FY2015 Appropriations

FY2015 officially begins October 1, 2014, with the FY2014 budget set to expire on September 30. Last week, to prevent another government shutdown, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that extends funding levels through December 11.  The Senate roll call vote can be found here and the House vote here.

The CR extends the current funding levels from the FY2014 Omnibus Appropriations Act, under all terms and conditions, through December 11, 2014. However, due to the annualized rate of spending in FY2015, the CR included an across-the-board cut of 0.0554% in order to conform with the FY2014 spending cap. For Department of Education programs, that would be a cut of $37.3 million. However, since almost all ED programs are forward funded, that cut will only affect a small number of programs during the period of the CR. Because the CR was an extension, very few changes were made to the bill itself and National PTA did not take an official position (an earlier letter sent by our coalition partners expressing our support for the FY2014 Omnibus Approps Act is available at
http://www.wastatepta.org/files/Consolidated_Appropriations_House.pdf).

Congress is now adjourned until after the November elections and right now both the Senate and House are scheduled to return on Tuesday, November 12 for a lame duck session.  When they return, these cuts in the current CR could be replaced by FY2015 spending bill. We will keep you posted on FY2015 developments, as there are several different paths Congress could take including another CR through the end of the year/spring or passing a full or partial FY2015 spending bill.

Seahawks Fall Football Fundraiser 2014

Your school can share in the excitement of the new NFL season and another Seahawks Super Bowl run by participating in a fall football fundraiser with GameTime Fundraisers!

How it Works:

• We provide an email that schools can send out to parents explaining the fundraiser
• Parents/friends/alumni shop for Seahawks gear online at www.GameTimeFundraisers.com and identify their school at checkout
• All product ships directly to customer’s home or billing address (No distribution required by the school). Schools receive proceeds from sales every 30 – 45 days

As an added incentive, if your school raises $5,000 during the Seahawks Fall Football Fundraiser, GameTime Fundraisers will donate 2 tickets to your school to the Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams game at CenturyLink Field on December 28. These tickets can be auctioned off to raise more money for the school or they can be given to the top selling student or teacher in the fundraiser.
Send an email to signup@gametimefundraisers to register your school and if you have any questions please send an email to katie@gametimefundraisers.com or give us a call at 1-888-973-7464.

Growing Your Membership

      Membership growth starts with a desire to want to gain more members. We then want to keep them in our association by delivering a product that satisfies their wants and needs. It does not happen overnight but instead takes a dedicated group who believe that PTA is the voice for children and want to increase membership.


      Where to start?

• Do you know your closing numbers last year of your PTA? Look at the roster that was printed off at the close of last year and that will be your base line.
• Do you want a percentage increase?
• Do you want to ensure that a percentage of your students are covered by a PTA member?
• Look to make a goal for at least the first half of the year publish, share and shout it from the roof tops that you want more members so we have a louder voice for all kids.

“We want XXX members to be a voice for our students by December 31^st” 

How to start?

• Gather your resources ~ Find a team who will be the face of your growth plan. They are your cheerleaders and will be able to speak from the heart and explain why PTA is important in your school, council, state and nation! Think about all the reasons that people don’t join and have an answer J
• Have a fun theme for your membership drive. Sports, nature, music any good hook that you can build a goal, a visual and excite people about PTA.
• Know the benefits both monetarily, socially and emotionally of being a PTA supporter.
• Be visible at all events either at school put on by your PTA or in the community.
• Split Up ~ Do not have your membership form and volunteer form on the same sheet of paper it makes admin difficult and reinforces the link that volunteering is part of membership.
• Show Up ~ Be there for every event ~ forms in hand, a smile on your face and a reason to join PTA.
• Get Up ~ Don't sit behind a table ~ be mobile and approachable.
• Keep Up ~ Keep up the conversation with why they should join PTA don't give up after one "no" they don't know all the great things you are doing for the school, all kids and the community.

Review and evaluate

• Look at and review your goal how are you doing celebrate your successes and discuss where you are having difficulties.
• Keep reporting to your membership on the progress towards your goal.
• Have they brought a friend to join PTA?
• Do they realize the great work PTA is doing in their school for all kids?
• A successful PTA will have 3-5 membership campaigns in a year to increase membership and so make it a year round committee.
• Complete the membership circle ~ Enter your members co-ordinate with treasurer to make timely payments as the card will be sent the day you enter the person as a member

Resources available

• Washington State PTA membership website http://www.wastatepta.org/member/index.html
• Washington State Membership Director and Region
• Director
• Region Membership Chair
• Council Membership Chair

Local PTAs who have had successes and could work as a group to raise membership in the community!

