Last week, National PTA released the following statement on our advocacy efforts on gun safety and mental health services. In addition to the statement, the 2018 National PTA Legislative Conference on March 13-15 will focus on gun violence prevention efforts. National PTA has also created two documents to help PTAs address these issues: Frequently Asked … Continue reading National PTA Advocates for Gun Safety and Mental Health Services to Protect Children
Early Learning Council’s New Guidelines for Community Engagement
The value of PTA can be measured in a wide variety of ways, but one of the most strategic is representation of the parent community at the state level through participation in meaningful relationships. One such relationship is with the Illinois Early Learning Council. Created by Public Act 93-380, the Council is a public-private partnership … Continue reading Early Learning Council’s New Guidelines for Community Engagement
Talking to Kids About Violence
As the nation deals with yet another school shooting, many parents may be struggling about how to talk about violence with their children. Parents can no longer just keep the TV news off and assume their kids won’t see or hear much about an event, as the latest shooting had students sharing videos and pictures … Continue reading Talking to Kids About Violence
It’s Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot
This year’s flu season is worse than usual, with diagnoses and hospitalizations continuing to increase every week and over 4,000 deaths last week (10% of all deaths) from influenza. To make matters worse, there is a lot of misinformation out on social media regarding the flu and the flu vaccine. The Centers for Disease Prevention … Continue reading It’s Not Too Late to Get a Flu Shot
Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships
With the #MeToo movement all over social media and Valentine’s Day coming up, it is a good opportunity to have a discussion with your teen about relationships. February is also National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Today’s guest post comes from youth.gov and covers the characteristics healthy and unhealthy relationships. It is part of their … Continue reading Characteristics of Healthy & Unhealthy Relationships
Rekindling the Flame
Feeling overwhelmed by your PTA responsibilities? Winter’s cold and snow got you feeling down? Use these tips to rekindle the flame of PTA Leadership! Dare to Try New Things Try something new to develop a stronger and more vital PTA. Have a brainstorming session with your board or your members to discover new ways of … Continue reading Rekindling the Flame
How to Make Family Dinners Happen More Often
You’ve probably seen news stories sharing the benefits of family dinners. Maybe you’ve even made a New Year’s resolution to eat more dinners together. Perhaps you’d like to eat more family dinners, but don’t feel like you have the time to make it happen. The Family Dinner Project was created to help families take advantage … Continue reading How to Make Family Dinners Happen More Often
Organizing an IEP Binder
Any parent who has attended an Individualized Education Program (IEP) meeting for their child can tell you what an overwhelming and confusing experience it can be. Understood, a website in English and Spanish dedicated to helping parents support their child with special needs, has resources to create an IEP binder. An IEP binder provides parents … Continue reading Organizing an IEP Binder
What Am I?
I am the link which unites and presents a clearly defined image of PTA work to the community. I provide strong, inspiring leadership. I am understanding and compassionate to unit problems. I work with the district board realizing that through cooperation, we may achieve the purposes of the PTA. I refrain … Continue reading What Am I?
What Kids Wish Their Parents Knew About Their Online Life
Ana Homayoun, author of Social Media Wellness: Helping Tweens and Teens Thrive in an Unbalanced Digital World, shared the results of her interviews with middle and high school students about the things they don’t feel they can tell their parents about their online life, but wished their parents knew in a recent Washington Post article. … Continue reading What Kids Wish Their Parents Knew About Their Online Life
Inside an Illinois PTA Board Meeting
Most PTA leaders have met a couple of Illinois PTA State Board of Directors members. Maybe you’ve called your district or region director about a problem in your PTA or have gotten a reminder from them to make sure your tax form is filed on time. Perhaps you’ve gotten a call to action from the … Continue reading Inside an Illinois PTA Board Meeting
Eating Laundry Pods Really is a Thing Kids are Doing
Today’s post is taken in part from the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), highlighting their latest warning about laundry pods. You might have heard the recent reports of an online challenge for teens which is dangerous and can be deadly. The challenge shows teenagers filming themselves while ingesting laundry pods. Already in 2018, … Continue reading Eating Laundry Pods Really is a Thing Kids are Doing
Why Don’t Volunteers Stick Around?
It is generally agreed that no one of us can motivate another. The most we can do is to stimulate others to action, but individuals must provide the motivation for themselves. Volunteers are obviously motivated by something other than a paycheck, such as self-esteem, recognition, approval, acceptance, and pride in a job well done. A … Continue reading Why Don’t Volunteers Stick Around?
Essence of ESSA: School Climate and Culture
Today’s guest post comes from the Real Learning for Real Life coalition, of which Illinois PTA is a member. The coalition helps families and communities understand how our education system is changing to provide the children of Illinois the best education possible. The article looks at the difference and importance of school climate and culture … Continue reading Essence of ESSA: School Climate and Culture
Reflecting on Your PTA Role in the New Year
With the school year at the halfway point and many of us making New Year’s resolutions, it’s also a good opportunity to take time to reflect on how you are doing in your PTA role. Use the self-assessment questions below as well as those to ask of others on how you are doing to reflect … Continue reading Reflecting on Your PTA Role in the New Year
Be Prepared for Winter Weather
Today’s guest post comes from Ready.gov, the government’s preparedness website and covers how to be prepared for snowstorms and extreme cold. This page explains what actions to take when you receive a winter weather storm alert from the National Weather Service for your local area and what to do before, during, and after a snowstorm … Continue reading Be Prepared for Winter Weather
Illinois’s Teacher Shortage Visualized
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) recently released a survey showing school districts in Illinois have 1,006 unfilled teacher positions this year. Teacher vacancies can mean larger class sizes or, in smaller school districts, classes that just aren’t offered. In addition, 74% of the vacancies are in majority-minority school districts, while 81% are in … Continue reading Illinois’s Teacher Shortage Visualized
Thanking Your Volunteers
The holidays are a time for reflection and gratitude. It’s also the midpoint of the school year, which makes it a good time as a PTA leader to take a bit of time to think about what you’ve accomplished so far and what lies ahead. A good part of your PTA’s success depends on your … Continue reading Thanking Your Volunteers
13 Necessary Next Steps for Parents After an Autism Diagnosis
According to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC), about 1 in 68 children has been identified as being autistic, with boys being approximately 4.5 times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. The latter detail is still being debated, as autism diagnosis criteria were developed primarily with data from boys, autism presents differently … Continue reading 13 Necessary Next Steps for Parents After an Autism Diagnosis
NASA’s Kids’ Club
STEM education—focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math—has received a lot of attention in recent years. Part of the reason for that is STEM jobs are experiencing significant growth and are expected to continue to do so, but the number of STEM workers our education system is producing is not keeping up with that growth, … Continue reading NASA’s Kids’ Club
One Voice Illinois 