Herman Ohme and Culver City HS PTA with Students

From the Los Angeles Times, Dec. 17, 1967, there is an article about the first Parent Teacher Student Association chartered in California. One in Michigan was the first in the USA.

First PTA to Accept Pupils Going Strong

First of its kind - Vic Marmon, senior class president; Mrs. Frank Beck, Parent-Teacher-Student Assn. president; Herman Ohme, vice principal and faculty liason member, and James Haley, student body president, from left, get new organization underway at Culver City High School. It is the first to be formed in state with students as official members with the right to express views.

CULVER CITY &emdash; The only state sanctioned Parent - Teacher - Student Assn. is off to a good start at Culver City High School, association members say.

The PTSA has been operating since September, following approval of its formation by the California Congress of Parents and Teachers.

Congress officials said it is the only official PTSA in the state. Mrs. Frank Beck, PTSA president, is encouraging other high schools to study what has been done at Culver City.

Given More Voice

The PTSA give students more voice in giving their views and allows them to participate in planning events, which they have already done, according to Mrs. Beck and Herman Ohme, assistant principal and administration representative on the PTSA.

All members of the student body may join the PTSA without cost. They do not have voting rights.

Seven students have been selected as voting members to sit on the PTSA executive committee, which is a quarter of the committee membership.

The seven students are the presidents of the three high school classes, presidents of the Boys and Girls Leagues, editor of the school newspaper and the student body president.

Other Appointments

In addition, according to PTSA regulations, the school principal may name two other students to the committee. The additional students would be an attempt to involve students who are not necessarily student leaders, Ohme said.

The executive committee is the moving force in the PTSA but lack of voting privileges for all students still rankles Vic Marmon, senior class president and exectutive committee member.

He said students should perhaps be charged PTSA membership dues like adults and given voting rights.

"Only then will you have true representation of the students," he said.

"On the whole, Marmon believes in the PTAS idea and would like to see more students involved.

"We have a long way to go, but at least we are getting started," he said.

Student Representation

Asked where the line should be drawn on student authority in schools, Marmon said:

"Somebody has to be the boss, though students should be represented. The PTSA helps to get to that day when we will almost be treated as equal."

He and James Haley, student body president, agree the school has a good administration that allows students to express views.

Mrs. Beck said an evaluation of the first year's operation will be made of the PTSA in June and it might be that students will be allowed to vote in the future.

Haley feels the PTSA helps close the communications gap.

"Students have a chance to see what they can do," he said. "It means better education because you don't get everthing from books."

"We're learning from each other," Mrs. Beck said.

Besides participation in the general executive committee discussions, the student committeemen have two programs on the schedule this school year that would not have been there otherwise, Ohme said.

The Jan. 10 general PTSA program will be concerned with "Student Unrest" and the March 13 program will be called "Sip and Sound Off," which will include tea and a panel of students expressing views on school curriculum, sex education, and "isms."

Ohme said the students are bringing up questions the adults would not have considered.

Mrs. Beck said it is hoped to have more programs suggested by the students on next year's school program.

She said parents want to hear what the students have to say.

"When an adult is talking in the executive committee meeting there are sometimes side conversations, but when a student talks you can hear a pin drop," she said.

Copyright 2005-2008: Herman Ohme