Get on the membership listserv
For more information on membership and weekly “Membership Monday” posts, please send an email to support@wastatepta.org and request to be added to the membership listserv. Also, be sure your local unit and council membership chairs have been identified in the PTA membership database, so they will receive all the information they need to be successful in their leadership positions.

Important Member Registration Tips

• Do NOT enter your officers. If you sent a list of officers to support@wastatepta.org as requested the state office has or will enter them. If you have not done so please email the officer list now.
• Searching before entering to see who is already enrolled saves you time and avoids duplication. (See “Search/Email Active Members” on the top menu bar on the membership site.)
• Rapid renew saves data entry time especially for members whose contact information has not changed. All you have to do is click the check box and submit.
• Email address is very important. Please take extra care to enter an email address in proper form.  A member can opt out of future emails and we don’t share emails, but having the member’s email helps to get them their membership card.
• After you’ve searched to see who is already enrolled and then rapid renewed everyone you can, enter new members. You can save time if you wish by not entering address data. The Washington State PTA is saving money and paper by communicating electronically, so you only need to enter address for elected officers and those members for whom you want the address in the state database.  But remember: email address is very important so please do all you can to get a current email address for each member.

WSPTA Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to the following individuals, who are recipients of WSPTA scholarships for the 2014 year:
• Ursula Anne Abelsen
• Anastasia Charity Borseth
• Matthew David Bryson
• Shelby Morgan Burkhart
• Courtney Gu
• Blake Guidice
• Brennan Logan Hyden
• Sophia Jean Knudson
• Melanie Elizabeth Lane
• Joya Elisabeth Major

Following is an excerpt from the application of one of our scholarship winners:

Describe personal characteristics that helped you to achieve a specific goal or accomplishment and relate how those characteristics will be influential in meeting your post-secondary educational goals. 
            Gathering the washable window markers, bright red lipstick and strings of Mommy’s beads, my little sister and I would race to make a masterpiece. Two little girls sitting on the arm of the couch, we giggled, drew pictures, and made our best lipstick kisses on my mom’s bald head. It was like this growing up. My mom had breast cancer, but she didn’t make it any scarier than it already was for us. For the past thirteen years, my mom has been battling breast cancer that has metastasized. Growing up around countless doctors and entire days in hospitals to see my mom, I learned the importance of caring for another person and the necessity of a passionate medical team.
            Going to chemo appointments became routine, and we developed our “normal” version of life. We thought she finally won the battle; but my mom discovered another metastasis at the end of my freshman year. When she lost her hair, I shaved my head, showing Mom I was with her every step of the way. Together we were the “Bald Beauties” and talk of the town.
            As we redefined our “normal,” a rare and aggressive form of brain cancer was attacking my dad. Brain surgery was supposed to be the cure. Days after the operation, my dad was able to talk, and even more of a miracle, able to walk. For my seventeenth birthday, I received the best present of my life - my dad took his first steps to me and back to his hospital bed – I got the present of hope. This past summer, my dad broke his spine and pelvis, and due to the necessity to heal, he stopped taking his chemotherapy. As time progressed, his brain tumors went wild, and his last days he spent unconscious, choking on his own saliva. At first, I was terrified, but knowing that my dad needed me, I helped clear his airways until I went home for the night. Peacefully, in his sleep, he passed away, and it has been a rough grieving process. But I know that, although he liked to take care of himself, he was happy to have me by his side until his final moments.
            Trying to recover from my dad’s death, our lives were spinning out of control. My mom’s cancer spread all over her body, causing blockages in her liver, kidneys, and gall bladder. To treat these complications caused a new problem, and the ultimate decision to put my mom on life support was made by our family together. My role changed from daughter to nursing assistant instantaneously. My mom’s strong will to live defied the odds and she was able to get off of her ventilator, but not much longer after that my mom went into hospice care. She passed away in early April of 2014, just six months after my dad died. Although my roles intermixed, I loved taking care of her when she needed it.
            But what does this all mean for me? Due to my parents’ battles with cancer, I understand the finality and also the importance of prevention in deadly diseases. United through hardship, I strived to improve both the lives of my parents, and others affected by disease. To begin making a difference, I organized a 5K community fun run to help combat malaria. I partnered with the UN organization "Nothing But Nets" to send insecticide treated mosquito nets and malaria prevention education to families in rural Africa. Last year, my goal was to send 150 nets, but with the support of my community, I was able to send 648 nets! One day, I want take this onto a larger scale and organize and participate in global initiatives to instill hope in patients across the globe. Recollections of henna tattoos and lipstick kisses on our bald heads and my dad’s first steps toward recovery have been more than just memories; they’ve been motivation.

