National PTA has designated Sept. 14-18 Back-to-School Week to support families, teachers and PTA leaders as schools reopen across the country. Throughout the week, National PTA will share information and resources on social media using #PTABackToSchool and at PTA.org/BackToSchool to help school communities navigate the new school year and address the challenges that have emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. The association will also launch the third season of its Notes from the Backpack podcast. National PTA’s Back-to-School Week is sponsored by PTA Proud National Sponsor Office Depot.
“This is a school year like no other as the COVID-19 pandemic continues,” said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. “Whether school communities are returning to classrooms in person, virtually or a hybrid of both, we want to make sure everyone gets a great start; support families, teachers and students’ success; and ensure the critical needs of every child are met.”
Each day of Back-to-School Week, National PTA will share resources for:
- PTA Leaders in Action
- Learning at Home
- Family-School Partnerships
- Teacher Support
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, National PTA will launch the third season of Notes from the Backpack. The season will feature nationally acclaimed guests and episodes about digital learning, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education and the importance of civic engagement. Episodes will be released every week this fall and will be available to stream at PTA.org/BackpackNotes. The first episode will feature the award-winning children’s book author Kwame Alexander.
“Since our founding, National PTA has been committed to supporting students, families and teachers; promoting the health, safety and well-being of all children and youth; and making sure every child has the resources they need to learn, grow and thrive,” said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. “We are pleased to launch another season of our podcast and mark our Back-to-School Week to help make this unique school year a success.”
National PTA has also compiled resources, tools and information at PTA.org/COVID19 to support families and educators during the pandemic. National PTA has also provided over $1 million in grants to local and district/council/region PTAs to help meet critical needs of students, families and teachers during this challenging time. In addition, the association continues to call on Congress to provide more resources immediately to schools.