Letter from the PTA President

Dear Parents and Teachers,

The PTA Board would like to welcome our students, teachers and parents back to a new school year.  We are so excited about what lies ahead!

Our theme for this year:  School · Home · Community  -  “Connecting for Success”, represents the importance of EVERYBODY investing time and energy in our children.  It is our hope that the relationships built between the staff, teachers, parents, students and the community continue to grow.  Our goal of ensuring that our children receive a solid education cannot be achieved without the cooperation of us all.  It is for this reason, we are asking that you get involved with Millwood and your PTA.  There is no better time to show our children that we care about their future.

We have so many dedicated volunteers at Millwood, but we welcome more.  Volunteering helps our children, the school, our community, and it nourishes our souls when we help others.

A famous educator once said, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”  It is the PTA’s hope to lift up all students, parents and teachers this year!  We are all here for each other, for the common goal of educating our children.

With Warmest Regards,
Kim Granger
PTA President, Millwood Elementary School
2005/2006

Parent Involvement

          It takes time and care to be an involved parent. Who are your child's friends? What excites your child at school? Questions like these can lead you to the keys to the success of your child in school, with friends, and in life. Explore some ways that you can make a difference in your child's life.

Can I Really Make A Difference?

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What Happens If I Get Involved?

10 Ways To Help Your Child Succeed

100 Ways For Parents to Be More Involved in Their Child's Education

Poll Results Point to Parents' Concerns about Education
National PTA Urges Parents to Make Their Voices Heard in Election Year

WASHINGTON DC 
          Poll results released today by National PTA and Ipsos Public Affairs show that parents are worried about the future of public education. Parents are seeing classrooms with wall-to-wall desks and are opening their wallets to save art and music programs. Additionally, an overwhelming 93 percent of public school parents said that education will play a major role in their decision about which candidate to support in this election year.

          In a national telephone poll of 800 public school parents, more than half of the respondents (55 percent) ranked school funding as a top issue facing public schools today—eclipsing both school safety and quality. Additionally, 85 percent of parents believe the federal government should provide more funding for education.

          "Parents know the difference between rhetoric and reality when it comes to adequate school funding. And the reality is their children's schools need more help to achieve the gains that we know are possible," said Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Senior Democrat, House Education and the Workforce Committee. "The PTA poll makes it clear—the federal government is not providing enough money to help schools do the hard work they are doing for our kids."

          "When all is said and done, the most important finding of this report may be that 93 percent of parents view education as a key issue in the election," said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). "So in the end, the fate of our nation's schools may be decided the American way—at the ballot box."

          In response to tightened budgets, parents and schools are becoming more dependent on fundraisers. According to the poll, 79 percent of parents are being asked to fund items and needs that have traditionally been covered by school budgets including paper, cleaning supplies, transportation, technology, teacher salaries, educational curriculum and art or music programs. 39 percent are contributing more than $100 to their kids classrooms each year and one-in-ten (11 percent) say they're giving more than $300 a year.

          "It goes without saying that every parent wants their child to have the best school experience possible-but as well meaning as fundraisers and donations are, they are a temporary fix to a growing national problem," said National PTA President Linda Hodge. "Parents need to get involved, get informed, and get to the polls to ensure a quality public education for every child."

          With more than 6 million members, National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the United States. Since its founding in 1897, National PTA has prided itself in being a powerful voice for children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in National PTA is open to anyone who is concerned with the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information about National PTA, visit www.pta.org or call (800) 307-4PTA (4782).