National PTA and Families Applaud Budget Deal

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (Aug. 1, 2019)—National PTA issued the following statement on the budget deal passed today by the U.S. Senate. The statement can be attributed to National PTA President Leslie Boggs:

“National PTA and families commend Congress for coming together and reaching a bipartisan agreement that will raise the caps on defense and non-defense discretionary funding for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 as well as suspend the debit ceiling until July 31, 2021. We also applaud Congress for including in the agreement a significant increase in non-defense discretionary funding.

“National PTA and PTA advocates across the country have been urging Congress to raise the budget caps to provide equitable and continued investments in our nation’s children. This was our ask to Congress during our 2019 Legislative Conference in March, and we are pleased that Congress answered our call.

“The long-term success of our nation depends on robust and equitable public investments in our education system. Our association has long advocated to ensure all children have access to equitably-funded public schools that improve their overall well-being and help them reach their full potential. From a lack of textbooks and technology to crumbling infrastructure and not enough school counselors to support students and provide mental health services, far too many children have been left with insufficient resources. Federal investments in education are critical to make sure schools have the proper resources to help every child learn, grow and succeed.

“With the budget deal reached, we now call on Congress to provide a robust allocation for education and child well-being and fund the vital programs that support students most in need, make sure every child learns in healthy and safe school environments and strengthen family engagement in education. These programs provide critical resources for families and schools and help ensure all children have the opportunities and supports they need to thrive in school and beyond.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

Leadership Development Expert Takes Helm of National PTA

Leadership Development Expert Takes Helm of Nation’s Preeminent Child Advocacy Association

 ALEXANDRIA, Va., (July 9, 2019)—Leslie Boggs, a leadership development expert from Odessa, Texas, has been installed as the 56th president of National PTA, the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association. Boggs’ installation took place during a ceremony held in conjunction with the 2019 National PTA Convention & Expo in Columbus, Ohio.

Boggs is a certified DISC trainer and a professional consultant. She also has a certification in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and is a member of the John Maxwell Team and Mentorship. Additionally, Boggs has over 20 years of leadership experience at all levels of PTA. For the past two years, she served as president-elect of National PTA. She has also served as chair of several National PTA committees. At the state level, she served as president of Texas PTA from 2014-2016 and was president of New Mexico PTA from 2003-2005.

As a mother of three and a grandmother of four, Boggs is a dedicated and passionate advocate for children and their right to receiving a quality public education no matter their demographics, ethnicity or household income.

“Leslie’s expertise and strong leadership skills will be tremendous assets to National PTA and in guiding our association’s work to make every child’s potential a reality,” said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “She is committed to making a difference for the education, health, safety and well-being of every child, and we are pleased to welcome her as president.”

As president, Boggs will fight for more funding for mental health access for students as well as for legislation that ensures schools are safe from gun violence. She will also fight for more funding for public schools and to strengthen family engagement for all children. Under her leadership, National PTA will be starting an Engage Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative through its Center for Family Engagement.

“PTA is a community that accepts all and engages and empowers one another to lead, listen, be vulnerable and be courageous as we raise our voices for all children,” said Boggs. “I believe that servant leadership empowers others to reach their potential. I am honored and grateful to dedicate the next two years of my life to leading National PTA and working with the most passionate group of advocates and volunteers to make a difference for the lives and futures of every child.”

Boggs will serve as president of National PTA until June 2021.

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

National PTA Launches STEM + Families Fellowship Program

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (May 31, 2019)—National PTA is pleased to announce the creation of a fellowship program for its STEM + Families initiative. Through this program, funded by Bayer, graduate students will help develop interactive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) experiences that engage entire families.

“Engaging families together in STEM experiences is essential to support every child’s success in STEM and inspire the next generation of STEM professionals,” said Jim Accomando, president of National PTA. “Our new fellowship program will help increase family engagement in STEM by giving families activities they can do together at home. We are grateful to Bayer for its support.”

STEM + Families is a national effort to engage entire families, inspire interest and support student success in STEM with experiences at school, at home, in the community and through digital learning. Bayer is the presenting and founding sponsor of the initiative with additional support from founding sponsor Mathnasium and supporting sponsors ThinkFun and littleBits.

Since the launch of STEM + Families in 2016, nearly $500,000 in funding, products and materials has been awarded to PTAs across the country to host events for students and families that feature fun and meaningful hands-on STEM experiences. The fellowship program will support and enhance the learning experiences at these events with new activities students and families can do and discuss together at home.

“We are excited to bring graduate students and National PTA together in support of STEM education outreach,” said Sarah Toulouse, executive director, Bayer USA Foundation. “The fellows will have a unique perspective on engaging students and families in fun STEM-focused activities and on bringing them together to talk about jobs in STEM fields.”

“We are pleased to build on our STEM + Families initiative with the launch of our fellowship program,” added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “The program will enhance our efforts in showing students and families how much fun STEM can be and the many education pathways and STEM careers available to them, which is important to help children realize their full potential and ensure the long-term economic success of our nation.”

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

Bayer: Science For A Better Life

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2018, the Group employed around 117,000 people and had sales of 39.6 billion euros. Capital expenditures amounted to 2.6 billion euros, R&D expenses to 5.2 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.us.

 Melissa Randol Executive Director, Missouri School Boards’ Association knows how important PTA is!