SPECIAL EDITION - WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10

This is the Indiana PTA Good News Alert that goes out every Sunday night throughout the year.  Please feel free to pass this on to your PTA contacts!  We hope you all are having a good weekend!

Several people on our Indiana PTA team are in Washington DC for the National PTA Legislative Conference this week. On Thursday, March 11th, 2010 President Tina Hartman, President-Elect Barry Jones, Federal Legislative Chair Dee Jones, Legislation Committee Chair Theresa Distelrath, Training Coordinator Barb Eager, and Student Representative Job Wise will make Indiana’s voice heard on Capitol Hill. They will be visiting with Indiana’s Federal legislators and encouraging them to support education and parent engagement in Indiana and across the country.

One of PTA’s founding principles is its dedication to engaging parents in the education of their children. Since the PTA’s inception, it has provided workshops and resources on child development to parent groups and community leaders. In recent years, PTA has developed the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships as well as assessment tools to measure the success of these standards in schools.

We need YOUR help! March 11th is going to be a PTA Takes Action Day. While our Indiana PTA team is present on the Hill, we want them to hear our voice of 30,000 members. We are asking that you (and your members) CALL or E-MAIL Indiana’s federal legislators on March 11th about some very important issues. We want to blitz Capitol Hill with YOUR voice! (Contact information for legislators is below)

Some Important Issues to Consider:
1. SUPPORT FOR PARENT INFORMATION RESOURCE CENTERS (PIRCs)
PTA is greatly concerned about the consolidation and proposed elimination of the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs) in the President’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget. There is at least one PIRC in every state and territory. This program elimination affects all PTAs and parents. Under this consolidation, the sole funding stream for family engagement would be redirected to charter schools. Placing PIRCs under this fund means that there is no longer a dedicated funding stream for family engagement and PIRCs will not be able reach all families with children in public schools. Elimination of PIRCs negatively impacts PTAs, schools and parents.

Why PIRCs matter:  

• They provide schools and districts with tools to effectively partner with parents.
• They empower parents to advocate for their children and school reform.
• They provide training and professional development on effective family engagement to districts and school staff.
• They collaborate with state PTAs to engage all public school parents in their children's education.
• They train family engagement coordinators in schools.
• They convene parent leadership academies to equip parents with skills needed to help their children to succeed.

Annually, PIRCs served over 16.4 million parents by connecting them to their schools to improve their child's education. Parents need PIRCs. You can help! Please urge your legislators not to eliminate PIRCs. (Read a more detailed description of PIRCs on HERE on our website)

2. REAUTHORIZE THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT (ESEA)
ESEA authorizes funds and outlines provisions to support education initiatives, such as:

• After-school programs and school social workers
• Professional development for teachers
• State assessments
• Parent and family engagement

The reauthorization process is a golden opportunity that advocates get every five years to educate Congress on changes needed in the law. PTA is working with Congress and the Department of Education to address the widely recognized challenges posed by NCLB, including strengthening its parent involvement provisions and safeguarding the Parental Information and Resource Centers (PIRCs), which have been consolidated with charter school programming in the President's FY 11 budget request. Consolidation not only directs funding away from the program, but also signals PIRCs removal from law. ESEA is an important law and is moving on the Hill. Now is the opportunity for advocates to tell Congress to improve this principal federal law to ensure that all children receive a high-quality education.

Our team will be visiting with the following legislators. Contact them on March 11th about the ESEA reauthorization, the financial support of PIRCs, or any other issue important to YOU. (Click HERE for tips on how to speak to your legislators via phone or email)

9:00 AM
Representative Baron Hill
Phone: (202) 225-5315
Email: Webform HERE

10:00AM          
Senator Richard Lugar
Phone: (202) 224-4814
Email: Webform HERE

11:30 AM         
Senator Evan Bayh
Phone: (202) 224-5623
Email: Webform HERE

2:00 PM           
Representative Pete Visclosky
Phone: (202) 225-2461
Email: Webform HERE  

They will also be meeting with
Representative Mark Souder
Phone: (202) 225-4436
Email: Webform HERE

Please contact Indiana’s legislators on Thursday, March 11th and make Indiana’s VOICE heard on Capitol Hill! Ask your members or anyone who cares about education to CALL or EMAIL legislators to coincide with Indiana PTAs visit to Washington D.C.  

**Just announced! First Lady Michelle Obama will be the keynote speaker for today’s luncheon. Watch her speech (and others) LIVE via webcast from the National PTA’s website. Click HERE to watch LIVE!

Want to keep updated on ALL Federal legislative alerts? Sign-up for PTA Takes Action Network to stay informed on the latest happenings on Capitol Hill and to learn more about legislative issues affecting families, schools, and communities. By joining the PTA Takes Action Network you will receive: PTA’s monthly federal policy e-newsletter and action alerts that provide you the opportunity to weigh in on key federal policy issues with your Members of Congress. Sign-up today and join the millions of child advocates that support and speak up for children. Click HERE to join!
Get even MORE involved! Learn about the National PTA’s 2010 Public Policy Agenda, which focuses on three key priorities:

• Parent engagement in education
• Equity and opportunity for all children
• Child health

Recognizing the importance of parent engagement in a child’s education, PTA has worked to ensure that provisions encouraging parental involvement were included in the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), now known as the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). PTA looks forward to having the opportunity to strengthen parent involvement and family engagement in the upcoming reauthorizations of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA-NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Download a copy (PDF) of the 2010 Public Policy Agenda now HERE.

NOTE:  How do I get my school featured in an Indiana PTA Good News Alert?  If you have a great story that you would like us to use, contact us directly at the above email or phone number or let your Region VP know and we will highlight your PTA in one of our weekly emails!  Contact your Region VP at:  Northwest:  Dee Jones, Northeast:  Julie Klingenberger, Central:  Sharon Wise; Southern: Natalie Jones.  Also don't forget to check out the Indiana PTA website at www.indianapta.org for some great information and the revamped National PTA website at www.pta.org. The new format for the “PTA Great Idea Bank” could also be really useful for your unit – it can also be found on the National PTA website.