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
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
Getting Ready for the First Membership Meeting of the Year
The 2020-21 school year is upon us, and the PTA year is about to get into full swing! Hopefully, your board of directors had a productive summer retreat and is planning a fall membership drive and the first membership meeting of the year. In many areas of Washington, membership meetings will need to be held…
Category:
Governance
A Teacher’s Thoughts on the Upcoming Year
Guest post provided by Amy Campbell, 2020 Washington state Teacher of the Year Hello fellow PTA members, My name is Amy Campbell. I am a Special Education teacher in the Camas School District, and the 2020 Washington state Teacher of the Year. I was honored to attend the Washington State PTA conference in May to…
Category:
Education
New Guidance on Reopening Schools – What Families Need to Know
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, Governor’s Policy Adviser Maddy Thompson, and Department of Health’s COVID response director Lacy Fehrenbach met with WSPTA members for a webinar on August 10. The main topics for the hour-long event included the new school reopening framework and answers to questions about serving all students, meal service, childcare, and tracking attendance.…
Category:
Education
Tracking Absences under COVID-19
OSPI (Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction) has adopted emergency rules to address tracking “absences” in a time of COVID and the various approaches to instruction, including in-person, hybrid, and remote learning. The rules will be in effect for the 2020-21 school year. Read the four-page summary here.
Category:
Education
August 2020 – WSPTA Executive Director Message
Dear members, What is a PTA? At its core, it is a collection of families and teachers who have come together to improve the lives and education of the children in their care. This is the reason PTA was founded in 1897 and it is just as relevant today. The challenges are very different, but…
Category:
Leadership
Finding Value in PTA When the Kids Are Learning at Home
Membership is more important now than ever before simply because of the many benefits that PTA brings to every member of the community. At the local level, PTAs give members a stronger way to advocate for children, youth, and families within the school. PTAs offer enrichment programs, parenting supports, friendship opportunities, and fun. Don’t forget…
Category:
Membership
Reopening Schools Health Metrics
On August 5, Governor Jay Inslee announced recommendations for health metrics to help guide local public health departments and school districts making decisions about how to reopen schools in the fall. In addition to the press conference, which can be viewed on TVW, here is the 5-page decision tree.
Category:
Advocacy
Virtual Fundraising
Fundraising will look different for PTA in the 2020-2021 school year as families continue to navigate enormous change and uncertainty. PTAs may wonder whether they should even try to raise money, and if so, how they can be successful with virtual fundraisers. Here are four tips for virtual fundraising, and some fun ideas to get…
Category:
Leadership