Illinois PTA has highlighted the issues surrounding vaping and teens for many years and continues to focus on the issue in alignment with our 2018 resolution on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). We’ve also highlighted National Public Radio’s (NPR) partnership with Sesame Workshop that created their Parenting: Difficult Conversations podcast, a part of NPR’s Life … Continue reading Talking to Your Teen About Vaping
Illinois PTA Supports Governor’s End to Seclusion
Illinois PTA strongly supports Governor JB Pritzker’s decision to end seclusion of students by schools. The move comes following a ProPublica Illinois investigation in conjunction with the Chicago Tribune into the use of restraint and seclusion in Illinois public schools. The investigation documented more than 20,000 incidents from the 2017-2018 school year and through early … Continue reading Illinois PTA Supports Governor’s End to Seclusion
ENDS Update
In 2018, Illinois PTA Convention delegates passed a resolution on Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS). The resolution followed years of tracking the data and science surrounding ENDS use by youth, and Illinois PTA continues to keep its members informed about new developments. Once again, e-cigarettes are in the news, with reports of pulmonary illnesses and … Continue reading ENDS Update
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2019 National PTA Convention last week in Columbus, OH, delegates adopted one new resolution and amended two other existing resolutions. The first, dealing with financial literacy, came from Illinois PTA. The other two dealt with energy drinks and lead. The financial literacy and lead resolutions both had minor amendments approved by the delegates, … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
E-Cigarette Update
When Illinois PTA first shared information about e-cigarette use among adolescents in 2014, we noted that use had more than doubled from 3.3% to 6.8% from 2011 to 2012. Today, the use of e-cigarettes or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) has risen to nearly 15% in 2018. The growth in the use of ENDS comes … Continue reading E-Cigarette Update
Advocacy Day 2019—A Challenging and Rewarding Day
Illinois PTA hosted is Advocacy Day in Springfield last Wednesday, February 6th. Though the weather did not cooperate, making travel difficult or impossible for some PTA advocates, Illinois PTA was still able to visit with every legislator’s staff and meet with a few legislators as well. A few of our advocates who had ducked in … Continue reading Advocacy Day 2019—A Challenging and Rewarding Day
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2018 National PTA Convention in New Orleans, delegates adopted one new resolution and amended another existing resolution. The first resolution addresses students with disabilities, while the second focuses on mental health programs and services. The links to the resolutions here are to the proposed text and amendments, which were only slightly modified by … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
Illinois PTA Advocacy Day 2017
Today is Illinois PTA Advocacy Day. Even if you can’t join us in Springfield, you can still participate. If you have a few minutes sometime in the next few days, send an e-mail to your legislators. The text is prewritten for you, though you can edit it or add more if you would like to. … Continue reading Illinois PTA Advocacy Day 2017
Help Your Child Develop Financial Literacy
As part of Illinois PTA’s continuing effort to implement the Resolution on Financial Literacy passed at the 2017 Illinois PTA Convention, we have been providing local units and councils with information to share with their families on the topic. A new financial literacy resource, Better Money Habits, has been created through a partnership of Bank … Continue reading Help Your Child Develop Financial Literacy
News from National Convention: Resolutions
PTA resolutions are a way for the membership of the association to express its opinion and intent to address issues affecting the lives of children and youth. They focus and formalize the position of the PTA on a variety of issues. At the 2017 National PTA convention in Las Vegas, the delegates adopted one resolution … Continue reading News from National Convention: Resolutions
Financial Literacy Resources
April is Financial Literacy Month, and one of the three resolutions passed at the 2017 Illinois PTA Convention called for the Illinois PTA to advocate for schools to incorporate financial literacy education into their existing curricula. Financial literacy is critical for students to acquire, as managing money, purchasing a car or house, saving for a … Continue reading Financial Literacy Resources
News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Report on Young Adults in the Justice System
Delegates at the 2016 Illinois PTA Convention passed a resolution creating a committee to study whether those young adults aged 18 to 21 involved in the justice system should be treated differently from older adults based on the latest scientific research on brain development. At the 2017 Illinois PTA Convention, that study committee presented its … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Report on Young Adults in the Justice System
Illinois PTA Convention Preview—Resolutions
The 115th Annual Illinois PTA Convention will be held on April 7th and 8th at the Hilton—Naperville. Convention is a great opportunity to attend interesting workshops and network with other PTA leaders, but it is also the time that the Illinois PTA conducts its business. Part of that business is directing the legislative and advocacy … Continue reading Illinois PTA Convention Preview—Resolutions
Join Us for Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield on November 15th
November 15, 2016 is Parents Day as part of American Education Week. It is also Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield, an opportunity for PTA members from across Illinois to speak up for children. While you may not feel like you can be a PTA advocate, you likely already have been one. If you have … Continue reading Join Us for Illinois PTA Advocacy Day in Springfield on November 15th
Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
From youth safety issues to juvenile justice, from children’s health to readiness for college and the work-force, from childhood hunger to an interim budget in a year of fiscal deadlock, the Illinois PTA has advocated successfully for all our children. The highlights are below. Illinois PTA will continue to advocate for every child, and urges … Continue reading Another Year of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois!
News from National Convention—Resolutions
At the 2016 National PTA Convention in Orlando, four resolutions were adopted by the convention delegates. PTA resolutions and position statements are official documents outlining the opinion, will, or intent of the association to address national problems, situations, or concerns that affect children and youth and that require national action to seek solutions to the … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Resolutions
Resolutions are how PTAs can make a difference for every child in Illinois. Many current policies and laws that have made a difference in the lives of children, youth, and families began as a resolution, often from a local PTA unit: establishing a Juvenile Justice System, ensuring complete vision exams for children before starting school, … Continue reading News from the Illinois PTA Convention—Resolutions
A Summer of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois
The Illinois PTA is pleased to announce another success on Illinois PTA-supported legislation: Senate Bill 1793, Suicide Awareness Policy, was signed into law by Governor Rauner on August 21, 2015. Now known as Public Act 99-0443 or Ann Marie’s Law, requires that the State Board of Education: Develop a model youth suicide awareness and prevention … Continue reading A Summer of Legislative Success for the Children of Illinois
Governor Signs Two More Illinois PTA-Supported Bills
Governor Rauner continues to take action on bills that were passed by the legislature this past spring, including two more that were supported by the Illinois PTA. Multiple Measure Index Bill House Bill 2683, the Multiple Measure Index Bill, now known as Public Act 99-0193, was signed into law on July 30, 2015 by Governor Rauner. … Continue reading Governor Signs Two More Illinois PTA-Supported Bills
News from National Convention—Resolutions
One of the important business items at the National PTA Convention is adoption of resolutions. PTA resolutions and position statements are official documents outlining the opinion, will, or intent of the association to address national problems, situations, or concerns that affect children and youth and require national action to seek resolution on the issue. They … Continue reading News from National Convention—Resolutions
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