on the ballot a constitutional amendment requiring elected nonpartisan school boards.
ON-SITE POLLUTION
(1988) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to prohibit the construction of facilities frequented by the public, such as schools, amusement parks, shopping centers, office buildings or public housing, on or adjacent to any temporary, sanitary landfill or dumpsite or former dumpsite or any other site that was used for disposal, storage, handling or generation, which exceeds state air, water or groundwater standards, or which contains any amount of carcinogenic substances. Further, full disclosure of the condition of the property shall be recorded with the deed once discovered.
PARENTAL CHOICE OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
(1993) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to provide state funds only to publicly operated and tax supported schools thus preserving the concept of public education. Any proposal for parental choice must:
-
Provide funding for transportation;
-
Be based on equal access and equal educational opportunities for all students;
-
Provide clear information to all parents; and
-
Provide increased opportunity for parental involvement in the education of their children.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT
(1993) The Florida PTA urges its councils and local units to actively participate in the creation and implementation of district parent involvement policies which reflect the needs, desires and aspirations of families within the communities served by each school district.
PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT GOAL (1994) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to add an eighth goal on parent involvement to the existing seven state educational goals in Blueprint 2000. Such eighth goal shall be similar in content and integrity to the eighth goal adopted by the U.S. Congress as part of Goals 2000 Educate America Act.
PICKUP TRUCKS (1996) The Florida PTA urges enactment of legislation prohibiting children from riding in the cargo bed of pickup trucks. The Florida PTA supports implementation of community awareness programs addressing the potential danger to people, especially children, riding in the cargo area of pickup trucks.
PLANT SURVEY AND SCHOOL BUILDING PROCESS
(1989) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to provide funding for Department of Education Plant Survey to be conducted every three years in rapidly growing districts, and to amend the process for determining the need for new schools, allowing school districts to plan construction of schools based on a more reasonable percentage of projected population.
PREVENTION (2001) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to fully fund an array of coordinated and integrated prevention services to help build strong families that raise their children to be healthy, productive adults.
PUBLIC EDUCATION CAPITAL OUTLAY (PECO)
(1995) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to increase the rate and expand the application of the Gross Receipts Utilities Tax, and also identify additional revenue sources to adequately and equitable fund the capital outlay needs of Florida’s public schools to be applied and designated for the sole purpose of providing additional revenue and not as a replacement for existing revenues.
REGISTERED NURSES FOR SCHOOLS
(2001) The Florida PTA encourage and support complete funding to supply a registered professional nurse to every 1,500 Florida public school students, a trained school health aide in every Florida public school, and to include future allocation formulas to increase nursing staff to keep pace with student enrollment.
RELATIVE
CAREGIVERS (2002) Florida PTA supports the Legislation that provides
relative caregivers access to medical, emotional, legal and financial services
needed for the child/children in their care.
Florida PTA
will address the issues of relative caregivers through cooperation and
collaboration with agencies and other organizations, disseminating
information, educating its members, and encouraging county councils and local
units to create relative care giver committees.
RESPONSIBLE SEXUALITY EDUCATION
(2001) The Florida PTA urges the legislature and local school districts to require public school sexuality curricula that recognize the special place that sexuality has in our lives; are medically accurate and age appropriate; stress the value and benefits of remaining abstinent until involved in a committed, enduring and mutually monogamous relationship, assure awareness of optimal protection from sexually transmitted diseases and stress that there are no infallible methods of protection, except abstinence, and that condoms cannot protect against some forms of STDs.
Florida PTA urges the legislature and local school districts to require responsible sexuality education be part of normal school curricula, but families must retain the option to decline participation for their children.
RETINOBLASTOMA
(2002) Florida PTA urges the State of Florida to require that every baby born
in a hospital in the state shall receive, prior to being discharged from the
hospital, an eye examination using an ophthalmoscope and dilation of the
pupils for detection of pediatric congenital and ocular abnormalities with
parental option to decline testing.
Florida PTA
supports the inclusion of eye examinations using an ophthalmoscope and
dilation of pupils for detection of pediatric congenital and ocular
abnormalities and developmental abnormalities during periodic health care
visits.
SCHOOL BUS CAPACITY
(1992) The Florida PTA urges school districts to establish lower maximum student capacities of two students per seat for school buses transporting middle and high school students.
SCHOOL BUSES
— TWO-WAY RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS (1986) The Florida PTA urges each local school district to address the need for two-way radio communication systems on all buses transporting school children within their district.
SCHOOL ENHANCEMENT
(1994) The Florida PTA believes that local PTAs are service oriented organizations whose first and foremost goal is to be advocates for children. Fund-raising activities should be secondary and their proceeds should be used to enhance their school's educational environment rather than to purchase basic materials and services which should fall under state and local funding.
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT/ACCOUNTABILITY
(1991) Florida PTA supports the efforts of the Legislature in creating a systematic approach to school improvement and education accountability, that actively seeks the input and support of parents, students and the community.
