Middle school is different from elementary school for kids—they’re changing classrooms, managing a locker, and meeting new people from other elementary schools. It’s different for parents as well. New activities like band or sports may pull parents who have been involved in PTA at the elementary level away at the middle school level. Here are … Continue reading Top 10 Tips for Middle School PTA Success
News from National Convention: Attracting Today’s Parents
PTAs used to be able to simply set up a table with a “Join PTA” sign and have parents line up. But those days are long gone, and today’s PTA needs to provide parents with reasons for joining that resonate with them. At the 2017 National PTA Convention, two events focused on how PTAs can … Continue reading News from National Convention: Attracting Today’s Parents
Plan Now for PTA Success in the Fall
With the school year coming to a close and summer activities to look forward to, many PTA leaders may be looking to put their feet up for the next few months. But summer provides an excellent time for PTA leaders to make their lives easier once school starts back up. By doing some planning for … Continue reading Plan Now for PTA Success in the Fall
PTA SPOTLIGHT 2017: A Story of Art and Celebration
On May 13, the Illinois PTA 4th Annual SPOTLIGHT: A Children’s Celebration of Art and Community was held at Millikin University in Decatur. This year, 235 participants viewed the galleries, participated in workshops, and celebrated our children. We thank Mother Nature for providing our families a perfect day to make a day trip to Decatur … Continue reading PTA SPOTLIGHT 2017: A Story of Art and Celebration
News from the Illinois PTA Convention—School of Excellence Program
At first glance, Kreitner Elementary School in Collinsville looks like a school that would be struggling to get families involved. The Pre-K through fourth grade school has just under 400 students, and 91% are from low-income families, 100% receive free lunch, 75% are Hispanic, and 53% are English Language Learners. And a few years ago, … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Convention—School of Excellence Program
Student Competitions You Didn’t Know Existed
Most PTAs are aware of the annual PTA Reflections program focused on the arts, and chances are you’ve seen the Scripps National Spelling Bee on the news. Those are just two examples of the many competitions that are available to students each year. Kudoswall has created a list of 50 competitions in a variety of … Continue reading Student Competitions You Didn’t Know Existed
How Your PTA and Families Can Support National Reading Month
March is National Reading Month, and kicks off with Read Across America Day on March 2, Dr. Seuss’s birthday. Your PTA and families can support reading both at school and in the home. Reading is a critically important skill for students to develop, and children who read 30 minutes each day progress faster and do … Continue reading How Your PTA and Families Can Support National Reading Month
The Woke PTA’s Guide to Advocacy
The last few weeks have seen an unprecedented level of civic engagement. Huge demonstrations have drawn out people who have never marched. Congressional switchboards have received more calls than ever before. Your PTA may have many members who are now looking for ways to advocate on behalf of children through PTA. Here’s a guide to … Continue reading The Woke PTA’s Guide to Advocacy
Plan Your PTA Take Your Family to School Week Event Now
Founders’ Day, February 17th, celebrates the legacy and work of Alice McLellan Birney, Phoebe Apperson Hearst, and Selena Sloan Butler to improve the lives of children. The date marks the first National Congress of Mothers, held in Washington, D.C. in 1897. As part of that celebration, National PTA designates the week that includes Founders’ Day … Continue reading Plan Your PTA Take Your Family to School Week Event Now
ISBE Unveils New Friendlier Website
The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) provides a wealth of information for families, teachers, administrators, and community members on their website. However, finding the information you were looking for used to involve navigating an extremely complicated series of menus and links, backing up from dead ends, and sometimes futile searches. However, right before the … Continue reading ISBE Unveils New Friendlier Website
Snow Day Activities and Resources
Snow days are great when you’re a kid—a day off from school to play in the snow! But for a parent, it can be a challenge to keep the kids busy throughout the day. Edutopia has resources for teachers and families to turn snow days into learning opportunities. Here are some highlights. How Snowflakes are … Continue reading Snow Day Activities and Resources
New Guide Helps Hispanic Families Navigate the College Application Process
Latino students are graduating high school and enrolling in college at the highest rates in our history, and they are now the largest minority group in our nation’s colleges and universities. However, only 23% of Hispanic adults 25 and older have an associate degree or higher, and only 12% have a masters or doctorate. In … Continue reading New Guide Helps Hispanic Families Navigate the College Application Process
Turn Your PTA into a Social Media Powerhouse
Social media is the place for PTAs and other organizations to engage their members. Whether it is Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or some other platform, social media lets PTAs keep their members informed about events, share information, and connect in ways that printed newsletters in backpacks never could. Now, Skills Platform and several nonprofit social media … Continue reading Turn Your PTA into a Social Media Powerhouse
New PTA Election Guides Help PTA’s One Voice Be Heard—Add Yours
Election Day is November 8th, and given the state’s budget crisis, your school district may have a referendum on the ballot. Your PTA may also want to ask candidates about their positions on education or other issues affecting children. Illinois PTA has covered the do’s and don’ts of elections for PTAs, and now National PTA … Continue reading New PTA Election Guides Help PTA’s One Voice Be Heard—Add Yours
Master the Art of the PTA Meeting
We’ve all attended them—PTA meetings that seem to drag on forever, don’t get anything done, and leave you dreading the next meeting. Poorly-run meetings can drive away potential PTA volunteers and leaders. If you’re a new PTA president, or even an experienced one, here are some tips to help you master the art of the … Continue reading Master the Art of the PTA Meeting
Free Popular Events Idea Booklet from USDA Team Nutrition
We all want our children to be active and to make healthy food choices, and PTAs are always looking for new program ideas. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s Team Nutrition, which supports improving Child Nutrition Programs, has collected 20 themed events from real-life events at Team Nutrition schools in a … Continue reading Free Popular Events Idea Booklet from USDA Team Nutrition
10-Minute Film Festival: Back to School Edition
Illinois PTA has mentioned the NBC News Education Nation Parent Toolkit before, but the toolkit has continued to grow in the past two years, adding videos and more to the toolkit. Here’s a 10-minute film festival of videos from the toolkit, each a minute or less, to get you and your child ready to go … Continue reading 10-Minute Film Festival: Back to School Edition
Use the Super 5 to Get Your School Year Off to a Great Start
Be a Learning Hero has launched The Super 5: Back-to-School Power Moves to help families get their school year started right. Families know their child’s interests, habits, and personality, but they may not know what their child is expected to learn. The Super 5, in both English and Spanish, provides families with resources to address … Continue reading Use the Super 5 to Get Your School Year Off to a Great Start
Understanding ESSA
President Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law last December. ESSA reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and made substantial changes to the previous version of the law known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Many of these changes focused on moving responsibility for improving education from the federal government … Continue reading Understanding ESSA
5 Ways to Fire Up Your Middle School or High School PTA
PTAs and PTSAs at the middle school and high school level often struggle. It’s not that families are no longer involved with the school, it’s that they are now spread out among athletic boosters, band, orchestra, drama, and other groups as well as the PTA. Here are some ideas to fire up families to engage … Continue reading 5 Ways to Fire Up Your Middle School or High School PTA
One Voice Illinois 