Why Our School Needs a PTA
Harnessing the Power of Volunteers. Shrinking budgets. Curriculum cuts. Increasing class sizes. Government mandates. The challenges of delivering quality education are daunting, to say the least. There is help. It’s the PTA.
PTAs Benefit Everyone. PTA addresses issues that are important to public school administrators and parents. We fight for the same thing—full funding, quality teachers, capabilities for schools to thrive. If your school or district does not have a school-based PTA, now is the time. Membership is open to everyone, your PTA is autonomous but supported by a national structure, and it sets its own dues.
Still need convincing? Here are just some of PTA’s benefits.
Leverage Volunteer Power. PTA organizes hard-working and dedicated volunteers. Parents are ready and willing to help implement school improvement programs.
Improve Communication. Frequently, one of a PTA’s responsibilities is coordinating production of a school newsletter and information fliers, keeping the entire school community informed of current events, issues, and accomplishments.
See Measurable Results. More than 85 rigorous academic research studies conducted through over 30 years of research prove that kids do better when parents are involved. Grades are higher. Test scores improve. Attendance increases.
Discover More Dollars. Local PTAs are self-funding. By inviting the entire school’s parent community to join, they generate membership fees to pay for programs. Local PTAs often organize fundraising events. Proceeds support school-based programs, building maintenance and improvements, and educational and social events.
Tap into Proven Programs. Local PTAs have access to ready-made programs with proven success records. From health and safety topics, to collaborating with teachers and community members, to fundraising, the programs are packaged to be easy to use, and easy to get results.
Boost Children’s Well-Being. PTAs focus on what students need to be successful in their learning, including nutrition, health, and well-being. Whether it is school safety, physical fitness, or healthy breakfasts, PTA works with school administrators to ensure that children are prepared to succeed.
Enjoy Informed Parents. Perhaps one of the most important benefits is that involved parents understand the challenges schools face and become part of the solution. They support improving education, both locally and legislatively. By developing a closer relationship with parents, student achievement improves, and the school develops a positive reputation in the community.
Fulfill NCLB Obligations. Finally, as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, PTAs can help schools fulfill the parent involvement requirement of the law. PTA understands the needs behind NCLB. In fact, it’s National PTA’s definition of parent involvement that is used in NCLB. |
