Thanks for being a PTA leader - your enthusiasm and dedication to the children of your school and community will make a difference in their lives and the lives of all the students at your school. Thank you for taking the time and standing up to the commitment of serving as a Local PTA Leader in the 2021 - 2022 School Year!
New Jersey PTA understands that PTAs are working through the realities we live under during this unprecedented time. The following list outlines the things that a PTA, as a nonprofit corporation, should be doing at this time under normal circumstances. It is not a level playing field, and we understand that some PTAs can do more than others. Please do your best and ask for help if you need it. Our focus is, as it has always been, on advocating for every child. We do that best with strong PTAs and know that together we can get beyond this and continue the fantastic work of PTA for years to come.
While leading your PTA through these challenging times, remember to have fun - you are helping create a bright future for every child. New Jersey PTA Office and your Field Service Contact are a phone call, e-mail, or message.
October Checklist for Running Your PTA
Monthly Tasks
Review Tasks related to Nominating Committee
It is already time to start thinking about your 2022 - 2023 Elections. Nominating Committees must be elected by your General Membership by the end of December. NJPTA will provide live training for Nominating Committee members in Jan and Feb, dates TBD. Check out the NJPTA Resources Hub for more information.
At the 2021 New Jersey PTA Leadership Convention, the delegates approved a new Local PTA Generic Bylaws Procedure. No longer are the days that you must renew your bylaws every three years. All Local PTAs in New Jersey will have the same bylaws.
Due to this change, all Local PTAs will now create Standing Rules. Standing Rules are procedures or general policies not covered in the bylaws that provide for the day-to-day operations of your Local PTA. We know that some Local PTAs across the state already have Standing Rules, but many do not.
You are not in this alone; New Jersey PTA is hard at work creating new resources, training opportunities, and webinars to assist you in the creation of your new Local PTA Standing Rules. Please be on the lookout for upcoming e-mails and information. If you have any questions about Standing Rules, please e-mail us bylaws@njpta.org. We will also ask you to upload a copy of your approved Standing Rules to MemberHub so New Jersey PTA may assist you when you have any questions.
If you already have Standing Rules, you need to ensure that you have included the information required in the new Sample Standing Rules; this will now include: Local PTA Dues Amount, Officer Terms, Term Lengths, Standing Committee positions, etc. If you do not yet have Standing Rules, the template is ready to be updated by your team. Until your new Standing Rules are approved, all of this information currently in your Local PTA Bylaws will stay in effect.
Don't forget to sign up for Zooming Into Membership! Get ready to celebrate membership growth success. Let's work together to build a community of volunteer leaders among all levels of PTA leadership. Click below to sign up!
National PTA launches Healthy Minds Program to help families prioritize mental health. To learn more about National PTA's Healthy Minds Program click the link below. Let's work together to end the stigma around mental health.
Your team has great ideas - about how to make things work better and how to benefit your students and families more. But how do you get from ideas to action?
NJ PTA invites you to a workshop where you will hone your advocacy skills:
- identify ideas that are actionable
- gather data to support your cause
- identify stakeholder who can help
- practice applying proven strategies in 'real-world' PTA scenarios impacting your students, community and district
CHANGE IS DIFFICULT. MAKE IT HAPPEN. SAVE THE DATE!
The NJPTA Diversity and Inclusion Committee has been hard at work trying to tailor programs to meet the diversity and inclusion needs of our families and local units. To this end, we have designed a survey to give us an idea of where we stand from the perspective of local families.
Please share this survey in your community through your social media, newsletter, etc, and help us engage and empower families and local units.
Our teachers and students are mostly back in the school building this year-albeit masked up and socially distant. And while health and safety are top of mind, National PTA wants to help make sure you have the tools you need to rock this school year!
It is time to sign up for the 2021-2022 Local Leader Kit and newsletters under your National PTA Profile to gain access to a comprehensive digital guide designed to help you learn the basics of running your PTA unit. Don't miss out on access to just about everything you need as a local PTA leader, including guidance to help you:
build a strong board
Formulate your PTA calendar of programs and events
Navigating the unique challenges of being a 501(c)(3)
Increasing your PTA membership
choose and organize a PTA fundraiser
Communicate with your school community
and more!