SCHOOL PERFORMANCE GRADES
(1999) The Florida PTA urges that the Governor, the Commissioner of Education, the State Board of Education and the Legislature ensure criteria for grading public schools establishing a fair and accurate method of assessing student achievement and school performance which qualifies reliance on test score data and includes other mitigating factors such as mobility, poverty, immigration, first language and significant student improvement in calculating school performance grades. Input and suggestions made at the Department of Education public hearings, legislative committee meetings and other public venues should be considered when designing and implementing the school grading system.
SCHOOL TRAFFIC
DEFINITION AND MARKING OF SCHOOL ZONES (1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to set a clear and standard definition for all school zones. Signs should be posted to indicate a reduction in speed to 15 m.p.h. in such locations to give motorists adequate time to slow down.
SCHOOL TRAFFIC
ZONES (1991) The Florida PTA urges its local PTAs and councils to work with local law enforcement agencies to ensure strict adherence to school area traffic laws.
SEAT BELT USAGE
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to require primary enforcement of seat belt usage. Currently, Florida Statute 316.614 requires only secondary enforcement of seat belt usage.
SEAT BELTS AND 28" SEAT BACKS IN NEW SCHOOL BUSES (1997) The Florida PTA supports legislation requiring any new bus
purchased for the purpose of transporting school children in the state of Florida be equipped with padded 28-inch seat backs and seat belts.
SEVEN PERIOD DAY FUNDING
(1990) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to provide full funding for the seventh period in secondary school in those districts that choose to use the seven period day.
SOCIAL AND WELFARE SERVICES FOR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN (1998) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to mandate
that funding for social service agencies be contingent upon the agency’s acquiring independent national accreditation in so far as it is available.
STUDENT TRANSFER AND WITHDRAWAL
(1994) The Florida PTA urges the Florida Legislature to carefully review Florida's School Law Chapter 232.021 to provide closer scrutiny of student transfer from school to school, both public and private (including home-school) for the purpose of tracking children educationally and for their private safety. The Florida Legislature should fully fund any additional operational or procedural costs resulting from legislation initiating this review.
SUBDIVISION OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS
(1998) The Florida PTA urges the legislature to reject any measures that propose dividing the existing 67 school districts into smaller districts.
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER
(1987) Substitute teachers should have at least two years of college.
SUICIDE — TEENAGERS
(1984) The Florida PTA urges county councils and local units to create an awareness of the epidemic of teenage suicide, the symptoms and causes, by providing programs to educate parents, teachers and students.
SUN SAFETY/EARLY DETECTION
(2000) The Florida PTA strongly recommends that sun safety, skin cancer prevention and early detection awareness education be mandated throughout the State of Florida as part of education by incorporating it into pre-existing course structure in grades Pre-K-12.
SUPPORT FOR FLORIDA PUBLIC SCHOOLS COALITION FOR ADEQUACY AND FAIRNESS OF SCHOOL FUNDING
(1992) The Florida PTA endorses in concept the move for legal action to ensure a student’s fundamental right for an education under the Florida Constitution, and to guarantee funding be provided to meet this goal.
SUSPENSIONS
— IN-SCHOOL (1980) The Florida PTA is concerned that every child have a successful school experience. Recognizing that disorderly students should not be kept in regular classrooms to the detriment of other students, we nevertheless feel that suspension from school adds to the problem of the student, the school and the community.
Therefore we support the philosophy of "in-school suspension programs" academically designed to meet the needs of the students who are disorderly.
In-school suspension programs shall provide a temporary intervention program for students who experience difficulty in the normal classroom environment because of behavioral problems.
Suspension of a student may be justified when the student's presence endangers others or school property or would seriously disrupt the orderly academic process.
TALENTED STUDENTS
— FINE ARTS (1988) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to include students talented in fine arts, to be defined by State Board Rule, within the definition of exceptional students and to establish a separate cost factor in the FEFP for talented students.
TASER GUNS/STUN DEVICES
(2005)
The Florida PTA urges the Florida Legislature
to authorize an independent study on the effects of Taser
guns/stun devices on the human body, especially children,
persons with disabilities and other vulnerabilities, provide a
mechanism for training of officers based on research, and to set
clearly defined guidelines on the use of Taser guns/stun devices
as means of necessary force and that the use of Taser guns/stun
devices be permissible only in instances where lethal force
would otherwise be necessary.
TAX LIMITATION
(1984) The Florida PTA opposes any tax limitation by constitutional amendment which would limit the progress being made in attaining the state's goal for education and for programs that promote the welfare of children and youth.
TAX ON SERVICES
(1988) The Florida PTA supports a tax on services, with revisions, and a full replacement of funding reduced by revision to establish a more equitable tax base to provide funds for education.
TAXES — COMPREHENSIVE REVENUE RESTRUCTURING (1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to implement a comprehensive restructuring of Florida’s tax system with the goals of guaranteeing stable and adequate funding of public schools and necessary services for children.
TEACHER
- CAREER ADVANCEMENTS (1989) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to provide adequate funding to bring Florida's teachers' salaries up to the national average and encourage experienced teachers to stay in the classroom by fully funding a system to provide career teachers with periodic advancement and salary increases without supplanting current funding to dollars.
