A resolution is a formal statement of opinion adopted by an assembly. Resolutions adopted at the Annual Convention direct the action of the Tennessee PTA. It is through resolutions that you, a PTA/PTSA member, determine:

• What positions will be taken on issues

• What programs are top priorities
  

• What legislation to support in Nashville or in Washington, DC
  

Tennessee PTA Resolutions Chairman Sonja Currie (email)

In addition to the requirements for each submitted resolution, the submittal cover sheet must be attached: Resolutions Submittal Cover Sheet

Requirements: A submitted resolution must:
Relate to education, health, safety, or welfare of children and youth.
Be in harmony with the purposes and the basic policies of National PTA, as stated in the bylaws of every constituent organization of National PTA.
Concern a matter that is state or national in scope, written with a state or national focus, and requiring statewide or nationwide action for solution.
Demonstrate with background information that the problem is state or national in scope.
State a position not previously adopted by Tennessee PTA. (Copies of adopted positions are available for reference from the Tennessee PTA state office, or from the state PTA Resolutions Chair.)
Contain “Whereas” statements and “Resolved” statements that are written in language appropriate for state or national consideration.
Include “Whereas” statements that do not cite the National PTA Purposes or the Tennessee PTA Statements. (These are already established and assumed, though Purposes or Position Statements can be included in the rationale.
Provide three (3) background references from different sources for each “Whereas.”
Cite a variety of independent sources, which are required as proof.
Use references that are bracketed and numbered in the background material, indicating which “Whereas” statement they support.
Cite materials that are current (no more than six (6) years old).
Limit use of PTA material as supporting documentation. Use no more than one (1) PTA citation as support of a “Whereas.”

Requirements: Background Material:
Contain background materials that are factual. It can include, but is not limited to, information such as educational, safety, and welfare articles or updates; copies of documented research; copies of pertinent laws; government publications and regulations; and copies of articles from professional publications.
Not include newspaper articles, abstracts, editorials, and materials from other organizations intended for lobbying and advocacy purposes.
Not include personal letters, logs of phone calls, or e-mail printouts, which are not good documentation because they cannot be verified.

Procedures for adopting resolutions:
After receiving a submitted resolution by the deadline, the Resolutions Committee shall research, edit or adapt the resolution and inform the sponsor of the committee’s decision. The resolutions to be presented shall be distributed by the state president or the State PTA Office to the general membership of the Tennessee PTA.

Resolutions approved by the Resolutions Committee shall be presented to the Board of Managers at the pre-convention meeting for discussion. Any board amendments shall be presented to the convention body as board recommendations.
Emergency Resolutions must be submitted to the Resolutions Chairman ten (10) days prior to the convention only if the urgency of the subject matter has arisen after the established deadline. They must conform to all established criteria and be approved by the Resolutions Committee. During the Resolutions Committee Report to the convention delegates, the state president will ask for a two-thirds affirmative vote from the convention delegates to bring the Emergency Resolution to the convention floor. Once the affirmative vote is received, the submitting group must provide enough copies for the entire convention body.

Resolutions Committee Responsibilities
The Resolutions Committee shall meet after February 15 to consider the resolutions submitted and prepare them for convention distribution/approval. The Committee:

May combine two or more resolutions.
May edit or adapt resolutions, if necessary, to make them appropriate for convention action.
May make substantive changes with the consent of the submitting committee
Shall reject all resolutions that do not meet all established criteria
May refer resolutions to committees of the Tennessee PTA Board of Managers for additional information or recommendations for actions by the Resolutions Committee
Shall distribute in advance and present to the convention body all resolutions that meet the criteria and qualifications established.

Resolutions for the Tennessee PTA
All resolutions adopted by the convention body have a five (5) year active life. Unless resolutions are reaffirmed at the end of that time period, they will be retired and placed in the historical record.

Submitters must be available to work with the Resolutions Committee to make necessary changes to meet these criteria.

Active Resolutions Adopted by the Delegates of the Tennessee PTA Conventions

Comprehensive Child Care: 1988 – Reaffirmed 1994
Corporal Punishment: 1989 – Reaffirmed 1996 & 1999
Bicycle Helmets: 1990 – Reaffirmed 1996 & 2001
Opposition to Tuition Tax Credits and Vouchers: 1990 – Reaffirmed 1996
Environmental Protection: 1991 – Reaffirmed 1997 & 2002
The Arts in Education: 1991 – Reaffirmed 1997 & 2002
Expansion of School Programs: 1991 – Reaffirmed 1997 & 2002
Teen Pregnancy: 1991 – Reaffirmed 1997 & 2002
Childhood Immunization: 1997 – Reaffirmed 2002
Education of Homeless Children/Families: 1993 – Reaffirmed 1998
Gender Equity in Education: 1993
Healthy Breakfast : 1995 – Reaffirmed 2000
Violence Prevention: 1996 – Reaffirmed 2001
Violence in Video Games and Other Interactive Media: 1996 – Reaffirmed 2001
School Buildings’ and Portable Classrooms’
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ): 1996 – Reaffirmed 2001
Sale and Distribution of Fireworks: 1996 – Reaffirmed 2001
Education for Gifted and Talented Children: 1979 – Reaffirmed 1991, 1997 & 2002
Funding for Public Education: 1997 – Reaffirmed 2002
Charter Schools: 1997 – Reaffirmed 2002
Firearm Safety and Awareness: 1997
Motor Vehicle Air Bags: 1997 – Reaffirmed 2002
Childhood Immunizations: 1997 – Reaffirmed 2002
Seat Belts in New School Buses: 1999
Personal Accountability Class Program: 2000
Movie Trailers: 2002
Governor’s Schools of Tennessee: 2002
Adequate Funding For Education: 2002
Assist the Homeless:
In-Line Skating and Skateboarding Safety: 2003
Reading Initiative: 2003
Alcohol Advertisement Restriction: 2004
Public Funds for Public Education: 2005
Fire Safety Awareness: 2006
Inhalant Abuse Awareness: 2006
Racial Clarification Choice: 2006
Endorsement of the Tennessee Diploma Project and the Revision of high School Graduation requirements: 2008