PTA Takes Action 7.6.17

July 6, 2017

Is Your State Engaging Families in ESSA?

Parents and their children are the consumers of our nation’s public education system, and parents have always been essential partners in education. However, they haven’t always been included at the decision-making table. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides a unique opportunity for parents and families to give their input and to hold states and districts accountable for their children’s educational experience.

In this new resource, National PTA has identified six critical ways states, school districts and schools should be engaging parents and families as part of ESSA, and all new education initiatives. Use the rubric on the back to evaluate how your state, school district and school are doing!

National PTA Endorses 5 Bills in Congress Aimed at Helping Students and Schools

CapitolBuilding(1).jpg Last month, National PTA endorsed five pieces of legislation intended to improve the education experience of students in the United States. The bills range from improving the infrastructure of school buildings, kitchens and busses to providing necessary funding to serve students with disabilities. Click on the links below to see the text of each bill.

Check the National PTA Key Legislation webpage for updates on the bills and National PTA’s Legislative Checklist and PTA Advocacy Changes Lives for more information on National PTA’s advocacy efforts.

PTA Delegates Pass, Update Resolutions at Annual Convention

At Win with PTA … the 2017 National PTA Convention & Expo, PTA members adopted one resolution and one amendment to an existing resolution. The adopted resolution is about Healthy Sleep for Adolescents. This resolution urges PTA members to educate the community about the positive impact that sufficient, quality sleep has for teens’ health, safety and academic success, and to urge policymakers to develop solutions and policies to encourage quality sleep for teens.

PTA members also amended the Sale, Resale and Destruction of Firearms resolution to include a provision about the importance of having research on the causes and effects of gun violence.

The National PTA board of directors also passed a Rights and Services for Undocumented Children position statement stating all students, regardless of immigration status, have a right to quality, free public education, students’ immigration status must be kept private and that schools should be “sensitive locations” where immigration authorities cannot enforce laws.

Tools and Resources

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