Kids and Hot Cars - Prevent Heatstroke

Leaving kids alone in cars is not only illegal in many states but, on a warm day, it's downright lethal ... so lethal that 605 children died in hot cars between 1998 and 2013. Click here to learn how, by habitually checking all the seats in your car before locking the door, you can save a child's life.

Cold Water Shock Linked to Drowning

Drowning is a leading cause of injury death among kids of all ages – second only to motor vehicle crashes. Cold water increases the chances of drowning. Every year in Washington state, children die in our rivers, lakes and salt water that are cold year-round. When someone who is not wearing a life jacket is suddenly immersed in cold water, they can drown quickly, even if they are a strong swimmer. The reason is “cold water shock.” Read more at http://www.seattlechildrens.org/safety-wellness/newsletters/goodgrowing/.

Carbon Monoxide Risks With Boating

There is an increased risk of toxic exposure to carbon monoxide, particularly with older house boats. For more information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/coboating/pdfs/ntlcaselisting.pdf

Become a National PTA School of Excellence

National PTA School of Excellence is a recognition program that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. As a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. Enroll your PTA between April 1 and Oct. 1. You will receive the "Getting Started Guide," which describes program components, including your first steps to gather feedback from families and set goals with your school partner. Survey your school community and share the results with National PTA by submitting a Family-School Partnership Scan by Nov. 1. Receive a customized "Roadmap to Excellence" containing recommendations that respond to your specific results from the Family-School Partnership Scan. Complete the National PTA School of Excellence application before June 1, 2015. Celebrate your excellence! All National PTA School of Excellence recipients will receive a toolkit to support celebration activities. In the 2014-2015 school year, put your school on the National PTA School of Excellence map. For more information, click here.

Help Decide WSPTA's Positions: Proposals Due June 15 for Resolutions, Legislative Principles and Legislative Platform

Resolutions outline the opinion and will of WSPTA to address statewide problems. Form for new resolution or to amend or request retirement of existing resolution Legislative principles give long-term guidance to our legislative advocacy and can be updated at the fall legislative assembly. Form to amend WSPTA's legislative principles  Priority Platform“Top 5” : This short-term platform sets priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Issues are voted onto the platform for 2 years. In year one of the 2-year platform cycle, which is this year, delegates at legislative assembly will decide the Top 5 priorities. Legislative platform proposal form For more information on current resolutions, legislative principles and the current legislative platform, click here.

Golden Acorn Awards to Honor Local Unit Leaders and Contribute to the WSPTA Scholarship Program

As the school year winds to an end, I would like to encourage you to honor your local leaders with a Golden Acorn award or another recognition award and contribute to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Program. To order Golden Acorn awards or other recognition awards, go to the PTA store at http://store.wastatepta.org/. (There are no paper forms available for these awards. It is now an online process through the PTA store.)  For information on navigating the PTA Store award section, click here.

New USDA Rules on School Fundraisers

As reported recently in news outlets and in last week's Leadership News, beginning July 1, 2014, all foods sold to students on the school campus during the school day, including fundraisers, must meet nutrition standards under the Smart Snacks rule. Under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, flexibility was given to provide exemptions for school-sponsored infrequent fundraisers that do not meet the standards. State Child Nutrition Agencies have the authority to set the number of exempted fundraisers permitted per school year. If the State Agency does not designate a number, it is assumed that there are no exempted fundraisers. This is not being mandated by the Washington State PTA. It is a Federal program and mandated from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The WSPTA is in communication with the Washington State Department of Agriculture on the development of rules and we will share the fruition of those discussions when we hear more. For additional information regarding the Smart Snacks program, go to http://www.wastatepta.org/about_us/healthy_snacks.html.

Send in Your Local Unit Officers

It is time to email the list of your local unit’s 2014-2015 officers to support@wastatepta.org. Please include the name and number of your PTA, your new officer’s names and email addresses, their title, and the name of the PTA in which they are a member if they are not currently a member of your PTA. Please be specific about title – for example if a VP has a specific function such as membership, legislative, family and community engagement (formerly outreach), or program be sure to include that information. When we receive this information, these new officers will be added to the email list that receives Leadership News as well as information on training, updates, and instructions for the member registration process which we will begin sending in June. Please note that you don’t need to identify your new officers on the membership enrollment database, just email the list to the state PTA office. However, if you have already identified your new officers on the database, you do not need to send an email as well. Thanks for your help as we make sure your local unit continues to receive the information it needs from the state PTA office.

