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
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
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!
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
Right to Play and Your PTA
In our wrap-up of this spring’s legislative session, Illinois PTA noted the passage of SB654, the Right to Play Every Day bill that guaranteed every kindergarten through fifth grade student 30 minutes of “supervised, unstructured, child-directed play” every school day. Governor Pritzker has now signed the bill into law, and its requirements take effect immediately. If … Continue reading Right to Play and Your PTA
PTA Membership Mythbusting
When asking people to join your PTA, you will likely hear a lot of reasons why they don’t want to join, and many of these reasons are myths about PTA. National PTA has created a flyer of 10 PTA Membership Myths & Truths that you can share with potential members to help with your membership campaign. The … Continue reading PTA Membership Mythbusting
Planning for Your PTA Year
Once again, PTA leaders planning for the coming year are faced with a lot of uncertainty. From the growing prevalence of the delta variant to breakthrough infections in vaccinated people and shifting recommendations on mask wearing, it is difficult to know how your coming school year will play out. Much of what Illinois PTA shared with … Continue reading Planning for Your PTA Year
PTA Programs at Home
The pandemic has dramatically changed how we PTA over the past year. From virtual PTA meetings to running events and membership drives without face-to-face contact, PTAs have struggled to adapt to the changes brought on by the pandemic. National PTA has responded to this challenge by adapting several of its programs to provide at-home models. The … Continue reading PTA Programs at Home
National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
The pandemic has presented many challenges for PTAs—fundraising, online meetings, virtual events, and not the least, membership. National PTA has launched Zooming Into Membership, an initiative to support PTA Councils, districts, regions, and states in supporting local PTA membership efforts. The initiative is based on several years of work with different levels of PTA to develop … Continue reading National PTA Launches Zooming Into Membership Toolkit
PTA Funds and Tragedy
A beloved teacher at your school dies. A family’s house burns down, and while they all escaped safely, they are left without anything. A child at your school has a serious health issue, and the family is struggling to pay medical bills. Every school is a community, and every community faces tragedy now and then. … Continue reading PTA Funds and Tragedy
4 End of the PTA Year Essentials
There is no doubt that the past year has been a unique experience for PTA leaders. Now that your PTA year is wrapping up, here are four essentials to finish up your year. Take care of your final PTA business in a general membership meeting. Your bylaws require that your PTA members handle certain things, so … Continue reading 4 End of the PTA Year Essentials
Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7
The past year has been a huge challenge for many of us, and among the biggest challenges were those facing our teachers. Going from a typical school year to suddenly all online and perhaps now back to in person or a hybrid system, our teachers have risen to the challenge of connecting with their students, … Continue reading Teacher Appreciation Week is May 3-7
National PTA Launches New YouTube Series
National PTA is launching a new YouTube series called 10 Minutes to PTA the Transformative Way on March 29th. The series is part of National PTA’s Center for Family Engagement initiative and will help PTA leaders improve their family engagement efforts. As the title implies, the 10-minute videos will feature PTA leaders and experts in the field … Continue reading National PTA Launches New YouTube Series
Questions to Ask a School Board Candidate
With school board elections coming up soon, your PTA or PTA Council can be involved in the election by hosting a candidate forum or by publishing candidate answers to a set of questions. As noted last week, PTAs are allowed to conduct a candidate forum or provide educational material, just remember not to send materials … Continue reading Questions to Ask a School Board Candidate
Elections—A Guide for PTAs
Local elections are coming up on April 6, 2021, and it is these elections, often featuring school board races and school funding referenda, that PTAs and their members are most often involved with. Because PTAs are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, the IRS sets specific limits on what PTAs can and can’t do regarding elections. Failure to … Continue reading Elections—A Guide for PTAs
Take Your Family to School Week is February 14-21
Take Your Family to School Week occurs the week of February 17th to honor the day that PTA was founded in 1897 and is designed to provide families an opportunity to get more involved in their child’s education and to strengthen their relationships with their child’s teachers and administrators. Take Your Family to School Week 2021 may look … Continue reading Take Your Family to School Week is February 14-21
One Voice Illinois 