The Alaska PTA Convention will begin on May 1, 2003 at the Anchorage Sheraton Hotel, at 7:00 pm. There are Bylaws changes to be decided, resolutions to be discussed and voted on, elections of new board members....
It is important for your PTA to be represented at this convention!
Leadership Training begins at 9:30 am on Thursday, May 1, 2003.
Call the Alaska PTA office at 907-279-9345
for registration information or go to www.akpta.org
Monday, April 28, 2003
Hooray for Them!
Rabbit Creek Elementary, in Anchorage, has been recognized as a National PTA Parent Involvement School of Excellence.
and in case you missed it,
Tanana Middle School was awarded the National PTA Parent Involvement Recognition of Commitment.
Congratulations to those committed PTA folks who make Parent Involvement such a priority in those schools.
For more information about the National PTA Schools of Excellence Program go to www.pta.org
Rabbit Creek Elementary, in Anchorage, has been recognized as a National PTA Parent Involvement School of Excellence.
and in case you missed it,
Tanana Middle School was awarded the National PTA Parent Involvement Recognition of Commitment.
Congratulations to those committed PTA folks who make Parent Involvement such a priority in those schools.
For more information about the National PTA Schools of Excellence Program go to www.pta.org
Monday, April 14, 2003
Hi all. This is a copy of the guest editorial I did for NEA's monthly newsletter. Your feedback is valued. Hard copies will go out to NEA's 12,000 members as well as legislators next week.
Be watching for more info on immediate advocacy needs, I'll email out very soon. Kris
Guest Editorial
It’s time to build coalition, unite on funding
By Kris Moore, President, Mat-Su Council of PTAs
I recently returned from the Alaska PTA’s annual Legislative Fly-In. We traveled to Juneau on the heels of the superintendents. I know the school boards had been down earlier, and that NEA-Alaska will have its own event sometime this spring. And I wonder what all of these groups are saying – and why all of us aren’t saying the same thing.
Whether we are parents, teachers, administrators, school board members – or students – all of us know what our schools need: We need the resources to make sure every child succeeds. Why aren’t we speaking with one voice?
The No Child Left Behind law makes it much, much more critical that our schools get the funding we need from Juneau. There are also benchmark tests and exit exams and school designators – all of them high stakes measurements with real life consequences for our children and schools. We must have the tools we need to help every child measure up.
Yet speaking up for schools and greater funding can be intimidating. For most of us, giving testimony before the school board or a legislative committee is a traumatic experience – so too many parents just don’t get involved. We must find ways to make advocating for our schools less scary.
One approach that the Alaska PTA is launching this spring is a “Forget-Me-Not” campaign. We are urging PTAs around the state to buy seed packets of forget-me-nots and send them to legislators and the governor with a simple note that urges greater school funding. We hope parents, teachers and students will write these notes and tell their own stories about what’s needed in our schools.
Looking to the longer term, we also need to help the governor and our legislators come up with a definition for “adequate” funding. This is a process that should involve the entire school community. And it should happen in each and every school, because each school is different. To bring all its children up to standards, Goose Bay Elementary doesn’t necessarily need the same things as Snowshoe Elementary here in the Mat-Su – or Ipalook Elementary in Barrow.
Think how much credibility we would have if, at every school, parents, teachers, support staff and principals, along with some administrators and school board members all sat down together and came up with a budget of what it would take for every child in that school to succeed. Every school’s budget would be different because every school serves different children and families.
If we did this, then gathered all the budgets together and took them to Juneau, we could look our elected leaders in the eye and tell them – school by school – what adequate funding means. Can’t you just feel the power behind that!
And think about what adequate funding will really mean: Every school would have qualified, dedicated teachers in small classrooms. School buildings would be safe and well maintained. Students who need extra help would get it.
This is how it should be. Because schools teach children, strengthening those families. Healthy families create healthy communities. And healthy communities are the heart and soul of Alaska.