NEWS to State Supreme Court: Hold Legislature in Contempt

In response to a court-mandated legislative "progress" report from the State to the Washington Supreme Court, the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools today asked the high court to hold the Legislature in contempt. Read the statement issued by NEWS here.

Promoting Financial Literacy in Washington State Students

Financial literacy is a key concern for parents, teachers and businesses across the country. A nationwide report of all states, shows the Washington has earned an ‘F’ grade for how students are prepared in this area. The WSPTA is concerned about this issue, and to start, we want to provide our members with a tool to help their children, so we are collaborating with the company, myjobchart, http://myjobchart.com/cobrand/wapta. MyJobChart.com is the free, easy to use, online work and reward system designed to organize families and motivate kids to be responsible. The company combines the latest technology with sound finance principles – the result is an engaging platform that tracks accountability and helps kids learn how to earn, save, share and spend money wisely.

Thank You For Your Service

June 1 marks a transition time for the State PTA Board of Directors and I would like to express my gratitude to the following individuals whose terms of service on the WSPTA Board of Directors is coming to an end on May 31. We appreciate your service and dedication to this association. Karen Madsen – Finance Officer DeeDee Loberg  - Program Director JMarie Johnson-Kola – Outreach Director Espie Badillo Di’Iorio – Region 4 Director Sarah DuCette – Region 6 Director Maggie Santos – Region 8 Director Patti DeRusha  – Region 10 Director Diane Call – Region 12 Director

Question of the Week

QUESTION:   

We are in the process of developing next year's budget and I'm trying to find information that explains / defines the required reserves.  Does the state PTA provide recommendations regarding reserves?

ANSWER:   

The WSPTA recommends PTAs maintain a minimum of six months operating expenses in reserves in either a savings or checking account—preferably a savings account. Your local unit standing rules should contain information on how many months of reserves are carried over each year and what account these reserves are kept. To calculate the figure for six months operating expenses, take your total budgeted expenditures and divide it by twelve, then multiply that number by six (or the amount of months your local unit decides to maintain in reserves).

The purpose of maintaining reserves is to cover operating expenses in the event the PTA doesn’t raise the amount of money budgeted. However, holding too much in reserves isn’t recommended because the money raised by PTA should be spent to benefit students.

There may be specific circumstances a PTA may need to carry over significantly more in reserves, such as a PTA that needs three years of operating expenses in reserve during a period a school is being rebuilt after a fire—during which time students are dispersed among other schools.

Charitable Organization Renewal Deadline May 31

It is time to complete your Charitable Organization Registration/Renewal with the Office of the Secretary of State Corporations & Charities Division. Forms and instructions on how to fill out the forms can be found at http://www.sos.wa.gov/charities/AllForms.aspx. If you have already filed this renewal form this year, please disregard this message.  More information and instructions available from the WSPTA office is available here.

Charity and Nonprofit Educational Symposium June 2

The Office of the Secretary of State is presenting a Charity & Nonprofit Educational Symposium on June 2, 2014 from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm at the Labor and Industries Building, 7273 Linderson Way SW, Tumwater, Washington. Attend to learn about the legal obligations and fiduciary duties of a nonprofit board, maintaining nonprofit status, registration and renewal requirements, Washington State tax requirements, and a representative from the IRS will present on federal tax requirements. Register at: www.sos.wa.gov/charities/training. The cost is $10 and includes lunch. Space is limited so register online today and reserve your spot! For more information contact: Teresa Glidden, Charity & Nonprofit Education Coordinator, teresa.glidden@sos.wa.gov or (360) 725‐0373.

WSPTA Endowment Established

Exciting things are happening for PTA! Late last week the Washington State PTA signed the paperwork for the WSPTA Endowment with the goal to further our vision to make every child’s potential a reality by eventually using interest earnings from the endowment for operating and providing grants within WSPTA. 

Send in Your Local Unit Officers

It is time to email the list of your local unit’s 2014-2015 officers to support@wastatepta.org. Please include the name of your PTA, your new officer’s names and email addresses. When we receive this information, these new officers will be added to the email list that receives Leadership News as well as information on training, updates, and instructions for the member registration process which we will begin sending in June. Please note that you don’t need to identify your new officers on the membership enrollment database, just email the list to the state PTA office. However, if you have already identified your new officers on the database, you do not need to send an email as well. Thanks for your help as we make sure your local unit continues to receive the information it needs from the state PTA office.

