An Open Lettter Regarding ZMS GT PTA

I Cannot Disclose that Information, it is confidential.

The question that elicited this response from Kelvin Lucas was, at the time of the election, was the other candidate an active member for the 2017-2018 year. (She was last year, he said.; later on when asked again.) The answer I expected was “damn right she was,” or, for sure she paid her dues on such and such date, etc. The answer was a common evasion of the issue.

Did you think that have two people to count money is proper? The response from Mr. Kelvin Lucas was no response.

Legitimacy. Transparency, abiding by bylaws, this was all requested, by me.

The backdrop; the current PTA administration took over the havoc from the previous administration. Hundreds of dollars were thought to be missing. Why? The financial records of the previous administration was in shambles. You just could not discern how much money came in, and, where did the money go to.

So, to ask and insist “We stick to the by-laws and best practices” was a response and an unwillingness to be a part of another mess and “Do the right thing.”

But, elections and conducting business without quorum continues. Money taken in is not properly recorded. The scary part is the PTA funds being used as people’s personal pocket book and accounts.

What is wrong with issuing receipts immediately when money is received? What is wrong with having two people present at all times when money is received/handled by the PTA? What is wrong with Robert’s Rules of Order and abiding by state and federal guidelines? You tell me, but when I asked leadership, Kelvin Lucas, I receive inappropriate and unimaginable responses, or, worse of all, no responses at all.

I set up the website. I set up the calendars, I set up the newsfeeds. I did what I promised. I was willing to help and continue to help. I ascertained teachers had set up a separate Facebook account(s). I set up a Facebook group.

What happens? In any public election, the first question I asked was “Why would you have an election when two of your officers approached you and told you Quorum was not present? 17 PTA members cast votes. All the PTA members present cast votes. 20 people are needed for Quorum in the Bylaws. Did you have a roster to verify voting members were paid members for 2017-2018?; the answer is no. Did you even verify that one of the two candidates running for an office were current members eligible to run? The answer is no. And, the answer to a formal inquiry of such was “That is confidential information”, so said Kelvin Lucas.

A topic was, why did you not have the election in the first 15 minutes of Open House? The answer was “Mr. Light said no” to having the general meeting at the beginning of open house. My response was why did you not respectfully convey to Mr. Light that the need to have quorum was absolute and to do so it would be absolutely necessary to have general PTA business go first. So, another inquiry was, when Mr. Light denied your request, did you present it to the principal in a respectful and professional manner? The answer was no. If you know having a quorum was top priority, and, the best/only chance of getting it was having an early meeting, then, why not do everything to ensure such. I asked him did you ask him for another date to properly conduct business; the answer was no. I cited the following day Carver PTA meeting was best practice.

Another topic during our telephone conversation was “getting the interest of parent(s) to participate”. Answer; we offer 4H information and resume writing information for parents. We discussed the awesome turn out and participation of parents in the dance. We discussed and I recommended many things like a PTA bulletin board in the main office and having dance, sports, and academic events for the kids and parents. If you know DANCES WORK, then, do stuff like that.

As a parent, I am interested in the safety and well being of my child(ren). That they are progressing and learning. And, it is my beliefs that as a PTA, that is where the focus needs to be. Fundraisers for lunch funds, tutors, computers, and academically necessary things. Parents will come to a game moreso than a meeting. And, how many parents can come to 3:30 PM meeting, really. Most parents get off at 5 or 6 PM. This is not rocket science. Parents love it when you help them get ESL, LD, ADD, BED, and other special services. They love it when you help them.

Help my child get tutoring and make progress in school. Address bullying issues. Have events, planned months ahead. At the beginning of the year, working with the principal, the whole school year calendar should be ready by now. Not week or week or day to day planning. Yearly/quarterly planning is needed. I said, “This principal seems to be really friendly and open.”

You should not be voting on a funding a program, using PTA funds for a program your spouse runs. Conflict of interest, yes. PTA is not a personal pocket book, and why cannot that program generate its own funds.

I told him I really do not give a crap about what others think about how I handled the Selver situation. A child died that was at ZMS. Bullying possibly contributed to her death. When those same bullies targeted my child, damn right I did something. Hell to the no, my child will not die. And, I careless if everybody loved Dr. Smith. A child is dead. My child was targeted. Other parents looked for the benefits. I did not see the benefits. I did not see the benefit of having a permanent sub tell children she will not teach them and does not care. How, on God’s green plant, for example only, you take a painting class, and do not know the primary colors? How do you take a science class, on earth science, and do not know about the atmosphere and the environment? Pass my child, and they were passed, although they quite possibly learned nothing. Take Spanish and do not know how to say hello, for example, in Spanish? [I am not citing specific examples necessarily here of things but speaking general here to show an examples and say, how can you do to school to learn and come back not having learned.]

This is an open letter to the PTA. This is an Open Letter to Wake and National. I have not received a response from Wake and National. I guess Wake and National “do not care”. Hum.

When you have leadership in State incorporated organizations and best practices, there are some real consequence to shunning and not abiding by those by-laws and best practices. And, if the National and Wake Chapters do not care or will not do anything, then who will. This is part of the paper trail for the State and Feds. God Bless.

Date of Conversation with Kelvin, 10.2.17. Date of continuous emails and faxes to PTA is 10/3/17