If we all stand together and fight for our schools and children, we can make this happen. Won’t you join us? For more information about the “Forget-Me-Not” campaign or other programs, contact your local PTA or the state office at 279-9345.
Kris Moore and her husband Greg have four children. The oldest attends Wasilla Middle School, the two in the middle are at Goose Bay Elementary, and the youngest will start kindergarten next fall.
Be watching for more info on immediate advocacy needs, I'll email out very soon. Kris
Guest Editorial
It’s time to build coalition, unite on funding
By Kris Moore, President, Mat-Su Council of PTAs
I recently returned from the Alaska PTA’s annual Legislative Fly-In. We traveled to Juneau on the heels of the superintendents. I know the school boards had been down earlier, and that NEA-Alaska will have its own event sometime this spring. And I wonder what all of these groups are saying – and why all of us aren’t saying the same thing.
Whether we are parents, teachers, administrators, school board members – or students – all of us know what our schools need: We need the resources to make sure every child succeeds. Why aren’t we speaking with one voice?
The No Child Left Behind law makes it much, much more critical that our schools get the funding we need from Juneau. There are also benchmark tests and exit exams and school designators – all of them high stakes measurements with real life consequences for our children and schools. We must have the tools we need to help every child measure up.
Yet speaking up for schools and greater funding can be intimidating. For most of us, giving testimony before the school board or a legislative committee is a traumatic experience – so too many parents just don’t get involved. We must find ways to make advocating for our schools less scary.
One approach that the Alaska PTA is launching this spring is a “Forget-Me-Not” campaign. We are urging PTAs around the state to buy seed packets of forget-me-nots and send them to legislators and the governor with a simple note that urges greater school funding. We hope parents, teachers and students will write these notes and tell their own stories about what’s needed in our schools.
Looking to the longer term, we also need to help the governor and our legislators come up with a definition for “adequate” funding. This is a process that should involve the entire school community. And it should happen in each and every school, because each school is different. To bring all its children up to standards, Goose Bay Elementary doesn’t necessarily need the same things as Snowshoe Elementary here in the Mat-Su – or Ipalook Elementary in Barrow.
Think how much credibility we would have if, at every school, parents, teachers, support staff and principals, along with some administrators and school board members all sat down together and came up with a budget of what it would take for every child in that school to succeed. Every school’s budget would be different because every school serves different children and families.
If we did this, then gathered all the budgets together and took them to Juneau, we could look our elected leaders in the eye and tell them – school by school – what adequate funding means. Can’t you just feel the power behind that!
And think about what adequate funding will really mean: Every school would have qualified, dedicated teachers in small classrooms. School buildings would be safe and well maintained. Students who need extra help would get it.
This is how it should be. Because schools teach children, strengthening those families. Healthy families create healthy communities. And healthy communities are the heart and soul of Alaska.
If we all stand together and fight for our schools and children, we can make this happen. Won’t you join us? For more information about the “Forget-Me-Not” campaign or other programs, contact your local PTA or the state office at 279-9345.
Kris Moore and her husband Greg have four children. The oldest attends Wasilla Middle School, the two in the middle are at Goose Bay Elementary, and the youngest will start kindergarten next fall.
This letter was sent to the Alaska State Legislature on behalf of all of the children of Alaska:
On behalf of the nearly 13,000 parents, teachers, students, and other child advocates who are members of the Alaska PTA, I am writing to express our views on the Budget that you are currently considering.
Alaska PTA asks that you SUPPORT,
A budget that will fund at the highest level possible for education. This would take a strong step forward in meeting the needs districts and schools face in providing equitable opportunities for high-quality education for all students.
The Alaska PTA also urges the Legislature to fully fund Community Schools. Community Schools has been a part of Alaska PTAs Legislative Platform for many years. Community Schools allows the schools to be open after hours, provides low cost classes for families of all ages that cannot access private sports clubs or other methods of instructions. Community Schools have been instrumental in engaging community members with schools investing time and efforts for the larger community. And community schools will allow access for ‘supplemental services’ asked for in the No Child Left Behind Act by providing tutoring, opening libraries to improve reading scores and access to technology after-hours. There is not a better system for the dollars.