These tools and templates, online resources and training courses will inform your work as you establish your PTA and volunteer roles and, throughout the year, ensure that your PTA stays on track to achieve the PTA mission: to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
The National PTA's National Standards for Family-School Partnerships have transformed family engagement at all levels of the educational system. PTA leaders like you were an integral part of the adoption of the standards and now we invite you to engage in this work again. Since the last revision of the standards, we have seen changes that call upon PTA to invest in their relevance and impact - and we're inviting you to be a part of this legacy!
How have you used the standards to enhance family engagement in your community? What do you want the future of family engagement to look like? Join us for a 60-minute focus group to share your thoughts and opinions about family engagement, as well as your experience using the National Standards for Family School Partnerships.
Times: You can choose to attend one or more of the following sessions.
The enrollment deadline for the School of Excellence program is fast approaching! Visit the State Excellence Libraryfor graphics and sample messaging, including social media and newsletter messaging, to promote local PTA enrollment at PTA.org/Excellencetoday! Here is a sample social media message for you to use right now: Facebook Graphic -EnrollEnrollment for the 2021-2022 School of Excellence program will soon close. PTA.org/Excellence.
The PTA Reflections program is set up and ready to go! If you are a student, PTA leader, Staff Member, or parent looking for more information about our awesome program, please visit this link to get all the information you need to participate!
Communities celebrate Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day for a variety of reasons, but safety is always at the core. This year, use your event to promote the importance of walking and biking safety for the entire community, starting with the trip to school. Take action using one or more of these ideas to connect your event to broader community safety goals.
The 2021 National Red Ribbon Week Theme is Drug Free Looks Like Me™. The Theme is a reminder that everyday Americans across the country make significant daily contributions to their communities by being the best they can be because they live Drug-Free!
Did you know that when National Bullying Prevention Month was initiated in 2006 it was called something else and was only a week long, not a month? It has now evolved into a month-long event to prevent childhood bullying and promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.
October is Learning Disabilities (LD) Awareness Month. Did you know that one in five students learns differently because they have dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, executive function difficulties or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)? During this month the Florida PTA is asking each of you to teach yourself or one person something new about learning disabilities.
Click on this link from Reading Rocket to learn more information on learning disabilities:
The New Jersey PTA continues to advocate for students with disabilities. We recognize that Specific Learning Disabilities have significant educational implications and we encourage local and state education agencies and institutions of higher education to require pre-service and ongoing training on: dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and other SLDs, the warning signs of dyslexia, appropriate instructional approaches, the use of early screening for dyslexia and successful approaches to communicating with families.
Applications Open for JerseyCAN's Second Annual Teacher Policy Fellowship
Dear JerseyCAN Partner,
We believe that teachers who influence policy while simultaneously teaching students are a great asset to our education system. They are directly influencing student outcomes and know firsthand what our students need to succeed. JerseyCAN seeks to listen to and elevate teacher voices to be a part of policy solutions for students.
Over the course of one year, our Fellows will study the NJ education policy landscape, hone their advocacy skillets, and achieve a short-term advocacy goal.
In addition to engaging in high-quality professional learning and networking opportunities, Fellows will receive a $2,000 stipend for their commitment to this fellowship.
There is no doubt that the pandemic has inflicted unprecedented challenges on the profession. This year, we are reinvesting in the educator workforce by ensuring that teachers have the knowledge and skillsets to advocate for high-quality educational opportunities for all students, regardless of zip code. Fellows will also learn about and help influence JerseyCAN's policy priorities.
Please encourage exemplary teachers in your network to apply by October 11, 2021.
The New Jersey PTA Leadership Convention Committee has begun planning the 2022 "IN-PERSON" event we have missed for the last two years. We need your feedback to make this event a success!
Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey so we can include your feedback!
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