NEWS to State Supreme Court: Hold Legislature in Contempt

In response to a court-mandated legislative "progress" report from the State to the Washington Supreme Court, the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools today asked the high court to hold the Legislature in contempt.

"The State Supreme Court issues orders, not suggestions. And lawmakers have blatantly disobeyed those orders," said NEWS lead attorney Tom Ahearne. "The Legislature's own report shows they did not take 'immediate, concrete action' to make 'real and measurable progress' toward fully funding K-12 schools as the Court had ordered. That's why we are asking the Court to hold the Legislature in contempt, to prohibit the State from adding any further unfunded or underfunded mandates on its public schools, and to impose even more serious sanctions if the Legislature does not reconvene to obey the Court's orders by December 31 of this year."

In January 2014, the Court ordered the State to submit a report by April 30 showing that the Legislature's 2014 session had: 

• Taken "immediate, concrete action" to make "real and measurable progress, not simply promises" towards fully funding the State's K-12 schools by the 2017/2018 school year, and 
• Developed a complete full funding plan for each school year between now and the 2017/2018 school year.

The State admitted in its report that the Legislature had failed to comply with that order. NEWS, which has been authorized by the State Supreme Court to monitor and respond to the State's reports, today asked the Court to take firm, concrete action to compel the State's compliance with the Court's orders and with Washington children's constitutional right to an amply funded education.

NEWS listed in its response many types of enforcement orders issued by courts in cases in other states, and requested that, at the very least, the Supreme Court should:

• Hold the Legislature in contempt of court
• Prohibit the State from adding more unfunded or underfunded mandates on K-12 public schools, and
• Rule that if the State does not fully comply with the Court's January 2014 order by December 31, 2014, then the Court will issue strong judicial enforcement orders (that legislators will not be happy with) in January 2015.

Read NEWS's filing with the Supreme Court, May 21, 2014.

Read the State's filing with the Supreme Court, April 30, 2014

Golden Acorn Awards to Honor Local Unit Leaders and Contribute to the WSPTA Scholarship Program

As the school year winds to an end, I would like to encourage you to honor your local leaders with a Golden Acorn award or another recognition award and contribute to the Washington State PTA Scholarship Program. To order Golden Acorn awards or other recognition awards, go to the PTA store at http://store.wastatepta.org/. (There are no paper forms available for these awards. It is now an online process through the PTA store.)  For information on navigating the PTA Store award section, click here. For those of you who have been honored with a volunteer recognition award, such as the Golden Acorn award, I want to thank you for your service and dedication to the children in your school community, and to thank your PTA for donating funds, in your name, so that more deserving students could be awarded college scholarships.

Help Decide WSPTA's Positions: Proposals for Resolutions, Legislative Principles and Legislative Platform

Resolutions outline the opinion and will of WSPTA to address statewide problems. Proposals are due June 15 for consideration at the fall legislative assembly.  Form for new resolution or to amend or request retirement of existing resolution Current WSPTA resolutions & board positions National PTA resolutions  Legislative principles give long-term guidance to our legislative advocacy and can be updated at the fall legislative assembly. Proposals to amend are due June 15. Form to amend WSPTA's legislative principles Current WSPTA legislative principles Priority Platform“Top 5” : This short-term platform sets priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Issues are voted onto the platform for 2 years. In year one of the 2-year platform cycle, which is this year, delegates at legislative assembly will decide the Top 5 priorities. Deadline for proposals is June 15. Proposals will be reviewed over the summer by the legislative committee and the WSPTA board of directors. Legislative platform proposal form Current platform

National PTA President Otha Thornton Shares Op-Ed on Common Core State Standards

An op-ed by National PTA President Otha Thornton about the importance of the Common Core State Standards has been featured on FOX News. Visit http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2014/05/09/national-pta-president-parent-praise-for-common-core/ to read President Thornton’s important response to critics of the Common Core.

Review Smarts for Students: An Arts Education Guide for Parents and Families

Created in partnership with the Washington State PTA, the smARTS guide is a fantastic resource to help you bone up on how arts in schools will help your children succeed both now and in the future! It also offers up some great tips on simple ways to start advocating for the arts that every child deserves. Get smARTS here.

