Leadership News, September 26, 2024

Share Your Voice at Legislative Assembly

We want you! Join us for WSPTA's Legislative Assembly on October 26-27, 2024 at Seattle Pacific University. This year’s Legislative Assembly speakers will shine a spotlight on education funding in Washington and how we can advocate to support fully funding education. Check out the event page for details, including hotel information.

Why Attend Legislative Assembly? 

• Your voice matters: Speak up for your local community. Speak up for someone who needs a voice.
• Advocacy is at the heart of PTA: Learn how you can advocate for your community.
• Vote: Help vote on WSPTA’s 2024-2026 Legislative Platform and Top Five issues. Learn about proposed issues and resolution in the Voter's Guide.
• Listen and Learn: Great guest speakers and panels, advocacy classes, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities with other advocates around our state who are passionate about the same issues as you.

Last Call for Early Registration! 

Register by September 30 at noon for the early bird price. Talk with your local or council PTA president about being a delegate so you can vote on behalf of your PTA and about your PTA’s budget for this event. Contact support@wastatepta.org for subsidized rate information.

What is Legislative Assembly? Drop-in Q&A

Come discuss how to participate in Legislative Assembly, what to expect, and how to be as delegate for your PTA, including how to get feedback on issues and resolutions prior to the event. Please feel free to join and leave as your schedule permits, as there is no formal presentation. 

Register for Wednesday, 10/9 from 7-8 pm 

Register for Thursday, 10/10 from 12:00-1:00 pm

Resolutions Submission Process Open

As a grassroots association, WSPTA relies on our members to direct our advocacy at the state level and within our communities. All PTA members are encouraged to submit a resolution that addresses concerns that affect children state-wide.

The submission process for resolutions to be considered at the 2025 Annual Meeting is now open. For complete instructions and deadlines for submitting, visit the Submissions page.

Learn more about WSPTA advocacy here. 

Advocacy Roundtable: No on Initiatives 2109 and 2117

The WSPTA Board of Directors voted at its June meeting to oppose Initiatives 2109 and 2117, based on positions previously adopted by its members. Join us for a round table on October 8 from 7-8 pm to learn more about the initiatives and how they would negatively impact education funding. There will be opportunities to ask questions, learn more about how PTAs can take a position, and share information on voting in November.

Sign up to attend. For additional information, please see our press release and the list of FAQs on opposing initiatives 2109 and 2117.

PTA and the Law Schedule Announced

PTA and the Law is one of our most important classes for helping you, our PTA leaders, know how to navigate some of the legal requirements of running your nonprofit. As your board is required per WSPTA Uniform Bylaws, to have at least one officer attend each year, we try to offer a variety of options for this training.

To help with your planning so you don't miss any opportunities, here is the schedule for the 2024–2025 online webinars of PTA and the Law:

All events will be posted for registration on the website events calendar soon. Mark your calendars and also keep your ears open for any local offerings your Region Directors may be scheduling! 

Dues are Due!

Don't forget to submit your dues on the 1st.  You can watch a quick video detailing how the president or treasurer can submit your PTA dues here.

Council Roundtable Recap

Council leaders - we hope you were able to join us on Wednesday, September 18 from 7-8pm for our Council Roundtable on Zoom.

We heard from WSPTA Finance Officer Liz Nord about suggested standing rules language for councils and local PTAs, learned about WSPTA Policy 3.4.3 Council Fees which specifies how councils may charge affiliated local PTAs council service fees, shared ideas and answered questions about givebacks reporting and billing. In addition, council leaders shared their plans for invoicing local PTAs for council fees. 

We hope last week's roundtable provided you with the information needed to continue planning for your upcoming PTA year. If you were unable to join us, please contact your region director for the recording.  If you have any questions about the givebacks transition, please be sure to reach out to Jenn Talingo, WSPTA Membership Director at ptamembdir@wastatepta.org.

Please Share With Your Members!

Please share the above login credentials with your 2024-25 members so they can access their membership discounts on the WSPTA website. Givebacks does not yet feature an option to share this information with membership cards, so we ask that local leaders include it in their communications.

