Attention Unit Leaders! Ask your Teachers and School Related Professionals to Join PTA by January 31!

You can earn the Terrific Teacher/Super Staff Award* and possibly win some PTA SWAG!! See HERE for more details!

Here are some sure fire ways to drum up excitement around joining your unit's PTA as a teacher or staff member:

1. The first item on your agenda...*SEEK SUPPORT* from your principal or teacher liaison-they will be your biggest ally in sharing the PTA's accomplishments and encouraging staff to join.
2. Pull out the "red carpet treatment," by sending an invitation to teachers and staff who have not joined yet, and include you membership link or send a form in an envelope.
3. Click HERE to retrieve your *Sample Teacher Letter* template.
4. Healthy competition gets everyone motivated. Make it a fun event that may include a special popcorn station or group prize by grade or department of your choice.
5. Educators can receive FREE Continuing Teacher and Leader Education credits by attending NYS PTA events!

A collaborative partnership between school and home is the bedrock of any PTA unit's success. Good Luck and Happy New Year!
 

Time is running out to register for the new Legislative Summit and Lobby Day February 11-12. January 16 is the deadline!

This Sunday to Monday event features discussions on school aid, diplomas for all students, and speakers including Commissioner Elia and many legislators.

Monday we'll hit the halls in Albany and meet with state legislators and staff on priority issues affecting children.

HURRY! Registration deadline is January 16! Find out more about the Legislative Summit and Lobby Day HERE.

IMPORTANT - We really need you! Preliminary budget estimates show a state budget deficit and we need a strong show of support for our children and schools.

NYS PTA on the State of the State, Now Awaiting Executive Budget

Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his annual State of the State presentation on Wednesday, January 3 in Albany. NYS PTA is optimistic with the Governor's comments and policy book.

Read more HERE.

Advocating for families and making every child's potential a reality takes the passion and dedication of many volunteers. NYS PTA's leaders come from all corners of our state. Our legacy continues to thrive because of the leaders developed from local unit, council and region PTAs as well as those who bring specific volunteer and/or professional expertise to our advocacy.

Are you considering contributing your skills to the work of the NYS PTA? Please complete this Letter of Interest form. It's a short form that indicates your interests and possible areas of involvement on the NYS PTA Governance Team, or perhaps on a different level such as a PTA region board. Leaders at the PTA region and state level are appointed for one year. Find more information about NYS PTA positions HERE.

We look forward to hearing from you! Thank you for your willingness to share your time and talents!

Leadership Webinar

Get ready for the next Leadership Webinar: "Be It Resolved"...Time for Resolutions! January 17, 2018 at 7:30pm. Walk step by step through the process of creating and submitting a brand-new NYS PTA resolution. You can find more info and RSVP HERE.

Save the Date for SLC!

Summer Leadership Conference (known as SLC) is an annual event designed to provide training and programs to all PTA members, helping you establish grass-roots advocacy in your school, and preparing you to be a leader in your education community.

New for 2018: New location! Union College in Schenectady, NY

Held on a college campus, Summer Leadership is casual and fun. You will enjoy college dorms, campus food and college classroom resources.

When: July 20-22, 2018

Where: Union College, Schenectady NY

You Can Nominate a Great Teacher for 2019 Teacher of the Year: 
The NYS Teacher of the Year program recognizes and celebrates exceptionally skilled and passionate educators. Applications available HERE are due 2/1/18. Questions? Email toty@nysed.gov

The National Park Service just announced their free entrance days in 2018! 1/15, 4/21, 9/22 + 11/11. Use findyourpark.com to find the parks you want to hike through, camp in, and explore with your family those days or any other.

Help teens develop healthy relationships. Check out CDC's Dating Matters - a free, online course available to educators, school personnel, youth mentors, and others dedicated to improving teen health.

National PTA and Microsoft are partnering to empower families to support student success and fill a critical gap in STEM education. The 2018 National PTA STEM + Families Tech Grants sponsored by Microsoft will award $1,000 to 35 local PTAs to host a STEM + Families Tech Night in the spring of 2018. This Tech Night event will bring students and families together to either learn exciting new Minecraft coding skills or to build a robotic finger (two different program models).

Click HERE for more information.

Dear Parents,

Happy New Year! At the State Education Department, we are kicking off 2018 with announcements related to integrated classrooms and the New York State Summer School of the Arts. We are also participating in several awareness campaigns on social media this month, in addition to holding a public comment period on a possible change to high school graduation requirements for students with disabilities.

Click HERE to read more.

NYS PTA members will receive exclusive reduced pricing for a limited time only! Click here.

Great News... for our Parents, Supporters, Friends and Co-Workers - National Dining, Grocery and Shopping Program! You can and will save 100s of dollars over the course of the year!

KidGooRoo is the only place to go online to read ratings and reviews of kids' classes, camps and programs in your area.