Bicycle Safety Resources

The Federal Highway Administration is pleased to announce the release of Bicycle Safer Journey, a new tool to educate teens and children about safe bicycling behaviors. Bicycle Safer Journey is a free, online education tool designed to help educators, parents and others who care about bicycle safety to get the conversation started with children and youth.

Preventing Childhood Injuries

Seattle Children’s Hospital offers great injury prevention information and resources: http://www.seattlechildrens.org/safety-wellness/safety-injury-prevention/

Question of the Week

QUESTION:  
Should the PTA write a check to the school or school district with the express purpose of the funds going to a particular project or event at a school, or is it better to write the check to the teacher/staff member and they provide receipts to show what they spent the money on?

ANSWER:
School districts are often not able to accommodate small grants for individual teachers, so the best way to grant money is to work with your school principal. Ask your principal about setting up a classroom grant for each teacher for specific purposes or about granting money to the building fund to help offset specific costs for the school as a whole. Your school principal will suggest the best way to set things up to be helpful and successful.

The other option is for PTAs to have a line item in their budget available for teachers up to a certain amount of money throughout the year. This option would require a lot of specific bookkeeping on the part of the PTA and the PTA would also need to be very clear about the process for submitting receipts for reimbursement and the type of items covered. One thing to note is that this option works best for perishables items, such as paper or supplies, but if they are purchasing books or cameras then those things are the property of the district/school and not the teacher. This distinction should be made clear to teachers as well.

Membership Service Fees Due May 25

Your final payment to the state office for current year state and national PTA membership dues is due by May 25th. Please go to the member registration site at http://www.wastateptambrs.org/customer/source/security/member-logon.cfm?section=Home. Login and select the Statement of Fees Due under Membership Reports to see if you have a balance due.  If there is a balance due please send at least the last page of this report along with your check to the state office at the address shown on that report. Remember, your unit may also owe council fees. If your PTA is a member of a council where local units pay the council a per member fee this information is for you. You can calculate the fees due to your council by multiplying the number of registered members by the council per member fee and subtracting prior payments of council fees. An Excel spreadsheet which you may use for this purpose can be found here. You can find the number of registered members on any of the following reports available on the membership site:  the Membership Roster has the total enrolled on the last page total enrolled can be found on the Legal Information report the member roster export lists all active members of the unit and can be used to get a count. NOT the online Statement of Fees Due which lists all members of the unit for whom state has not recorded state and national dues payment. This only reflects the status of state and national dues. The state database does not track council fees paid.

Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week

This week (May 19-25, 2014) marks the tenth annual Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week. As outdoor pools and beaches open to get ready for a summer full of swimming, this is an ideal time to maximize the health benefits of recreational water activities by promoting healthy and safe swimming in your community.  National Swimming Pool Foundation partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide the 2014 Tool Kit on Recreational Water Illness and Injury Prevention Week.

Washington State PTA Wins Prestigious National PTA Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award

National PTA announced that Washington State PTA has won the very prestigious Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award, for our commitment to reach out to all families. A special thank you to WSPTA Outreach Director JMarie Johnson-Kola, region directors, and the region outreach team: Monika Scotti, Julie Haase, Brandi Dyment, Elizabeth Rogers, Ed Kyllonen, Michele Rufer, Sarah Smith, Raymond Kusumi, Holly Bocchi, Barbara Justis, Deb Roper, and Mirna Reyes! 

This award recognizes only one state, council, district, and local PTA, nation-wide, who works diligently to understand and embrace the diversity of all individuals, understands the differences yet commonalities in their communities, and to work to foster outstanding achievement in the areas of diversity and inclusion. 

This year, WSPTA had a five-phase outreach plan: phase one, holding two outreach summits, one on each side of the state, where PTA leaders, learned many facets of strengthening relations through outreach activities; phase two, conducting regional meetings to develop action plans to increase, retain and diversify PTA membership by reaching out to underrepresented groups;  phase three, holding a certificated outreach skills training workshop, that provided PTA leaders with critical training in cross-cultural competency, community project management, public speaking, social-emotional learning, and other areas to enhance communications; phase four, planning, executing, and implementing region outreach action plans; and, phase five, hosting an outreach luncheon at the 101st Annual WSPTA Convention, highlighting Outreach and Family Engagement.  

Department of Education Releases Family/Community Engagement Framework

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a new process—the Dual Capacity Framework—for schools and communities to support and build parent and community engagement. This framework helps to teach school and district teachers and administrators how to effectively engage families. It also shows families how to work successfully with schools to increase student achievement.