WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – January 2020
The newness of the year and decade feel like a blank page, just waiting for us to write the next chapter in the history of WSPTA. I testified on behalf of our members recently. As I stood in front of the capitol, I reflected on all those who have advocated for children and families, all…
Category:
Leadership
WSPTA President’s Power of Connection – December 2019
This time of year reminds me of the family and friends connections that I hold most dear. My family has gotten fairly large, and getting 29 of us together for holidays is tough. We’ve started a new tradition of renting a large cabin early in the holiday season and celebrating then. It’s not easy to…
Category:
Leadership
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…
Category:
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…
Category:
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…
Category:
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…
Category:
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…
Category:
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
Membership Awards 101
Washington State PTA gives out two types of PTA Membership Awards: Membership Growth Awards and Membership Achievement Awards. Membership Growth Awards are automatically calculated and awarded to local PTAs and councils that reach the required criteria levels for Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum recognition. Your PTA can focus on the important work of enrolling members…
Category:
Membership
WSPTA is pleased to announce the 2019-2021 slate of officers and call for self-declared candidates
Governance. Powered by PTA. The 2019 Washington State PTA nominating committee hereby places the following names into nomination: The nominating committee has confirmed that all nominees have been a member of a PTA for at least 15 days prior to the election, and meet other requirements as stated in the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws. Respectfully submitted,…
Category:
Governance
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Leadership