Illinois PTA highlighted National PTA’s podcast Notes from the Backpack about a year ago as the first season finished up. The award-winning podcast is starting its third season, and PTA’s Center for Family Engagement is even more focused on providing the information that families need now and the resources to help spread the word. The third season has … Continue reading Notes from the Backpack Season 3—Even Better
Join National PTA in Ensuring #EveryStudentConnected
Among the many issues the pandemic has highlighted, perhaps none is more critical than the lack of online access among a significant portion of our students. While schools districts have tried to connect with every student during online learning through distributing technology to students, putting WiFi access points on school buses and parking them near … Continue reading Join National PTA in Ensuring #EveryStudentConnected
How to Advocate for Healthier School Food
School lunches (and breakfasts) are lifesavers for some children, providing critical nourishment they might not have at home. But even for children who are food-secure, school lunches can help support their education, as well-fed and active children have fewer absences, higher self-esteem, better behavior, and increased academic performance. The Chef Ann Foundation, a non-profit that … Continue reading How to Advocate for Healthier School Food
How to Advocate for the Arts at Your School
Illinois funding of schools has long been woefully inadequate, and now the pandemic has made school finances even more challenging due to flat state funding and increased costs as schools struggle to provide online learning for all students or supplies for in-person classes. When school budgets get tight, the arts are often among the first … Continue reading How to Advocate for the Arts at Your School
