Every Child

PTA lends a collective voice to children where they need to be heard: at home and school; in urban, rural, and suburban communities; and in our nation's capital. PTA is committed to the safety, well-being, and education of all children. Among our efforts, we strive to ensure everychild has a parent/family member who is actively engaged in his or her life and education

everychild has a safe place to be before and after school
everychild has the opportunity to learn in a classroom that isn’t overcrowded
everychild is provided an equitable and excellent public school education
everychild has equal access to computer literacy at school
everychild is rest-assured that his or her school is safe and drug-free.

Becoming a PTA member means you’re adding your voice to those working to make a difference in children’s lives. Together, we can continue to be a powerful voice for children and a strong advocate for public education.

10 Ways to Get Involved at School

Staying involved in your child's school will help you feel more a part of the team that’s helping your child succeed. Research shows when parents support what teachers and schools are doing, it leads to improved school quality, teacher job satisfaction, and increased community support. Here’s how you can help:

Show your children you believe education is important and that you want your children to do their best in school by being involved in their education.
Get to know your child’s teachers and help them get to know you and your child.
Communicate with your child’s teachers throughout the school year, not just when problems arise.
Stay informed of school events, class projects, and homework assignments.
Attend all parent orientation activities and parent-teacher conferences.
Help your children seek a balance between schoolwork and outside activities.
Find out about the school’s policies for discipline and procedures for handling emergencies such as fire, evacuations, severe weather, power outages, injuries and illness, or other dangers that might face students at school.
Know the procedure for contacting students during the day or for having adults visit the school building.
Know your child’s school schedule as well as the route your student will take to and from school and throughout the school building during the day.
Volunteer to assist with school functions and support your local PTA.

Adapted from National PTA’s book Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide for Developing Parent and Family Involvement Programs. For other parent involvement ideas visit www.pta.org.

10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed

Staying involved in your child’s education leads to student success. Research shows when parents are involved, their children have higher grades and test scores, better attendance, high self-esteem, and more consistently completed homework. Here’s how you can help:

Talk to your child daily—open communication lasts a lifetime.
Set high but realistic expectations—be clear and consistent in what you expect.
Build your child’s self-esteem and confidence—help them learn and grow from the choices they make.
Keep your child healthy—emotionally, physically, and socially.
Support learning at home—show that education is important and you value learning.
Communicate with your child’s school—on a regular basis to stay informed and involved.
Encourage exploration and discovery—helps build interests, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.
Help your child develop good relationships—meet your child’s friends and get to know their parents and families.
Keep your child safe—teach them safety procedures and how to avoid risks.
Participate in community service—be active yourself or together with your child.

Excerpted from "10 Ways to Help Your Child Succeed," a part of Nationality's Building Successful Partnerships program. For more information visit the Parent Involvement section of the National PTA website at www.pta.org.

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Last modified: August 2007