Families & the Community

‘Even School Groups Are Being Manipulated by Big Insurance’

By Andrew L. Yarrow — November 15, 2010 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

This was the message that a local PTA leader recently sent me.

In the state in which I live, I’m told that PTAs are “forced"—that is, required—to carry insurance. It calls to mind my last blog entry, which was about a father in California suing his child’s school PTA.
0
According to my local source, PTAs are being asked to jump through hoops by their insurance companies, particularly when they are sponsoring athletic activities. (Yes, in some crazy scheme of things, basketball can be dangerous, but so can going into work—both of which pale beside driving a car.)

“Specifically red-lighted are all enrichment programing involving athletics,” writes this exasperated elementary-school PTA leader. If this weren’t bad enough, the PTA’s insurance carrier has stipulations about babysitter coverage during PTA meetings if it is to cover any liability. According to the missive I received, to be covered, “if you have babysitting during a PTA meeting you must have two unrelated adults and a 10-1 ratio; no diaper changes, no hot liquids.”

It’s not just AIG or health insurers. Insurance companies appear to be squirreling into ever more obscure, seemingly tame corners of our lives to tell us that liability for everything lies in our laps.

Do insurers really need to scare us that we wouldn’t be covered for an accident during a PTA meeting if a parent had to change his or her toddler’s diaper?

A version of this news article first appeared in the K-12, Parents & the Public blog.

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, and responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Two Jobs, One Classroom: Strengthening Decoding While Teaching Grade-Level Text
Discover practical, research-informed practices that drive real reading growth without sacrificing grade-level learning.
Content provided by EPS Learning
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Families & the Community Five Ways Principals Can Act Like Community Ambassadors
Here are tips for how principals can best support their community.
3 min read
Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, stopped to briefly speak with former student (graduated) Jataziun Welch that is working with a local business downtown Edenton.
Sonya Rinehart, the principal of John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, N.C., stopped to briefly speak with former student Jataziun Welch, who is working with a local business in downtown Edenton on Sept. 5, 2025. School leaders have been viewed as community leaders, too. Here are five ways they can embrace the role.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
Families & the Community Text, Email, App, or Paper Note? How Teachers Like to Communicate With Parents
Educators have different experiences with what works best to keep in touch.
1 min read
Illustration of speech bubbles.
Getty
Families & the Community Q&A What the Lapse in SNAP Funding Shows About the Role of Schools
An emergency fund will help school coordinators with students' needs during the government shutdown.
4 min read
Volunteers work at a drive-up food and school supply distribution location at Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, Nev., on April 29, 2020. The center was a joint effort between local organizations, including Communities In Schools of Nevada. Communities In Schools affiliates have helped students with a surge of need during a lapse of federal nutrition aid.
Volunteers work at a drive-up food and school supply distribution location at Sunset Station Casino in Henderson, Nev., on April 29, 2020. The center was a joint effort between local organizations, including Communities In Schools of Nevada. Communities In Schools affiliates have helped students with a surge of need during a lapse of federal nutrition aid.
Erik Kabik/MediaPunch/IPX via AP
Families & the Community Schools Scramble as SNAP Lapse Nears, Affecting Students and Staff
Schools prepared by partnering with food pantries to provide food for families.
5 min read
Volunteers with Houston Independent School District and the Houston Food Bank distribute food on May 18, 2024, at Sam Houston Math, Science and Technology Center in Houston.
Volunteers with the Houston school district and the Houston Food Bank distribute food following a destructive storm on May 18, 2024, at Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center in Houston. Schools, which often team with community organizations to respond to crises, are preparing for a lapse in SNAP funding that could leave students and some staff vulnerable to hunger.
Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP