July 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, One of the messages I have heard repeatedly when I started working with the Washington State PTA seven months ago was how quiet it gets in the summer time. The story goes that with the end of the school year we stop hearing from you, the leaders and other members of the PTAs…
Category:
Leadership
2019 Legislative Session End of Session Report
Prepared for the Washington State PTA By Legislative Consultant Marie Sullivan Legislature ends session on time, passes $52.4 billion operating budget For the first time since 2009, the Washington State Legislature ended a 105-day budget session on time with just minutes to spare. This was the second year in a row, however, for lawmakers to…
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Advocacy
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Legislative
Washington State PTA’s Position on Funding for Staff
Washington State PTA (WSPTA) recommends that PTAs do not pay costs for staff during the school day. Whether a PTA does so, however, is a local decision made by the board of directors and members of that local PTA. There are many relevant factors involved; the information here is presented to address these factors and…
Category:
Advocacy
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Governance
June 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, It has been a busy month for us at the Washington State PTA office. After wrapping up the Convention we dived right into preparations for the various meetings and retreats we will be holding over the summer to prepare for the 2019-2020 year. New volunteer leaders will be forfeiting part of their summer…
Category:
Leadership
Washington State PTA Announces Newly Installed Board of Directors for 2019-2021 Term
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Andrew Estep Washington State PTA (253) 214-7410 www.wastatepta.org WASHINGTON STATE PTA ANNOUNCES NEWLY INSTALLED BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board of directors to meet for strategic planning session. Tacoma, WA (June 1, 2019): The Washington State PTA (WSPTA), the oldest and largest grassroots child advocacy association in Washington state, announced the 2019-2021 board of…
Category:
Leadership
May 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, The following is derived from my Executive Director Remarks to the membership at the Convention on April 28, 2019. Thank you, President Michelle Nims and the entire Board of Directors, for hiring me. Being the Executive Director of the Washington State PTA is an incredible privilege and I am filled with gratitude at…
Category:
Leadership
An Easy Way to Connect Students On Your Campus
Guest Post Provided By: JC Pohl, LMFT I am so thankful that Lifetouch + Shutterfly was able to help us connect at the WSPTA Conference. What a special day! As a follow up to my keynote session, I wanted to ask you… Is every student on your campus connected? If they aren’t, let’s fix that…
Category:
Health & Well-being
2019 WSPTA Convention Wrap-up
On behalf of your Washington State PTA board of directors, thank you to everyone who attended the 106th Annual WSPTA Convention this past weekend. We learned a lot, laughed a lot, and danced a lot, so thank you for joining us! If you were not able to attend this year’s convention, here is a recap…
Category:
Events
2019 Legislative Session Ends on Time – Sine Die!
Prepared by Marie Sullivan, WSPTA Legislative Consultant, legconsultant@wastatepta.org Moments before midnight, it all came together – miraculously! The Senate concurred with the House changes to SB 5313; passed HB 2163, the hold harmless bill, by a margin of 41-7(!), and passed an operating budget in record time. The House also rapidly passed an operating budget and…
Category:
Advocacy
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Legislative
Is Your PTA a Clique?
Sometimes, the reason more people don’t join your PTA is because they feel unwelcome. Whether warranted or not, your PTA may have a reputation as a clique. Overcoming this common issue can be challenging because it requires the focus and commitment of your group as a whole. The first obstacle to overcome – and the…
Category:
Membership