While running a PTA is a volunteer job, to the state of Illinois and the federal government, it is running a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. With that official role comes some legal obligations, most of which focus on financial issues. Here are seven tips to help you get your PTA year off on good financial footing. … Continue reading 7 Tips for a Strong Financial PTA Year
Parents 2022: Hidden in Plain Sight
Today’s guest post comes from Learning Heroes. We’ve highlighted their research and resources many times in the past. Their latest report, Parents 2022: Hidden in Plain Sight—A Way Forward for Equity-Centered Family Engagement, illustrates the opportunities for PTAs and schools to make significant progress on student success through meaningful family engagement. You can find the … Continue reading Parents 2022: Hidden in Plain Sight
Spring 2022 Legislative Successes
This being an election year, the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up their spring session in early April rather than at the end of May. Since the governor is required to take action on bills within 60 days of them being sent for signing, the fate of only a handful of bills remain uncertain. Here are … Continue reading Spring 2022 Legislative Successes
What Have I Done? Surviving Your First Few Months as PTA President
Last year’s PTA president said it was an easy job, just run a few meetings, so you said yes and got elected. But now they’ve dropped off this big box of PTA files and sped away like they had robbed a bank, and maybe you’re beginning to wonder what you’ve gotten yourself in for. Don’t … Continue reading What Have I Done? Surviving Your First Few Months as PTA President
Mobilize Your PTA Against Gun Violence
It is in the headlines every day. It can’t be avoided at the grocery store, at church, at school, or anywhere in our communities. It is gun violence, and as National PTA President Anna King notes in the headline of her One Voice blog post, we are well beyond enough is enough. Your PTA can … Continue reading Mobilize Your PTA Against Gun Violence
Looking Beyond Illinois PTA for Resources
One of the great things about being a PTA is that you are never on your own. There are great resources available to you from both National PTA and Illinois PTA, and you always have an Illinois PTA person you can turn to for help. It’s easy to forget, however, that PTA is made up … Continue reading Looking Beyond Illinois PTA for Resources
PTA Addresses Food Insecurity and Hunger
According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), 37.2 million people in the US lived in food-insecure households in 2018. The pandemic has served to highlight how many families are struggling with food insecurity and hunger. In 2020, National PTA created a four-part webinar series designed to engage PTAs and families on food insecurity and … Continue reading PTA Addresses Food Insecurity and Hunger
Create a Plan for Summer Success
Remote learning during the pandemic worked for some students, but for others not so much or not at all. With the return to the classroom, many students have struggled to get back on track. If you’re looking to help your child catch up over the summer, the Summer Parent-Teacher Planning Tool from Learning Heroes can … Continue reading Create a Plan for Summer Success
May is Mental Health Month
The pandemic has brought many challenges to our lives, and mental health is one such challenge that has become a more common topic of conversation the longer the pandemic has dragged on. This year for Mental Health Month, Mental Health America is going Back to Basics with their 2022 Mental Health Month Toolkit, available in … Continue reading May is Mental Health Month
PTAs and Referenda—Five Things to Know
The first time a PTA gets involved with advocacy is often when the school board puts a tax referendum on the ballot. Here are five things that PTAs need to know about handling this potentially first foray into advocacy. Your members decide if the PTA supports the referendum. While your school board and administrators may … Continue reading PTAs and Referenda—Five Things to Know
Improving School-Family Communication and Engagement
One of the key focuses of effective family engagement is communication, so important that communicating effectively is the second of National PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. The University of Chicago’s Consortium on School Research has just released a research brief on the lessons learned during remote schooling about how to improve school-family communication. The … Continue reading Improving School-Family Communication and Engagement
Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids
The pandemic has put a strain on everyone’s mental health. The Child Mind Institute has partnered with the state of California to create The California Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids Project, a free video series available in both English and Spanish aimed at parents, educators, and students to help promote children’s emotional health and to teach … Continue reading Healthy Minds, Thriving Kids
Supporting the Arts at Your School
The arts are more than just another class at school—they can positively affect student motivation, attendance, and the entire culture of a school. That’s why PTA has long supported the arts through the PTA Reflections program and arts advocacy. National PTA has now added resources for PTAs to help them use the arts to advance … Continue reading Supporting the Arts at Your School
Building Meaningful Family Engagement At Your School
Illinois PTA has focused on creating meaningful family engagement for years, as truly engaged families can make a significant difference in student success. National PTA recognizes its importance, too, having launched The Center for Family Engagement four years ago. Now, a new report from our friends at Learning Heroes further supports what PTA has been … Continue reading Building Meaningful Family Engagement At Your School
Introducing the Family STEAM Book
The Illinois PTA Local Unit Advocacy Toolkit wasn’t the only thing making its debut at the Illinois PTA Convention and Advocacy Conference. Illinois PTA also released the Family STEAM Book, a collection of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) activities for K-5 students that families can do at home or PTAs can use for … Continue reading Introducing the Family STEAM Book
Announcing the Illinois PTA Local Unit Advocacy Toolkit
Advocacy is at the heart of what PTA does, but you may not be sure what role advocacy has for your local PTA. As we shared in Why Advocate? a few weeks ago, you and your PTA members are likely already doing some advocacy even if you didn’t know you were. To help your PTA … Continue reading Announcing the Illinois PTA Local Unit Advocacy Toolkit
Helping Your Child Blaze a Path to Success
We all want our children to grow up to lead happy, successful lives, but sometimes it’s a struggle to know if we’re helping them stay on the path to success. Learning Heroes has just updated their Paths to Success resources aimed at middle school and high school students and their families. These resources will help … Continue reading Helping Your Child Blaze a Path to Success
Why Advocate?
The following is the introductory piece to the new Illinois PTA Local Unit Advocacy Toolkit that will be unveiled at the Illinois PTA Convention and Advocacy Conference on March 29-30. Join us in Springfield to learn more about the toolkit, hear great keynote speakers, meet with state legislators, and conduct the business of the Illinois … Continue reading Why Advocate?
Why EBF Funding Matters
One of the issues Illinois PTA will be supporting at the 2022 Illinois PTA Convention and Advocacy Conference in Springfield on March 29-30 is increased funding for the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula. A new report from the Professional Review Panel (PRP), a group created by the Illinois General Assembly to oversee EBF funding and recommend … Continue reading Why EBF Funding Matters
How to schedule a meeting with your legislator
The Illinois PTA Advocacy Conference and Convention is coming up on March 29-30, 2022 in Springfield. As part of the event, attendees will be meeting with legislators at the Capitol on the afternoon of March 29th. Here’s how to set up a meeting with your representative or senator. Find Your Legislator Even if you know … Continue reading How to schedule a meeting with your legislator
One Voice Illinois 