Third Week of March 2008

  Let this be an opportunity for your PTA to recognize their own efforts and advocacy to benefit the children and youth in your community.

The PTA Council of Howard County is seeking nominations for the Joan Dykstra Advocacy Award.  This award was established to honor Joan Dykstra, Past President of National PTA, past president of this Council, former resident of Howard County and invaluable resource to this Council.  Joan believed the strength of PTA is its ability to advocate with local, state and national entities on behalf of programs, policies and law that affect children and youth in our communities.

.The recipient of this award will be a local PTA in Howard County who has advocated on behalf of the children and youth in their community.  The advocacy may be at the local school-level, the county level or the state level.    The PTA who receives this recognition will also be awarded $300 to use in their PTA  programs.  

LOOKING FOR ADVOCATES, LEADERS, SUPPORTERS

The PTA Council of Howard County is accepting nominations of people willing to serve in elected position for the next school year: president, executive vice president, vice president of issues, vice president of operations, recording secretary, corresponding secretary, and treasurer.  A nominee for an elected position must be a local PTA member and have served for one year on a local PTA executive board. 

To submit a potential nominee, email the person’s name, phone, and email address and what PTA they are from to ptachc@gmail.com.  The nominating committee will contact the individual.  (Your name will not be mentioned.)

 Get Active Howard County is coming to elementary and middle schools this Spring!

 Get Active Howard County Schools (GAHC-S) is a free 4-week  program from April 13th - May 10th that is part of the annual Get Active Howard County.  GAHC-S is open to students, families, and staff of elementary and middle schools in Howard County.  The goal of the program is for people to become more active and ultimately improve their lifelong health. 

Participants register through their schools and set a goal for minutes they will be active each week.  Although goals are determined individually, youth are encouraged to aim for at least 60 minutes of activity each day. This includes time at recess, walking to/from school, sports, and outside play at home. Participants log the minutes they are active on the log provided and submit their log at the end of the program.  Free activities are also available at www.getactivehowardcounty.org. 

 The best part!?  The school that has the most participants will win a FREE field trip to the Columbia Association SportsPark!  Other prizes are also available for school team leads to distribute as desired. 

 For more information, contact bramsing@verizon.net   For information about Get Active Howard County's 10-week program, go to www.getactivehowardcounty.org. 

To register a school team, contact Jackie Cinquegrana at Jackie.cinquegrana@columbiaassociation.com or call her at 410-715-3151.

 PTA’s SHARING QUESTION & IDEAS

 From Waterloo PTA:  In the past, we have had a visual artist for our Artist in Residency program but he is no longer available.  Ideally we are looking for someone who will work with our Art teacher and hopefully create something for the school to keep and even something for the children to take home.  We have heard about an artist that helps the students make puppets and the kids have a show for the parents.  If you have any information on that program or any others that sound like what we are looking for, please email Sabra Conley at ptachc@gmail.com  Thank you!  

 From Clemens Crossing PTA:  We are planning our Spring Spiritwear sale and was hoping to get some feedback from other PTAs on their most popular items and the best ways they have found to promote/display the items.  We're feeling a little stale and overdone here!   Can anyone help?  Thanks! Jenn Hutnik,   Email your ideas to Jenn at ptachc@gmail.com 

 LEGISLATION UPDATE

To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before government bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children

 PTA Applauds Education Secretary's Pilot Program; Parent Involvement Critical to Program's Success

 PTA applauds Secretary Spellings' creation of a differentiated accountability system pilot program.  As the Secretary noted in her speech yesterday, not all struggling schools are alike and many states have identified a wide range of schools in need of improvement.  A tiered system will allow states to target resources based on the type of interventions a school needs and the intensity of those interventions. 

 As flexibility is given to schools, accountability must not be lessened, especially with regard to the notice requirements and parent involvement provisions of the ESEA-NCLB.  PTA appreciates the Secretary's inclusion of "timely and transparent" information to the public as one of the eligibility requirements for the pilot program.  PTA believes it is imperative that parents know exactly why their child's school is failing, what the state is doing about it, and the options available to parents'—presented in a very clear and understandable format and a timely manner.

 Increased, meaningful and substantive engagement of parents and families is critical to the success of any school intervention.  Studies have documented that regardless of the economic, ethnic, or cultural background of the family, parent and family involvement in a child's education is a major factor in determining achievement in school. Successful parent and family involvement strategies vary from region to region, school to school and this flexibility needs to be supported by the law. 

 PTA asks Secretary Spellings to require all interventions approved under the differentiated accountability pilot program to provide opportunities for parents to be a part of decisions affecting school improvements.  Whether that involves being an integral part of developing a schools' parental involvement plan or evaluating proposed changes in curriculum, parents provide an invaluable perspective and need to be included in making these decisions.

 Furthermore, schools must be an essential part of a community, working cooperatively to build partnerships within the community in order for the school to be more successful. Businesses and community groups need to be engaged and gain a renewed stake in every child's education. The differentiated accountability pilot program can support that engagement by providing incentives to encourage school-community partnerships. Successful school involvement plans include meaningful parent involvement and community outreach and partnerships.

 Adequate funding must be provided so all schools may carry out the provisions of ESEA-NCLB.  We must support the progress of all schools towards meeting proficiency goals by and not divert limited resources in the name of targeting.  Moreover, we must ensure that the focus on mathematics, reading, and, eventually, science does not cause a narrowing of the curriculum. It is important that art, music, and history not be sacrificed in the name of academic achievement in areas more amenable to standardized testing.

  PTA’s public policy staff is working to provide PTA members with detailed proposals and solid background information.  However, as reauthorization moves forward in Congress, lawmakers listen more closely to their own constituents - PTA members – who are experiencing and understand directly the true impact of the law. National PTA looks forward to working with Congress and the administration to support positive changes to NCLB that reflect PTA members' views about what works best for all children

 millions of members. one voice.

 CALENDAR

            Thank you for being an advocate for every child, one voice