Letters To The Editor

To the Editor:

A recent Education Week article on the National PTA indicated that the group is unable to influence national education policy ("Who's Minding the Children?," Sept. 28, 1994). "When it comes to the work of school reform," the article says, the PTA is "reported missing in action." Some of us in Congress have not found this to be the case at all.

The National PTA and its affiliate state and local organizations were instrumental in generating and reinforcing support for several important education measures in the 103rd Congress, most notably the Goals 2000: Educate America Act and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. On both bills, we faced dangerous filibusters. Both times, with the PTA's help, we prevailed. The PTA also played an important role in supporting the nominations of Assistant Secretary of Education Thomas Payzant and...