Fund Alyeska Central Schools. Long before the No Child Left Behind Act, Alaska gave parents true 'choice' options for their families needs. Families who utilize this educational option truly are demonstrating 'parent involvement' in the highest form. Dollars will still be generated by the funding formula to follow the students to their next educational choice. Cutting the Alyeska Central Schools will not be a significant savings.
Parents want effective public schools in their communities. We urge you to budget sufficient resources so all our schools can be effective public schools. The budget should be a reflection of our state's spending priorities. While addressing defense and homeland security needs, as well as aiding in economic recovery, the legislature must also support increased spending for children. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act—which was recently renamed the No Child Left Behind Act—has imposed significant new costs on states that have not been matched with new resources, and the federal government is failing to meet its promised 40 percent of the additional costs associated with educating children with disabilities. It will take your commitment and dollars to ensure the education for Alaskan children means all children.
The Alaska PTA thanks you for your efforts to ensure a quality education for all students.
Janice Louden
Alaska PTA President
PO Box 201496, Anchorage Alaska 99503, 907-279-9345
On behalf of the nearly 13,000 parents, teachers, students, and other child advocates who are members of the Alaska PTA, I am writing to express our views on the Budget that you are currently considering.
Alaska PTA asks that you SUPPORT,
A budget that will fund at the highest level possible for education. This would take a strong step forward in meeting the needs districts and schools face in providing equitable opportunities for high-quality education for all students.
The Alaska PTA also urges the Legislature to fully fund Community Schools. Community Schools has been a part of Alaska PTAs Legislative Platform for many years. Community Schools allows the schools to be open after hours, provides low cost classes for families of all ages that cannot access private sports clubs or other methods of instructions. Community Schools have been instrumental in engaging community members with schools investing time and efforts for the larger community. And community schools will allow access for ‘supplemental services’ asked for in the No Child Left Behind Act by providing tutoring, opening libraries to improve reading scores and access to technology after-hours. There is not a better system for the dollars.
Fund Alyeska Central Schools. Long before the No Child Left Behind Act, Alaska gave parents true 'choice' options for their families needs. Families who utilize this educational option truly are demonstrating 'parent involvement' in the highest form. Dollars will still be generated by the funding formula to follow the students to their next educational choice. Cutting the Alyeska Central Schools will not be a significant savings.
Parents want effective public schools in their communities. We urge you to budget sufficient resources so all our schools can be effective public schools. The budget should be a reflection of our state's spending priorities. While addressing defense and homeland security needs, as well as aiding in economic recovery, the legislature must also support increased spending for children. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act—which was recently renamed the No Child Left Behind Act—has imposed significant new costs on states that have not been matched with new resources, and the federal government is failing to meet its promised 40 percent of the additional costs associated with educating children with disabilities. It will take your commitment and dollars to ensure the education for Alaskan children means all children.
The Alaska PTA thanks you for your efforts to ensure a quality education for all students.
Janice Louden
Alaska PTA President
PO Box 201496, Anchorage Alaska 99503, 907-279-9345
Here is a link for educators, the US Departartmentof Education has created a guide for educators to guide them in dealing with children of our deployed military forces. If you have children in your school who have parents in the military, offer this guide to your school staff: http://www.ed.gov/inits/homefront/homefront.pdf
Monday, April 07, 2003
This is crunch time, folks. The House will be considering the operating budget on the floor this week.
WE MUST SEND A MESSAGE TO FUND EDUCATION!! Even if you do not understand the details of the school budget, this is important and rather simple. Please, Please, Please take the time right now to do one of the following options.
Our representative are not hearing from us, and if they can't hear us, they can't help us. Tell them to maintain their commitment to education and provide our district with the funds they need to provide adequate education.
