Coalitions are formed when individuals and organizations with diverse interests join together to focus on specific, mutually-related goals, ranging from information sharing and coordination of services to community education and advocacy for major policy changes.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Coalitions
The greatest advantage of coalitions is the pooling of people and other resources, which often translates into additional staff, volunteers, and money than an individual organization can provide. Coalitions also demonstrate to principals, school board officials, lawmakers, and members of the community, the media, and other decision- makers the broad public support for issues PTA members are concerned about.
While all these positive things can be said of coalitions, it is important to keep in mind that there are disadvantages as well. Building coalitions takes time and energy, and it can distract you from other important work, such as strengthening your own PTA organizations. Also, coalitions cannot represent all of the views of the member groups; they need to focus on a common issue or goal.
Organizational structures with in a coalition can also slow down the decision-making process and response time within the coalition. Compromises will have to be made, and this may require groups concentrating on one or two common issues. This should not be a distraction as long as the coalition activities only address areas of common concern. It is important to not allow one organization making up the coalition to dominate the coalition's activities or policies.
Considerations for Joining/Building Coalitions
If your PTA is considering joining or building a coalition, it must first determine that the coalition's issue is consistent with PTA's Resolutions and Position Statements.
The next step is to acquire the approval of your PTA board or appropriate committee. Before proceeding, it is also important to determine the level of support among your members for the proposed coalition.
The issue you coalesce around will determine the type of coalition you build or join. To keep it simple, we broke them into three categories:
Informal Coalitions
An informal coalition consists of an on-going group with no formal structure. Groups share common interests and their primary purpose for meeting is to share information and strategize.
Example: At the local and state level, an informal coalition may be formed to monitor the implementation of new tests or standards for high school graduation. PTA members may join together with school administrators, school board members, and the local teacher union to monitor the progress, inform the community, and issue reports. Another example of an informal coalition is the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), which the national PTA organization chairs. This coalition is comprised of more than 50 education, civil rights, and religious organizations devoted to supporting public schools and opposing the funneling of public money to private and religious schools through such mechanisms as tuition tax credits and vouchers.
Formal Coalitions
While all coalitions have defined missions with specific goals, formal coalitions have staff or leadership to carry out ongoing responsibilities. This type of coalition may be incorporated or governed according to bylaws.
Example: Most local PTAs may not have the opportunity to join or form formal coalitions, but the national PTA organization and many state PTAs are members of formal coalitions. The national PTA organization is a member of the Committee for Education Funding (CEF), which is a voluntary, nonprofit, and nonpartisan coalition with members ranging from educational associations, institutions, agencies, and organizations whose interests range from preschool to postgraduate education in both public and private school systems.
Ad Hoc Coalitions
These types of coalitions are short-term and are generally formed around a single issue.
Example: At the local level, they could be formed around the goal of implementing PTA's Standards for Parent Involvement. An Ad Hoc coalition with this goal could include the PTA, local law enforcement, and local businesses as members. At the state and national PTA levels, there tends to be a legislative or policy focus to the coalition.
