Reform NJPTA: Restore Trust Through Transparency, Accountability, and Fair Governance
The Issue
A statewide call for stronger nonprofit governance, greater transparency, and renewed public trust in the organizations that advocate for New Jersey's children and families. - Every child deserves adults who put students before politics
This petition is not intended to revisit one community's dispute. It is a call for stronger governance standards that protect every local PTA, every volunteer, and every family in New Jersey.
The Issue
Every parent who volunteers for a PTA does so with hope—hope that their time will make a difference, their voice will matter, and the adults entrusted with serving children will lead with honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect.
PTAs should unite communities—not divide them. They should model the very values we hope to teach our children: transparency, accountability, inclusion, ethical leadership, and respect for the communities they serve.
Why This Petition Began
This petition was inspired by my experiences involving the Glenfield PTA in Montclair, New Jersey, and the New Jersey PTA (NJPTA).
In 2024, I became involved in a governance dispute with a group of members of the Glenfield PTA that, in my view, resulted in the exclusion of Black members from the PTA's Executive Board. During that dispute, NJPTA became publicly involved in matters concerning the local PTA. In 2025, NJPTA's attorney stated that NJPTA and its local PTAs are separate legal entities. After reviewing public records, correspondence, organizational statements, media reports, and other publicly available information over the past two years, I came to believe that NJPTA's public statements and actions during the Glenfield matter were inconsistent with that position. Those events raised broader questions about nonprofit governance, organizational accountability, transparency, and the appropriate role of a state PTA in the affairs of independent local PTAs.
The questions raised by my experience extend beyond one community. No parent, volunteer, educator, or community member should have to wonder whether an organization advocating for children is operating transparently, ethically, and within the limits of its legal authority.
Public trust is earned. When that trust is damaged, communities become divided, volunteers disengage, parents lose confidence, and ultimately, children lose opportunities.
We Respectfully Call Upon the New Jersey PTA to Adopt the Following Reforms:
1. Publicly Affirm the Legal Independence of Every Local PTA: Clearly communicate that every local PTA is a separate legal entity and explain the legal relationship between NJPTA and local PTAs so that parents, volunteers, and school communities understand the limits of state-level authority.
2. Adopt a Written Non-Interference Policy: Establish a formal policy prohibiting NJPTA representatives from directing, influencing, or participating in local PTA governance or elections where they lack legal authority.
3. Publish Clear Governance Standards: Develop, publish, and maintain publicly accessible governance policies that clearly define when and how NJPTA may advise, assist, or communicate with local PTAs. These standards should distinguish advisory support from governance authority and ensure all actions remain consistent with the legal independence of each local PTA.
4. Establish a Public Correction Policy: When inaccurate information is shared publicly, adopt a transparent process for promptly correcting the record so communities can maintain confidence in the information they receive.
5. Create an Independent Complaint Review Process: Establish an impartial process for reviewing complaints involving governance concerns, conflicts of interest, bias, exclusion, or alleged misconduct so that parents and volunteers can have confidence their concerns will receive fair and objective consideration.
6. Publish an Annual Governance and Accountability Report: Provide an annual public report summarizing governance complaints, resolutions, policy improvements, organizational reforms, and lessons learned to strengthen transparency and public confidence.
7. Strengthen Policies that Promote Transparency, Fairness, and Inclusive Leadership: Adopt and publicly communicate policies that encourage transparent decision-making, equitable leadership opportunities, and inclusive participation so every family has confidence that local PTAs reflect the values they promote.
Why This Matters
PTAs remain among the most respected volunteer organizations serving our schools. That trust should never be taken for granted.
Since speaking publicly about my experience, I have heard from parents, educators, volunteers, advocates, and community members from other school communities who have shared concerns involving governance, transparency, exclusion, bias, retaliation, or organizational dysfunction.
Every situation is different, and I cannot say that every concern arises from the same circumstances. However, these conversations reinforced my belief that stronger governance standards, greater transparency, and clearer accountability would benefit PTA communities throughout New Jersey.
Whether concerns arise from misunderstanding, inadequate oversight, poor governance, or intentional misconduct, organizations created to advocate for children should lead by example. When one community's experience reveals opportunities for improvement, those lessons should strengthen every community.
Review the Evidence
Over the past two years, I have documented my experiences through public records, correspondence, organizational statements, media reports, publicly available documents, and my firsthand account in my YouTube documentary series, Performative Allyship.
I encourage everyone considering this petition to review the information for themselves. My goal is not to ask anyone to simply accept my perspective, but to examine the available information, ask thoughtful questions, and decide whether stronger governance policies would better serve parents, volunteers, students, educators, and communities throughout New Jersey.
Watch the Performative Allyship documentary series
Regardless of where you ultimately land, I hope we can all agree on one principle: organizations that advocate for children should strive to operate with transparency, accountability, integrity, and respect for the communities they serve.
Join the Movement for Stronger PTAs
This movement is about more than one school. It is about strengthening public trust in the organizations that represent families throughout New Jersey. Real advocacy asks difficult questions. Real leadership welcomes accountability. Real trust is built through transparency.
If you believe parents deserve transparency, volunteers deserve fairness, and organizations serving children should be accountable to the communities they represent, I invite you to sign this petition.
Share it with your family, friends, neighbors, educators, and community leaders. Start conversations in your own community about transparency, accountability, and good governance. Together, we can strengthen PTAs across New Jersey and help ensure that every family has confidence in the organizations created to serve them.
Because protecting our children also means protecting the integrity of the organizations created to advocate for them. Public trust is earned—and every child deserves organizations worthy of that trust.
