PTA Testifying Before Congress
We are excited to share that this Wednesday, May 16, 2012 New York State PTA President Dr. Maria Fletcher will be testifying before Congress. The House Education and Workforce Committee’s Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education will host a hearing at 10 am EST entitled “Exploring State Success in Expanding Parent and Student Options.” Dr. Fletcher was invited at the request of Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4).
Dr. Fletcher will be joined on the panel by Kevin Chavous, Senior Advisor for the American Federation for Children and Todd Ziebarth, Vice President, State Advocacy and Support , National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. For more information, including a link to watch the hearing live on Wednesday, please visit http://www.edworkforce.house.gov/Calendar/EventSingle.aspx?EventID=294598.
Please join us in both congratulating and sending well wishes to Dr. Fletcher as she represents PTA before Congress! Let us know if you have any questions.
PTA Kit Registration Open
Dear State PTA Presidents, Presidents-Elect, and Offices,
The National PTA Official Back to School Kit—Beyond the Basics returns with great resources from National PTA: the PTA Quick-Reference Guides, membership materials, program and advocacy resources, and special offers from national partners. And the first kit is free of charge! All units have to do is register.
All local, council, district, and region PTAs must register to receive the 2012-2013 kit. The kit registration form will be available at PTA.org/OfficialKit starting May 7. The form allows the incoming PTA president or other authorized leader to select the preferred shipping date and confirm or change the shipping address for the kit. In this way, the registration process helps us ensure that the kit gets into the right hands at the right time for each unit. Units can also register for the kit by calling the National PTA Information Center at (800) 307-4PTA (4782).
Additional kits can be purchased for $35 by calling the National PTA Information Center at (800) 307-4PTA (4782). Members can pay by check or credit card.
Units will be notified of the need to register via e-mail, PTA Local Leader News, Partners in Leadership, and with your help. Please communicate to your units the need to register for the kit. You may also reprint articles from PTA Local Leader News and Partners in Leadership in your newsletters and on your websites.
Kits will ship weekly June 8 to September 14, based on unit orders. Units that have not registered for the kit by September 14 will have a kit delivered in late September to the address on file with the National PTA office.
The address units provide on the kit registration form will be used one time only for the specific purpose of shipping the Official PTA Kit. The form will clearly state this and will inform units that they must complete all change-of-officer/address paperwork for the state PTA. The state PTA will still need to update unit records with the National PTA office to ensure that units get National PTA’s other valuable mailings throughout the year.
State PTA offices, presidents, presidents-elect, membership chairs, and extension chairs will automatically receive the Official PTA Kit in mid-June and do not have to register. Please make sure your records are up to date with the National PTA office.
See the attached FAQs specifically for state PTAs for more details, and for answers to questions we expect you might receive. For FAQs to share with your units, visit PTA.org/OfficialKit.
If you have any questions about the Official PTA Kit or its delivery, please contact LaWanda Toney at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (800) 307-4782
Sincerely,
The Official PTA Kit Team
National PTA: Local Leader News
• Calling All Treasurers: It's Tax Time Again!
• Jan Harp Domene Diversity Award Nominations Due May 4
• Nominating Committees and Elections Need Your Attention
For these stories and more, just CLICK HERE
Summer Training of the Trainers
Exciting news! The Summer 2012 Grassroots Advocacy Training of the Trainers application is now open. You can find the application here: http://www.pta.org/4763.asp. We will promote on our website and through social media, but please disseminate to your state and local members.
More information is available at the aforementioned link, but as a reminder, state and local PTA members with introductory advocacy experience and who have an interest in expanding their advocacy network in their states and local districts are encouraged to apply (no nomination needed). National PTA will attempt to select applicants that represent a range of geographical locations; however, this is dependent on the amount of applications received. The National PTA Legislation Committee serves as the panel of judges.
The Summer ToTs will take place at National PTA headquarters in Alexandria on July 21-22, 2012. Applications are due on June 1, 2012 and applicants will be notified by mid-June of results.
National PTA Radio Tackles Hot-Button Issues
Podcasts address embezzlement, endorsing politicians
and controlling PTA funds
ALEXANDRIA, VA. (April 12, 2012) – National PTA Radio today posted new podcasts with information for parents and PTAs to help them navigate through political environments and prevent fraud. Other podcasts include information on controlling PTA funds and ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week .
Topics and guests include:
- Topic: Preventing Embezzlement from Your PTA
Guest: Laura Bay, Secretary-Treasurer, National PTA
- Topic: Who has Control of Your PTAs Funds?
Guest: Heather Dean, Deputy Executive Director, National PTA
- Topic: Can Your PTA Endorse a Political Candidate?
Guest: Karen Hallacy, Legislative Chairwoman, Georgia PTA
- Topic: Saying ‘Thank You’ during Teacher Appreciation Week
Guests: Michelle Shearer, 2011 Teacher of the Year; Erik Champy, Massachusetts PTA President
National PTA Radio features interviews with national experts and experienced parent leaders. Podcasts focus on education, parent involvement and legislation related topics, as well as real-life tips and information. Anyone can listen to a quick segment of National PTA Radio on-demand at www.PTA.org. Show lengths range from three to five minutes. Listeners can influence topics by sharing their ideas via National PTA’s Facebook page and Twitter handle.
National PTA Radio is produced by the BAM Radio Network—the largest education radio network in the world offering programming from the nation's top education organizations and thought leaders.
About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers,administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.