You can make a quick phone call to the LIO office at 907-376-3704 and they will write your message for you and fax it off to your reps and/or other members you want to receive the message. They are extremely helpful and will walk you right through it.
You can go to the state web page http://www.legis.state.ak.us and pull up email addresses and phone numbers of each rep.
Send your message now. They must hear from us.
Please send your messages now!!!
Kris Moore, Mat-Su Council President
WE MUST SEND A MESSAGE TO FUND EDUCATION!! Even if you do not understand the details of the school budget, this is important and rather simple. Please, Please, Please take the time right now to do one of the following options.
Our representative are not hearing from us, and if they can't hear us, they can't help us. Tell them to maintain their commitment to education and provide our district with the funds they need to provide adequate education.
You can make a quick phone call to the LIO office at 907-376-3704 and they will write your message for you and fax it off to your reps and/or other members you want to receive the message. They are extremely helpful and will walk you right through it.
You can go to the state web page http://www.legis.state.ak.us and pull up email addresses and phone numbers of each rep.
Send your message now. They must hear from us.
Please send your messages now!!!
Kris Moore, Mat-Su Council President
A couple of quick updates....
The regular MatSu Council meeting on Thursday, April 10 at 5:30 pm at Wasilla High School. Please mark your calendar to attend and bring a friend.
National PTA News: Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grant Deadline, May 1
PTA Gives Holloway Award
The National PTA awarded State Board of Education & Early Development member Shirley Holloway the organization’s Life Achievement Award for her work as Alaska’s education commissioner. “On behalf of National PTA, Alaska PTA is extremely pleased to present this prestigious award to Dr. Shirley Holloway who continues to provide our children with a safe and enriching environment in which to learn and grow,” said State PTA President, Janice Louden. Louden presented the award at the state board meeting in Anchorage last week. The award is the National PTA’s top award.
Free Internet Classes!
GCI brought you free unlimited Internet, now we’re going one stop further by offering free Internet classes again. Why? Because we want you to know everything there is to succeed in Cyberspace. So join the Internet revolution. You may just learn something. Saturday, April 12, 2003, Loussac Library, Anchorage Alaska
Wilda Marston Theater, Ground level.
You will also receive more information real soon about the "Forget-Me-Not" Campaign..... Parents, teachers, and community members alike, will be encouraged to send a seed packet of forget me not flowers to their legislators' and the governor's offices, including a small personal note reminding officials to fulfill the commitment to children..."Growing kids is growing resources....." This campaign will be announced across the state, so be one of the first, please take time now to participate and send in your packet.
The regular MatSu Council meeting on Thursday, April 10 at 5:30 pm at Wasilla High School. Please mark your calendar to attend and bring a friend.
National PTA News: Mary Lou Anderson Reflections Arts Enhancement Grant Deadline, May 1
PTA Gives Holloway Award
The National PTA awarded State Board of Education & Early Development member Shirley Holloway the organization’s Life Achievement Award for her work as Alaska’s education commissioner. “On behalf of National PTA, Alaska PTA is extremely pleased to present this prestigious award to Dr. Shirley Holloway who continues to provide our children with a safe and enriching environment in which to learn and grow,” said State PTA President, Janice Louden. Louden presented the award at the state board meeting in Anchorage last week. The award is the National PTA’s top award.
Free Internet Classes!
GCI brought you free unlimited Internet, now we’re going one stop further by offering free Internet classes again. Why? Because we want you to know everything there is to succeed in Cyberspace. So join the Internet revolution. You may just learn something. Saturday, April 12, 2003, Loussac Library, Anchorage Alaska
Wilda Marston Theater, Ground level.
You will also receive more information real soon about the "Forget-Me-Not" Campaign..... Parents, teachers, and community members alike, will be encouraged to send a seed packet of forget me not flowers to their legislators' and the governor's offices, including a small personal note reminding officials to fulfill the commitment to children..."Growing kids is growing resources....." This campaign will be announced across the state, so be one of the first, please take time now to participate and send in your packet.
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