7
The Issue
A statewide call for stronger nonprofit governance, greater transparency, and renewed public trust in the organizations that advocate for New Jersey's children and families. - Every child deserves adults who put students before politics
This petition is not intended to revisit one community's dispute. It is a call for stronger governance standards that protect every local PTA, every volunteer, and every family in New Jersey.
The Issue
Every parent who volunteers for a PTA does so with hope—hope that their time will make a difference, their voice will matter, and the adults entrusted with serving children will lead with honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect.
PTAs should unite communities—not divide them. They should model the very values we hope to teach our children: transparency, accountability, inclusion, ethical leadership, and respect for the communities they serve.
Why This Petition Began
This petition was inspired by my experiences involving the Glenfield PTA in Montclair, New Jersey, and the New Jersey PTA (NJPTA).
In 2024, I became involved in a governance dispute with a group of members of the Glenfield PTA that, in my view, resulted in the exclusion of Black members from the PTA's Executive Board. During that dispute, NJPTA became publicly involved in matters concerning the local PTA. In 2025, NJPTA's attorney stated that NJPTA and its local PTAs are separate legal entities. After reviewing public records, correspondence, organizational statements, media reports, and other publicly available information over the past two years, I came to believe that NJPTA's public statements and actions during the Glenfield matter were inconsistent with that position. Those events raised broader questions about nonprofit governance, organizational accountability, transparency, and the appropriate role of a state PTA in the affairs of independent local PTAs.
The questions raised by my experience extend beyond one community. No parent, volunteer, educator, or community member should have to wonder whether an organization advocating for children is operating transparently, ethically, and within the limits of its legal authority.
Public trust is earned. When that trust is damaged, communities become divided, volunteers disengage, parents lose confidence, and ultimately, children lose opportunities.
We Respectfully Call Upon the New Jersey PTA to Adopt the Following Reforms:
1. Publicly Affirm the Legal Independence of Every Local PTA: Clearly communicate that every local PTA is a separate legal entity and explain the legal relationship between NJPTA and local PTAs so that parents, volunteers, and school communities understand the limits of state-level authority.
2. Adopt a Written Non-Interference Policy: Establish a formal policy prohibiting NJPTA representatives from directing, influencing, or participating in local PTA governance or elections where they lack legal authority.
3. Publish Clear Governance Standards: Develop, publish, and maintain publicly accessible governance policies that clearly define when and how NJPTA may advise, assist, or communicate with local PTAs. These standards should distinguish advisory support from governance authority and ensure all actions remain consistent with the legal independence of each local PTA.
4. Establish a Public Correction Policy: When inaccurate information is shared publicly, adopt a transparent process for promptly correcting the record so communities can maintain confidence in the information they receive.
5. Create an Independent Complaint Review Process: Establish an impartial process for reviewing complaints involving governance concerns, conflicts of interest, bias, exclusion, or alleged misconduct so that parents and volunteers can have confidence their concerns will receive fair and objective consideration.
6. Publish an Annual Governance and Accountability Report: Provide an annual public report summarizing governance complaints, resolutions, policy improvements, organizational reforms, and lessons learned to strengthen transparency and public confidence.
7. Strengthen Policies that Promote Transparency, Fairness, and Inclusive Leadership: Adopt and publicly communicate policies that encourage transparent decision-making, equitable leadership opportunities, and inclusive participation so every family has confidence that local PTAs reflect the values they promote.
Why This Matters
PTAs remain among the most respected volunteer organizations serving our schools. That trust should never be taken for granted.
Since speaking publicly about my experience, I have heard from parents, educators, volunteers, advocates, and community members from other school communities who have shared concerns involving governance, transparency, exclusion, bias, retaliation, or organizational dysfunction.
Every situation is different, and I cannot say that every concern arises from the same circumstances. However, these conversations reinforced my belief that stronger governance standards, greater transparency, and clearer accountability would benefit PTA communities throughout New Jersey.
Whether concerns arise from misunderstanding, inadequate oversight, poor governance, or intentional misconduct, organizations created to advocate for children should lead by example. When one community's experience reveals opportunities for improvement, those lessons should strengthen every community.
Review the Evidence
Over the past two years, I have documented my experiences through public records, correspondence, organizational statements, media reports, publicly available documents, and my firsthand account in my YouTube documentary series, Performative Allyship.
I encourage everyone considering this petition to review the information for themselves. My goal is not to ask anyone to simply accept my perspective, but to examine the available information, ask thoughtful questions, and decide whether stronger governance policies would better serve parents, volunteers, students, educators, and communities throughout New Jersey.
Watch the Performative Allyship documentary series
Regardless of where you ultimately land, I hope we can all agree on one principle: organizations that advocate for children should strive to operate with transparency, accountability, integrity, and respect for the communities they serve.
Join the Movement for Stronger PTAs
This movement is about more than one school. It is about strengthening public trust in the organizations that represent families throughout New Jersey. Real advocacy asks difficult questions. Real leadership welcomes accountability. Real trust is built through transparency.
If you believe parents deserve transparency, volunteers deserve fairness, and organizations serving children should be accountable to the communities they represent, I invite you to sign this petition.
Share it with your family, friends, neighbors, educators, and community leaders. Start conversations in your own community about transparency, accountability, and good governance. Together, we can strengthen PTAs across New Jersey and help ensure that every family has confidence in the organizations created to serve them.
Because protecting our children also means protecting the integrity of the organizations created to advocate for them. Public trust is earned—and every child deserves organizations worthy of that trust.
Petition Updates
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Petition created on July 22, 2026