Disability Access and PTA
In the state of Washington, 12% of students aged 3 – 18 have been identified with a disability under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA.) More than 23% of adults in Washington have a disability. To serve every child and be inclusive of all families, PTAs must pay close attention to whether meetings and…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – November 2019
Dear Members, For parents, caregivers and PTA volunteers, Autumn is a very busy time! There are so many new people to meet, new routines, and projects to kick off that life can feel a little chaotic. Some of us thrive on these connections, and for some, it can feel overwhelming. Hopefully, you’ve completed some of…
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Leadership
November 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, As the song goes, the days are getting shorter, and the nights are getting longer. We are midway through autumn – that crazy season of wet, warm, blustery days alternating with beautifully sunny but cold days. This has always been my favorite time of year. I loved school growing up and by now…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – October 2019
Dear Members, Students are at the center of everything we do in PTA, but sometimes we get so immersed in running things that we forget to stop and ask the children how we can best serve them. I participated in two statewide education panels recently and heard so many touching stories about student challenges and…
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Leadership
October 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, Wow – what a month! The 2019-2020 Strategic Plan Listening Tour got off to a great start in September. I was absolutely delighted to participate in four region conference and hold Listening Tour sessions. So far I have met so many members and heard so many stories. Some stories were heartbreaking and others…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – September 2019
Dear Members, “Intentional Inclusion” is a term I’ve been hearing lately. I heard it recently from a special education teacher who advocates for her students to be included not just during the school day, but in community events. She said inclusion is a learning process for all of us, and I think she’s right. Family…
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Leadership
September 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, It’s the end of August and we have hit the ground running. There is so very much to do this time of year! Families are engaged in the annual “back to school” ritual, preparing children and youth for school. PTAs are gearing up membership drives and planning their events and activities for the year. WSPTA Region Directors and other…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – August 2019
Dear Members, My 21-year-old daughter, Maddie, has been working part-time while attending college, and it’s been fascinating to observe her young career taking shape. She’s working towards a degree in aviation maintenance management where roughly 98% of the workforce doesn’t resemble her at all. As a petite young woman in a male-dominated field, she’s learning…
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Leadership
August 2019 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear Members, As you are probably aware, our membership database is about to change. About 5 years ago Washington State PTA switched to PT Avenue from the prior database program. This was a dramatic change for both the state office and for local PTA leadership. Some of the results were great, some not so good.…
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Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – July 2019
Dear Members, Our 2019-2021 term is off to a great start, and I’m really excited about all the terrific things we’re working on! As Andrew mentioned in his recent blog post, we started off the year with a board retreat on May 31 and June 1 in Redmond. I’ve been to a lot of awesome…
Category:
Leadership