Are Local PTAs in Good Standing?
To be eligible to participate in PTA programs, grants, and awards at the state and national level, PTAs must fulfill the requirements set out in the WSPTA Standards of Affiliation (SOA.) Councils can support local PTAs with these requirements and ensure that everyone is able to take advantage of all the opportunities available from WSPTA…
Category:
Leadership
Plan for the Future: Engaging Future Leaders
Councils exist to serve local PTAs, to educate local PTA leaders, to create a stronger awareness and relationship between local PTAs and the school district, and to facilitate programs that are more effective on a larger scale. One of the biggest determining factors in the health of a local PTA is whether that local PTA…
Category:
Leadership
Considering an ONLINE Gambling event? THINK AGAIN!
Who doesn’t love a fun basket raffle, cake walk, or hosting a PTA casino night? We know that social distancing has made it a challenge to host live events, but it is important to know that ONLINE gambling in the state of Washington is strictly prohibited and considered a class C felony. How do you…
Category:
Governance
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Leadership
October 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, PTA was founded as an advocacy organization and for over 120 years has advocated on behalf of children and youth at the school, district, state, and national levels. It is an amazing history of a grassroots organization changing the course of history and making our world a better place. Most incredibly, almost all…
Category:
Leadership
12 Tips for ADA Compliance in Electronic Meetings and Events
PTA Inclusion. Now More Than Ever. For electronic meetings and events, PTAs still must provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities, under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) and Washington’s Law Against Discrimination (WLAD). There is more information about both of those laws and how they impact local PTAs and councils in this blog post. Below…
Category:
Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – September 2020
I am so inspired by you! The creativity and innovation I’ve seen lately is off the charts! It just goes to show that PTA really is a verb, and you’re all finding new ways to improve the lives of students and families in your communities. Something true about the pandemic is that is has forced…
Category:
Leadership
How Do We Do Teacher Grants in a Pandemic?
Grants are a key tool PTAs use to support teachers in the classroom. The question many local leaders have this year is: Can we still do teacher grants with virtual or hybrid learning? We reached out to leaders around Washington and across the United States to see what PTAs plan on doing this year. The…
Category:
Leadership
Virtual Support for Local PTAs: Make it Personal
Engagement. Connecting PTAs. Personal relationships between council and local PTA leaders are the foundation of successful and sustainable councils. Approaching these relationships with intention, purpose, and consistency will benefit both local PTAs and the council now and well into the future. Here are a few tips: Do not wait for people to come to you! Contact…
Category:
Leadership
September 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear members, Most families join their local PTA for one of a short list of reasons. Some join because the PTA works together to advocate for and on behalf of children and youth in the schools. It is easier for the membership to push for change within a school than it is for a single…
Category:
Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – August 2020
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do not follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” To be a leader in these times means that we must be innovative and imaginative. We can’t use the templates so often used by our predecessors. With that in mind, now is…
Category:
Leadership