TEACHER
CERTIFICATION (2003) Florida PTA supports the certification
process for public school teachers be no less stringent than
exists in Florida Statute 1012.56 effective January 1, 2003. As
follows: the applicant must document receipt of a bachelor’s
or higher degree from an accredited institution of higher
learning, or a non-accredited institution of higher learning
that the Department of Education has identified as having a
quality program resulting in a bachelor’s degree, or higher.
Each applicant seeking initial certification must have attained
at least a 2.5 overall grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the
applicant’s major field of study. Further, each applicant
must:
-
Be of good moral
character
-
Be competent and
capable of performing the duties, functions, and
responsibilities of an educator.
-
Demonstrate a mastery
of general knowledge.
-
Demonstrate a mastery
of subject area knowledge.
-
Demonstrate a mastery
of professional preparation and education competence.
The process for
alternative teacher certification be no less rigorous than that
for traditional teacher certification.
TEACHER PREPARATION
(1980) The Florida PTA requests the Department of Education require the programs of teacher preparation in our colleges of education include components in classroom management, identification of student health and emotional problems and community relations, with demonstrated competency in these areas as well as teaching appropriate subject matter. Selection criteria should be established for the admission of students into these colleges.
In-service programs should offer courses which will prepare teachers for classroom management including maintaining good discipline.
TEACHER TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION
(1980) The Florida PTA supports the retention of the certification of teachers as a state function and under no conditions should the responsibility for setting standards for training, licensing and regulation of the profession be delegated to a special interest group.
TEACHERS — CERTIFICATION FIELD
(1987) The Florida PTA encourages school districts to make every effort to avoid assigning teachers to classes outside their fields of certification.
TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND COMMERCIALS
(1984) Local PTAs and county councils should encourage parents to become more aware of network and cable television programs and commercials and the effect on young audiences.
TOLERANCE (1997) The Florida PTA urges its member associations to lead their communities in encouraging tolerance of differences among individuals and groups in schools and in their communities.
TRAINING OF SCHOOL CROSSING GUARDS
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to establish uniform guidelines for the training of school crossing guards.
TRANSPORTATION OF CHILDREN IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLES
(1986) The Florida PTA urges the Florida Legislature to require operators of any commercial vehicle used primarily to transport children to meet the licensing criteria defined in FS 234.091 General Qualifications, Transportation of School Children. In addition, the Legislature should require these operators to be at least 18 years of age, to have an annual physical examination which includes vision and hearing checks, and to demonstrate their ability to operate the vehicle.
TUBERCULOSIS TESTING
(1997) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to amend Florida’s Statute Chapter 232.032 to require all students entering Florida public schools to undergo routine testing for Tuberculosis;
and
The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to require routine TB testing for all school employees.
TUBEROUS SCLEROSIS
(1999) The Florida PTA urges all of its members to support efforts to increase the awareness of Tuberous Sclerosis.
VOLUNTEER LIABILITY
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to limit and define the liability of school volunteers to diminish their concern with regard to personal liability associated with volunteer work so that the state may maximize this crucial human resource.
VOLUNTEER RELEASE TIME
(1994) The Florida PTA urges the business community, including state and local governmental agencies, to allow employees to have paid release time to volunteer in local schools.
VOLUNTEERISM
AND THE PTA (1980) Volunteerism has been the foundation of the PTA. To give freely of our time and energy for the welfare of children has been the core and center of every PTA project. From hot lunches to juvenile justice and from classroom aid to legislative lobbying, we have always pursued our goals, with the zeal that comes from devotion to our children. While recognizing the importance of other volunteer groups, it is well to remember that PTA's purpose is unique and no other group can really take its place. Although it should be interested and concerned about any and all work being done by school groups, the PTA has a major responsibility to be the accountable volunteer link between schools and the community, operating independently of the school system and without benefit of government funds or government control.
VOUCHERS (1998) The Florida
PTA opposes education voucher proposals for public and non-public preschool,
elementary, and secondary school students.
VOUCHER FUNDED SCHOOL
ACCOUNTABILITY (2003) While continuing to oppose vouchers in all forms,
that Florida PTA urges the Legislature to impose strict eligibility
requirements on private institutions and nonpublic K-12 schools receiving
public dollars through any state funded voucher, grant or scholarship
programs, and at a minimum, require them to meet the same accountability
standards at their cost as public schools, including, but not limited to:
1) School wide participation in
any statewide assessment program, by mandating all current standardized tests,
i.e., FCAT and Florida Writes;
2) Assignment of an annual
school performance grade category designation and improvement rating, to be
published in the Commissioner of Education’s annual statewide assessment
report;
3) Compliance with Florida
Public Records Laws and requirement for independent audits to assess how
taxpayer money is being spent.
4) Regulations to ensure
private institutions and nonpublic schools are adequately equipped to meet the
educational needs of their students.
WALKING DISTANCE TO SCHOOL
(1991) The Florida PTA urges the Legislature to define a reasonable walking distance as one mile between home and school/bus stop for students attending elementary schools.
WELFARE REFORM
(1996) The Florida PTA supports changes to the state and national welfare systems that promote self-sufficiency while maintaining the entitlement status of programs protecting the health, safety and well being of children.
