The Illinois PTA does not allow PTAs to charter Scouting units, including Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, and Venturing Crews. This has been a PTA position since 1990. The reasons for this prohibition are as follows. PTA insurance specifically excludes Scouting units. This means that your PTA’s insurance will not cover any Scouting-related claims … Continue reading Illinois PTA Clarifies Position on Chartering Scout Units
Lead in School Drinking Water—What Families Need to Know
Note: Illinois PTA has an advocacy campaign running now through January 10, 2017 to urge the Illinois House to join the Illinois Senate in passing SB550, a bill that would require testing every unique drinking water source in all Illinois schools and report high lead levels to families. If you were looking to make a … Continue reading Lead in School Drinking Water—What Families Need to Know
President’s Corner
Greetings, With Thanksgiving behind us I hope you all had a chance to share some family time and are able to plan for the upcoming Holidays, which are right around the corner. Even though we all would like to take a time out, there are many things happening across the state that I would like … Continue reading President’s Corner
Beyond Monopoly: Exploring Modern Board Games
Is this a common scene in your house? Dad is watching a football game on TV, Mom is on Facebook, the teenager is on her phone, and the younger kid is playing on the Xbox or Wii. Perhaps you’ve thought about finding something the family could do together rather than focusing on their own separate … Continue reading Beyond Monopoly: Exploring Modern Board Games
The Illinois ESSA Plan Draft #2 Highlights
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) became law almost one year ago. During this past year, Illinois and every other state has been working hard to develop a plan to implement ESSA in their state, with the final plan due to the US Department of Education on April 3, 2017. The Illinois State Board of … Continue reading The Illinois ESSA Plan Draft #2 Highlights
7 Keys to Successful Delegating
Even if you’re not a PTA president, December is a busy time of year, filled with holiday shopping and decorating, end of semester projects, holiday concerts, and more. If you’ve got a PTA meeting and a PTA event or two, it can be overwhelming. The key to avoiding burnout as a PTA president is to … Continue reading 7 Keys to Successful Delegating
Every Student Counts—A New Report on Public Education in Illinois
The state of Illinois has a goal of 60% of Illinoisans with a post-secondary degree or credential by the year 2025. Today, thatnumber is 50%. Advance Illinois just released a new report, Every Student Counts—The State We’re In, that documents where public education stands in Illinois on several key measures related to that goal. The … Continue reading Every Student Counts—A New Report on Public Education in Illinois
Open eBooks Provides Free Books to Children in Need
A critical part of a child’s academic success is learning to read and developing a love of reading. For many children, developing this love is hindered by a lack of access to books in their home. Now, Open eBooks is helping educators, librarians, and program leaders working with children from in-need families get free access … Continue reading Open eBooks Provides Free Books to Children in Need
President’s Corner
Greetings, First and foremost, I wanted to make sure I wish all of you a happy and safe Thanksgiving. This is a time where I feel reflection is really important. Reflection on our country's history, on our elders, past generation's challenges, and what their triumphs were. Together we make a better future for our families … Continue reading President’s Corner
Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield a Big Success
It was a beautiful fall day in Springfield on Tuesday as Illinois PTA members gathered for Advocacy Day. The Illinois PTA table in the capitol rotunda welcomed advocates and greeted passersby all day. By the end of the day, 79 legislators or their staff had had face-to-face contact with Illinois PTA. If you couldn’t make … Continue reading Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield a Big Success
Stranger in a Strange Land: A Parent’s Guide to Minecraft
If you have an elementary or middle school student, or perhaps even a high school student, you very likely have already heard of Minecraft. Since its original release in 2009, over 106 million copies have been sold, and that total grows by 53,000 every day. Minecraft has 40 million unique players every month. Chances are, … Continue reading Stranger in a Strange Land: A Parent’s Guide to Minecraft
President’s Corner
I can’t believe it is already November. Time passes SO fast. I hope all of you are having an awesome year. I just wanted to let you know the Illinois PTA has 7 open grant opportunities for local PTAs to host a presentation on Learning Hero Resources and Illinois testing standards. These presentations can be … Continue reading President’s Corner
President’s Corner
Greetings, Last week marks a new day in history, as our new President has been elected. However, our vision, mission, and charge is still the same. We have to ensure every child’s potential becomes reality and no matter who is in office. We must stand up and fight for that to happen. As you know, … Continue reading President’s Corner
Helping Your Child Deal with Anxiety
Every parent has dealt with a child who is anxious about something, be it the first day of school, a piano recital, or meeting the new kid next door. Anxiety is certainly a part of every person’s life from time to time, but anxiety that is too strong or that happens a lot can become … Continue reading Helping Your Child Deal with Anxiety
Know the Cyberbullying Warning Signs
Bullying on the playground or in the classroom can be seen. Cyberbullying—bullying online through social media, apps, and other online activities—is a lot harder for teachers or parents to spot. A 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report indicated that 15% of high school students had experienced cyberbullying in the past year. Most … Continue reading Know the Cyberbullying Warning Signs
Moving Beyond “How Was School Today?”
It’s a practically a ritual in most households, “How was school today?” While your kindergartner might share a lot in answering that question, as they get older, as teacher communication gets rarer, and as more things happen at school that we need to know about, the answer tends to get shorter—much shorter—“Fine.” Elena Aguilar, a … Continue reading Moving Beyond “How Was School Today?”
Illinois Releases New School Report Card
The Illinois State Board of Education released its state report card for the 2015-2016 school year yesterday. Illinois PTA has shared how to navigate the report card, and this year’s version offers some new tools and new information. This year’s report card is also mobile-friendly, an important feature since many families in Illinois only have … Continue reading Illinois Releases New School Report Card
4 Things Not to Do When Dealing with an Angry Volunteer
From the National PTA president down to the local unit, PTA is a volunteer association. PTA can’t do what it does without volunteers, and Illinois PTA has shared information on: Getting more volunteers Overcoming objections Making the most of your volunteers Recognizing your volunteers Most of the time, PTA volunteers are happy to share their … Continue reading 4 Things Not to Do When Dealing with an Angry Volunteer
Printable List Provides Over 500 Accommodations for an IEP or 504 Plan
Navigating the process of getting your child an Individualized Education Program (IEP) can be a confusing process for families. Illinois does provide a guide for families, and Illinois PTA has covered the 10 common mistakes parents make during the IEP process. The special education parent blog, A Day in Our Shoes, has a wonderful resource … Continue reading Printable List Provides Over 500 Accommodations for an IEP or 504 Plan
Teach Your Child to Be a Problem Solver
Problem solving is one of the critical life skills for children to develop, and those skills aren’t developed only with homework problems. Learning to deal with problems and come up with solutions are essential for children to develop resiliency or, as it is sometimes called, grit. Your child probably already knows how to handle some … Continue reading Teach Your Child to Be a Problem Solver
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