Illinois PTA has long been a fan of Action for Healthy Kids, and recently, they updated their website and resources, including translating many of the resources into Spanish. If your PTA is looking for program ideas, the updated website has plenty for you. The resources are now split into three areas: NourishEd (hunger and nutrition)EnergizEd … Continue reading Programs for Healthy Kids
125 Years of PTA
Alice McClellan Birney, a widow, a school teacher, and a mother of two, looked around her community and saw children often ending their education at the eighth grade or even the fifth grade. She saw children working in factories and mines. And she determined that somebody needed to speak up for children and their needs. … Continue reading 125 Years of PTA
What PTAs Need to Kow About the Illinois PTA Proposed Dues Increase
The Illinois PTA State Board of Directors has proposed a $0.75 dues increase starting July 1, 2022. Delegates to the Illinois PTA Convention in Springfield on March 29-30, 2022 will vote on the proposal as part of the business of convention. Here’s what PTAs need to know about the proposed dues increase. Why a Dues … Continue reading What PTAs Need to Kow About the Illinois PTA Proposed Dues Increase
Parents 2021: Research Highlights Opportunity for Meaningful Family Engagement
Today’s guest post comes from Learning Heroes. We’ve highlighted their research and resources many times in the past. Their latest report, Parents 2021: Going Beyond the Headlines, illustrates the opportunities for PTAs and schools to make significant progress on student success through meaningful family engagement. You can find the slide deck, a short video, social … Continue reading Parents 2021: Research Highlights Opportunity for Meaningful Family Engagement
Take 2 Minutes to Tell the Governor to Support School Funding!
Governor Pritzker’s budget address is coming up on February 2, 2022. Illinois PTA is encouraging all PTA members to send a note to the governor asking him to include at least $350 million in increased funding to the Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) formula for FY23. The governor did not include increased EBF funding in last year’s … Continue reading Take 2 Minutes to Tell the Governor to Support School Funding!
Creating a Family Self-Care Plan
The pandemic has highlighted the need for all of us to prioritize our health—both physical and mental. Our friends at Action for Healthy Kids have created a resource to help your family create a self-care plan (En español). While self-care is something one does on one’s own, having your family work together to create a … Continue reading Creating a Family Self-Care Plan
9 Family Engagement Strategies for Middle School PTAs
Family engagement is a lot easier at the elementary school level: kids want their parents around and events and programs are easy to come by. That changes with middle school and children beginning to assert their independence. As Illinois PTA has pointed out in the past, middle school PTAs can find success by focusing more … Continue reading 9 Family Engagement Strategies for Middle School PTAs
5 PTA Leader New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s resolutions have been made for millennia. The start of a new calendar year is the opportunity to start new habits and new projects. Here are five New Year’s resolutions for PTA leaders. Advocate. PTA advocacy has made a difference in the lives of children for over 120 years in Illinois. A more equitable … Continue reading 5 PTA Leader New Year’s Resolutions
The 7 Most Meaningful Gifts for Teachers
As the holiday break approaches, many families are looking for gifts for their child’s teacher. If you’re looking to avoid adding another “#1 Teacher” mug to their collection, the folks at Edutopia have got you covered. They asked teachers what they most wanted for the holidays this year. These are the seven most popular responses: … Continue reading The 7 Most Meaningful Gifts for Teachers
Helping Siblings Get Along
The holidays can be a busy family time, and with a lot of time together occasionally comes some conflict. The Child Mind Institute has some suggestions for how you can help your kids get along with each other (also available in Spanish). Sibling conflict has been around as long as there have been siblings. Whether … Continue reading Helping Siblings Get Along
Bullying Prevention Resources for Your PTA
The recent suicide of a 10-year-old autistic black student in Utah, along with reports that school officials did not act when alerted to the repeated bullying the child endured, has brought bullying back into the spotlight. If your PTA is interested in hosting a bullying prevention event or looking for materials to share with families, … Continue reading Bullying Prevention Resources for Your PTA
8 Grant Writing Tips for PTAs
Illinois PTA recently celebrated four local PTAs earning National PTA program grants. These PTAs received $1,000 from National PTA and program sponsors to help bring PTA programs on STEM, literacy, digital citizenship, mental health, and the arts to their school. Here are some tips to help your PTA prepare for the next round of National … Continue reading 8 Grant Writing Tips for PTAs
10 Secrets to Getting and Keeping Volunteers
Your PTA needs volunteers to be successful, and as we begin to have more in-person events, your PTA’s need for volunteers is likely growing over what you’ve gotten by with during the pandemic. If your PTA is struggling to find volunteers, here are ten secrets to getting and keeping them. Toot your PTA’s horn. Make … Continue reading 10 Secrets to Getting and Keeping Volunteers
How to Know When Your Kid Needs a Mental Health Day
In September, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB1577 into law, providing all Illinois students with the ability to take up to five excused mental health days starting in January. Students taking a mental health day will not be required to provide their school with a doctor’s note and will be able to make up any work … Continue reading How to Know When Your Kid Needs a Mental Health Day
The Pandemic’s Effect on Children’s Mental Health
The Child Mind Institute has released its annual report on children’s mental health, this year focusing on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report, The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health: What We Know So Far, looks at: What is known about the pandemic’s effect on children’s mental healthWhat are the most common mental … Continue reading The Pandemic’s Effect on Children’s Mental Health
Reach for the Stars with Our New Membership Recognition Program!
Illinois PTA has a new membership recognition program to honor PTAs, PTA Councils, and Regions that grow and support PTA membership. The tiered program will recognize membership growth not just in the 2021-2022 school year, but is also structured for PTAs to build on their success year after year. Rewards Recognition will be awarded based … Continue reading Reach for the Stars with Our New Membership Recognition Program!
October is College Changes Everything Month in Illinois
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) has launched its sixth College Changes Everything Month in Illinois. The month is designed to provide an intensive schedule of free college and financial planning support to students and families. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid for the 2022-2023 school year became available on October … Continue reading October is College Changes Everything Month in Illinois
Advocacy Matters!
PTA was founded for advocacy. Alice McLellan Birney, a widowed schoolteacher, saw the plight of children in her community and felt someone should be speaking up for them. With Phoebe Apperson Hearst, she founded the National Congress of Mothers in 1897, now known as the National PTA. Illinois PTA will continue this tradition with our … Continue reading Advocacy Matters!
Ask a Stupid Question
Today, September 28th, is Ask a Stupid Question Day. The day was created in the 1980s by teachers to encourage students to ask more questions in the classroom. But as the day is intended to point out, no question asked in search of knowledge or understanding is stupid. In honor of Ask a Stupid Question Day, … Continue reading Ask a Stupid Question
8 Steps to a Successful PTA Year
The start of the school year is always a busy time, and even more so if you are a PTA leader. In addition to all the usual back-to-school activities, you’re also juggling all your new PTA duties and learning to work with your PTA team. Here are 8 steps to get your PTA year off … Continue reading 8 Steps to a Successful PTA Year
One Voice Illinois 