It's Fall Friendsy Time: Ask Your Friends to Join PTA

The membership committee is running a fun challenge this month.  Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to do the following:

1. Set up your PTA's Stripe account in Givebacks
2. Sell at least ONE of your memberships online through Givebacks
3. Have at least 25 members entered into Givebacks and full dues payment submitted to WSPTA
    

No application is required. All eligible PTAs will automatically be entered to win a $75 Fred Meyer gift card. The challenge ends September 30th.

See a list of all upcoming contests here.

Have You Taken These Steps Toward Good Standing?

A PTA seeking to maintain good standing must complete several membership-related steps including reaching the minimum 25 members enrolled in the database and being current with dues payments. 

We are all in a learning phase with our new membership database, so please make sure you have completed the following tasks in Givebacks as part of your membership-related checklist prior to October 31st:

1. Report your Officers. If you are not sure if you have access or have the correct officers listed in Givebacks, please email ptamembdir@wastatepta.org
2. Enroll at least 25 members and submit dues payment to Washington State PTA. Payments should be submitted to WSPTA once a month on the 1st of the month by the PTA president or treasurer. If this falls on a weekend or holiday, please submit your dues prior to the 1st.
3. Set up your Stripe account in Givebacks as this is necessary to pay both state and national dues.
4. Local PTAs within the designated area of a council shall pay any council fees as stipulated in the council’s standing rules (WSPTA Policy Manual 3.3.1- Local PTA Membership Dues). Contact your council for payment instructions.

If you need assistance or have questions about any of the above items, please reach out to Jenn Talingo at ptamembdir@wastatepta.org.

PTAs who have completed the requirements on the Standards of Affiliation checklist are said to be “in good standing” and may participate fully in all benefits that come with being affiliated with PTA. To learn more, please visit SOA Checklist (wastatepta.org). 

Submit an Amendment to the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws

Our State PTA is governed by a set of bylaws that can be added to and amended when members identify a need. There is still time to turn in your recommendations for amendments to the WSPTA Uniform Bylaws for consideration next spring! Submissions are due by 12:00 pm on October 15, 2024. 

Delegates at the 2025 WSPTA annual business meeting will vote on recommendations to amend our existing bylaws, as brought forward by members and approved for consideration by the WSPTA board of directors.This is a great opportunity to participate in the governance process and effect lasting change to how WSPTA operates!

Click here to access the submission form

Click here to see the current WSPTA Uniform Bylaws

National PTA News

Grant Funds Available from National PTA

National PTA is proud to offer over $1M to support PTAs/PTSAs interested in implementing a fun and engaging National PTA program focused on the arts, digital safety and well-being and/or healthy lifestyles. 

Applications are open at PTA.org/Grants through Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Reach out to Programs@PTA.org if accommodations are needed.

You don't need to have any grant-writing experience or be an expert on PTA programs to apply, National PTA provides the program content and tools to guide the planning, promotion, hosting and celebration of the impact of your program. And, funding is flexible so you can decide how to meet your needs and make your program a success.

Apply now!

News in Brief

• The Swank Movie License opt-in window has been extended through the month of September. Learn more about movie licenses and find the links to purchase here.
• You can find the recording of last night's Reflections Leader/Chair Training webinar here.
• The applications for the WSPTA Scholarship, Essay Contest, Reflections Theme Search, and Leadership Service Award are now open. You can find them here.
• Applications for the Awards of Excellence will open next month.
• Our friends at Tickets at Work have expanded their offers available to Washington State PTA members. Learn more here.
• Don't forget to submit your dues on the 1st of each month.  You can watch a video on how the president or treasurer can submit your PTA dues here.
• Please also remember to set up your PTA's Stripe account within Givebacks. If 75% of PTAs pay their dues by ACH via Stripe and have at least one member joined online through Givebacks by 10/31/2024, Givebacks will reduce the per-transaction fee from $2 to $0.75.

Upcoming Events - Mark Your Calendars
 

Links to Bookmark

• Membership Resources
• September Leader Checklists: Local PTA & Council
• Leader Resources
  Username: PTAleader
  Password: Advocate 
• Member Discount Codes
  Username: Membership
  Password: 2025
• PTA Store
• Membership Database Support
• Blog Post about Database Transition

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Leadership News
September 26, 2024

Washington State PTA
15 Oregon Avenue, Suite 202
Tacoma WA 98409
253-214-7410

support@wastatepta.org