Walker PTA Teaches Election Process
We are excited to teach our Walker Stars how important each voice is when it comes to an election. Friday, November 2, 2012, each child will have an opportunity to cast their vote in a mock Presidential election. Are you looking for a way to help your children understanding the upcoming election? PBS has a great link for just that purpose.
Texas PTA
The actions of legislative bodies can have a profound effect on the education and well-being of children, and Texas PTA serves as the voice for Texas children in many legislative endeavors. Texas PTA supports legislation that improves health, well-being and educational opportunities for every child. Successful implementation of our legislative positions is characterized by people working together to assure wise legislative decisions through knowledge of the process and an understanding of the issues. Therefore, Walker Elementary PTA has a goal for the 2012-2013 school year to promote advocacy for all our children. For all the latest legislative Texas PTA news and a weekly update of Bill Status, visit the Texas PTA website at www.txpta.org or you can click here: http://www.txpta.org/legislative
How to become an educated voter before casting a ballot this fall…
Q: Where should I start?
A: At a minimum, read through the voter guide provided by your state. Then do some online research: Glassbooth.org uses a short quiz to find your “ideal” presidential candidate. Votesmart.org allows you to look up voting records and other information about any federal or state incumbent. Of course, the best way to get to know local candidates is to attend a campaign event or town-hall meeting. Voters often underestimate how eager local candidates are to meet them face-to-face.
Q: How can I fact-check questionable information?
A: If you hear something salacious about a politician in an e-mail forward, it probably isn’t true; searching Snopes.com will tell you for sure. Factcheck.org looks up candidates’ claims and rates them from accurate to outright false. And while voters complain about mudslinging, studies show that campaign ads may actually help engage and inform voters.
To remain in business, news services try to cover news the way their audience wants to hear it. The best way to get accurate information is to seek it from a variety of sources rather than watching the same network’s news coverage every day. Switch channels a few times.
Q: Can I just vote along party lines?
A: If you have studied party platforms and know that one party’s platform reflects your views better, then you’ll usually support the “right” candidate simply by voting along party lines. But be careful: in typical opinion polls, 20 to 40 percent of voters disagree with their own party on any given major issue. Moreover, some candidates have views that are unusual for their party. If you always vote along party lines, you may well find yourself voting for a candidate who isn’t aligned with your views.
Q: Does my vote actually count?
A: Almost 130 million ballots were cast in America’s most recent presidential election. Meanwhile, thousands of races for state legislatures, city councils, and school boards attracted only a few thousand votes each—or less. Your vote is far more likely to influence the outcome in these down-ballot races, yet many people skip them entirely, filling out the top of their ballots only. If you want your vote to count, meet the local candidates and participate in these local elections. After all, state and local governments make more of the decisions that affect your life—decisions about education, property tax, land use, development, sales tax, and so on.
Early Voting
Don’t wait in long lines on election day!! Early voting starts October 22nd!
Dates:
October 22 – 26 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
October 27, 29 – November 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
October 28 – from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Locations:
Collin County Elections Office – 2010 Redbud Blvd Suite 102, McKinney, Texas
Collin County Community College Central Park Campus – 2200 W University Dr. McKinney, Texas
John and Judy Gay Library – 6861 W. Eldorado Pkwy, McKinney, Texas
Walker PTA adopts Resolution Concerning High Stakes, Standardized Testing of Texas Public School Students
On August 27, 2012 the Roy Lee Walker Elementary PTA unanimously voted to adopt this family-focused version of the Resolution Concerning High Stakes, Standardized Testing of Texas Public School Students. Walker PTA joins more than 420 school boards across Texas (including McKinney ISD) representing about 2.3 milliion students in adopting this resolution.
Read the resolution here.