A newly-formed parent-teacher association is trying to attract new members to help Pinellas County's struggling schools.
- New Southside St. Petersburg Community PTA met for the first time
- Group hopes to work with struggling schools
- Leaders acknowledge parents have to be part of the solution
About 50 people attended a meeting of the Southside St. Petersburg Community PTA at the Enoch Davis Center Tuesday night.
"I feel like this is the start of a fire and fire spreads, so I wanted to do a formal call to action to the community," said PTA president Zamarie Johnson.
People said they're frustrated about low reading scores, high suspension rates and so-called "failing schools," but Johnson said some of the responsibility for that falls on parents.
"For awhile we've kind of gotten lazy and blamed it on the schools, on the school board, on the county, on the city. But let's put the responsibility back on the parents, back on our communities," he said.
Several parents were attending the PTA meeting for the first time.
Miaza Johnson said she realizes the school system can't do it alone.
"But the school system has to be realistic because children have issues, parents have issues and it's not like it used to be. It's new, so we need new rules for a new time," she said.
The PTA plans to form committees to provide extra support for struggling schools.
Parents said they are on board.
"That's what's going to make it better is people coming together," said Chris Cervellera. "It's not going to be the county, it's not going to be the school board, it's going to be parents and teachers rallying together to turn around the morale."
PTA leaders said they are hoping for higher attendance in the future.
"Stand room only one day," said Johnson.
The Southside St. Petersburg Community PTA said it will be posting its meeting times on the group's Facebook page.