WSPTA Testifies: Schools Meals for All Students
Advocacy in Action! WSPTA Advocacy Committee member Danica Noble testified in favor of SB 5964, providing school meals to all students at the January 29th public hearing of the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee. While the bill didn’t advance, the companion to it – HB 2058 – is moving through the process in…
Category:
Advocacy
,
Legislative
2024 Washington Legislative Page Applications are Open
Last day to apply is February 9, 2024 During the legislative session, students from across Washington come to Olympia to serve as pages for the Washington State Legislature. Each week, the House and Senate provide pages the opportunity to take part in the legislative process and observe the Legislature and other branches of state government…
February Checklist for Councils Supporting Local PTAs
February Monthly Tasks Continue assisting with items from the “Ongoing Tasks” list. Refer to the February Checklist for Running Your PTA. Encourage leaders to subscribe to the Action Network to participate in timely action alerts with updates on the ongoing legislative session. As a bonus, subscribers to the Action Network receive the “Focus on Advocacy” newsletter. Remind local leaders…
Category:
Leadership
,
Training
February Checklist for Running Your PTA
Ongoing Tasks Attend any board and membership meetings Read meeting minutes and offer corrections Prepare reports for board and membership meetings Get educated: take advantage of in-person and online training opportunities Be familiar with your responsibilities and fulfill them Review and ask questions about monthly financial report Actively engage in a plan for membership growth…
Category:
Leadership
Self-declare Window Now Open for Vacant WSPTA Board Positions
There are currently two vacancies on the Washington State PTA (WSPTA) Board of Directors: Advocacy Director and Area D Vice President. Delegates at the 2024 WSPTA Convention will vote to fill these vacancies. On January 21, 2024, the WSPTA Nominating Committee filed its report and placed the following name in nomination for the remainder of…
Category:
Governance
2024 Legislative Session: Policy Cutoff Approaches
By Marie Sullivan, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Remember those 600+ bills introduced on Day 1 of the 2024 legislative session? Since then, nearly 600 more bills have been introduced – and this on top of bills not enacted last year that still have some juice! Policy and budget committees have been busy holding public hearings and voting on…
Category:
Advocacy
,
Legislative
WSPTA Seeks Presenters for 2024 Convention!
Do you have a program or practice you want to share with others? Here’s an opportunity to speak on topics showcasing your knowledge and experience with a wide audience of state leaders. WSPTA is now seeking session proposals for the 2024 Convention and Annual Meeting! The event will be held May 17-19, 2024, at the…
Ask WSPTA: Can a PTA sign up for a Venmo account?
Here’s a common question we receive in the support@wastatepta.org inbox: Can our PTA set up a Venmo account for fundraising? For a long time, we highly discouraged the use of Venmo because it was not designed to work for nonprofits. Over the past couple years, Venmo has introduced a new version of its product that…
Be Internet Awesome: A Great National PTA Program
Be Internet Awesome is a FREE National PTA program to help families be digital savvy when it comes to internet use for kids. Every family’s relationship with technology is unique. Google and YouTube provide products and resources to help you choose the right experience for your family and build healthy digital habits. Whether you’re looking…
Category:
Safety
The Great PTA Sign-Up Day: January 31, 2024
Guest post from WSPTA Membership Director Jenn Talingo The Great PTA Sign-Up Day! Today is the Great PTA Sign-Up Day. Our goal is to enroll 5,000 new members from across the state on January 31, 2024. I want to encourage every PTA to participate. This is a fabulous opportunity to grow your base, reach out…
Category:
Membership