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Parent Involvement

Parent involvement ideas to inspire from the winning entries for My PTA/PTSA Awards

2008
ECONOMICAL WELCOME: Sierra Elementary School, North Antelope Valley Council

To bring in parents, the PTA started low-cost programs targeting specific needs of students, parents and the school.

  • Programs: “Kindergarten Welcome,” “Moms Matter,” and “Watch Dogs.”Resource Room: A room where parents have the opportunity to meet with a reading coach, other parents and staff, along with materials they can take home to support their child’s education.
Success: Parent participation quadrupled, and staff, board, community turnout, and membership increased.

2007-2008
PARENTING HELP: Torrance Council of PTAs

Parenting classes were offered throughout the four geographic areas of the council.

  • Promotion: These were advertised at all area preschools and local libraries. Every elementary and middle school parent received class registration fliers.Class themes: Child/teen misbehavior, help with self-esteem, creating family meetings, and positive communication.

Success: Between 100 and 150 parents participated, and each year the workshop attendance has grown. Many units have invited the presenter to provide parenting classes at their sites.

2007
PULLING IT TOGETHER: San Ramon Valley PTA Council

The Goal: Promote and support parent involvement.

The council:

  • Beefed up its Leadership Development Committee for unit leadership mentoring.
  • Created a Parent and Community Education Committee which partnered with the Special Needs Committee in offering daylong conferences.
  • Developed a Literacy Committee to support implementation of the Columbia Teachers College Reading and Writing Project.Started a Health and Safety Committee to work on a Coordinated School Health Plan.

2006
PARENTS ON CAMPUS: San Clemente High School PTSA, Capistrano Unified Council

The Theme: “Catch the Spirit – and Get Involved”

The PTSA:

  • Involved parents as teacher assistants in the classroom (Teacher Assistant Program, TAP).
  • Created a Teacher Mini-Grant program.
  • Held Freshman Parent Boot Camp.Regularly scheduled Coffee with the Principal events.

Success: The high school PTSA improved parent participation in school events, and provided much needed assistance to teachers through hands-on support and financial aid. Parents gained a sense of ownership and felt they truly made a difference.

2006
‘NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND’: San Mateo-Foster City PTA Council

The Project: A “No Parent Left Behind” speaker series.

The series of three events:

  • Used intense local promotion to generate more than 100 parent participants at each event.
  • Each had a keynote speaker.
  • Followed each talk with “speed parenting” discussions led by PTA volunteers.
  • Provided a Top 10 “solutions” list for each “speed” topic, giving parents several minutes to give input before rotating to another topic.
  • Distributed handy notepads to parents with “parenting quotes” accumulated from educators, teachers, parents, and philosophers. (For example: “I used to draw like Raphael, but it has taken me a whole lifetime to learn to draw like a child.” – Pablo Picasso.)

2005
OF SPECIAL INTEREST: Del Valle Council

The Goal: Involving and supporting parents of children with special needs.

The council:

  • Encouraged its units to appoint Special Needs chairmen as the communication link for council activities.
  • Held monthly evening programs for both parents and educators featuring speakers on a variety of topics with as many as 350 people attending.
  • Hosted a full-day Special Needs Conference.

Success: The school district has moved from initially being hesitant about the council’s efforts, to being fully supportive.

2005
TIME MANAGEMENT: Plum Canyon Elementary PTA, Santa Clarita Valley Council

The Project: Valuing volunteers’ time.

The PTA:

  • Created a volunteer committee to manage and coordinate volunteers.
  • Started the year by asking parents to sign up for a variety of volunteering opportunities.
  • Maintained committee contact to verify time, place, and activity with each volunteer.
  • Called additional parents as more opportunities arose.

Success: The program enabled the PTA to sustain parent volunteer involvement throughout the year.