Sandy Hook Promise Town Hall Meeting Kicks Off the 110th Ohio PTA Convention

Join Us!

FREE Friday Sandy Hook Promise Town Hall Meeting 

on April 8, 2016, 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm

DoubleTree Hotel ~ 175 Hutchinson Avenue ~ Columbus, Ohio

Paula Fynboh has studied and practiced social change extensively and believes that real and sustainable change happens when people come together at the grassroots level around seemingly simple, yet powerful actions that shift the narrative and culture of what is acceptable. Paula is a firm believer that hope can counter apathy and strives to provide positive solutions to reduce gun violence.

Paula leads the national outreach and program strategy for the organization with the goal of bringing Sandy Hook Promise's prevention actions and resources to schools, youth serving organizations, and communities across the country.

As Director of Advocacy, Mark Barden leads policy and outreach efforts for Sandy Hook Promise and frequently serves as a spokesperson for the organization. Since the tragic loss of his son Daniel, one of 20 first-graders murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School along with six educators, Mark has dedicated himself to bringing people together to find sensible solutions that will prevent future tragedies and spare other families the pain of losing a child to gun violence.

Mark's belief that thoughtful, sincere dialogue will lead us to shared common ground set him on a path he never anticipated. His journey has taken him from speaking to a receptive audience at meetings with over half of the United States Senate, media interviews on every major network and speaking engagements before civic groups, religious groups, college audiences and more, all focused on creating a safer future for our children and our communities.

Registration link: http://www.ohiopta.org/Events.aspx

Ohio PTA Convention Press Release

CONTACT:     Elise Skolnick

                      eliseskolnick@gmail.com

                      330-503-6598

Ohio PTA to Host Sandy Hook Promise Town Hall

COLUMBUS (March 28, 2016) – Ohio PTA will kick off its 110^th Annual Convention with a free Sandy Hook Promise Town Hall meeting from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 8 at the DoubleTree Hotel, 175 Hutchinson Ave., Columbus, Ohio.

Sandy Hook Promise is a national, nonprofit organization led by several people whose loved ones were killed in the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. They are focused on preventing all forms of violence before it happens by educating and mobilizing parents, schools and communities on mental health and wellness programs that identify, intervene and help at-risk individuals.

The Convention presentation focuses on easy to implement prevention resources available to schools at no cost. Paula Fynboh, who leads the national outreach and program strategy for the organization, and Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was one of 20 first-graders killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, will facilitate.

The Convention also includes opportunities for PTA members and others to learn about a variety of topics including how to rethink parent involvement for the 21^st Century, creating successful and sustainable wellness practices, and understanding college credit plus in high school curriculums.

About 300 participants are expected.

To register, go to www.ohiopta.org. The cost is $125 per person.

The Ohio PTA, a 115-year-old branch of the National PTA, is composed of nearly 70,000 members in over 500 units. The organization works to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.

  

###

Four Tips to Tougher Passwords

Four Tips to Tougher Passwords Source: National PTA One Voice Blog If you’re making an effort to use stronger, more complex passwords on your online accounts, good for you! But be careful—a longer password isn’t always a stronger one. Here’s what I mean. “123456” is an excellent example of a weak password. Changing it to “12345678” certainly makes it longer, but not necessarily any stronger. And changing “password” to “password123” doesn’t increase its strength by much either. Longer is better, but weak is weak --—no matter a password’s length—particularly if a password incorporates a simple pattern. To improve your passwords, you need to add complexity. Here are four tips to help you do so: Randomize it Consider using a randomized series of characters that incorporate a mix of letters (both uppercase and lowercase), numbers and symbols. While long words such as your hometown or company name could be easy for others to decipher, a random variety of characters will leave them guessing. An easy way to remember a password that is random and difficult to decode is to create a sentence and then list characters that represent the sentence. For example, you can use a sentence like, “My favorite place is the beach,” and break it down into something like, “mFp1StB!” As you’ll read here, LifeLock educational advisor Jean Chatzky takes a similar approach for her passwords. Variety is the spice of, um, passwords It’s important to use different passwords for each account you have for obvious reasons. If someone guesses one password, it’ll be easier for that person to hack into your other accounts with the same password. Update ‘em When you update a password—for instance, following a data breach—it’s easy to fall back on ones you’ve already used. Don’t do it. Work to keep each password fresh and unique—like you!—and, of course, strong and complex. Consider a password management app Password management applications act like a digital wallet, storing your personal passwords, login details and other information in one place. All you need to remember is one strong password that allows you to log in to the password management app itself. There are many on the market, so search and see which one may work best for you. Learn more in this LifeLock UnLocked blog post from theIdentity Theft Resource Center. SPECIAL OFFER Learn more about a special offer from LifeLock for PTA members and families. Cory Warren is the blog editor of LifeLock UnLocked.

Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program

The Ohio Hearing Aid Assistance Program (OHAAP) is a program that provides assistance to families with children under twenty-one years of age with permanent hearing impairments to purchase hearing aids and batteries. Families with incomes at or below 400 percent of the federal poverty guidelines are eligible for the program.  Families are encouraged to contact Melissa McCoy at (614) 466-1995 or by email at  Melissa.McCoy@odh.ohio.gov . Melissa is a Public Health Audiologist with The Ohio Department of Health and coordinates the OHAAP Program. Below is a link to the OHAAP site:

https://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhprograms/cmh/hearaidasst/Hearing%20Aid%20Assistance%20Program.aspx

PARENTS_Sign the Testing Bill of Rights!

Sign the Testing Bill of Rights! Source: National PTA One Voice Blog National PTA is pleased to join forces with the Center for American Progress (CAP), America Achieves and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), among others in support of the Testing Bill of Rights to ensure assessments are fair, reliable, relevant and aligned to high-quality standards. The Testing Bill of Rights outlines the need to accurately measure student learning in a way that is useful for parents and teachers and less burdensome for students. As states continue to transition to higher standards and a new generation of high-quality tests come to fruition, more needs to be done at state and local levels to address over testing and provide greater transparency about the purpose and benefits of each test. No parent wants their child reduced to a test score, and assessment results should be used to inform instruction, provide parents and communities with information about whether students are working at grade level or are struggling, and allow teachers to diagnose and help their students. The launch of the Testing Bill of Rights is part of a campaign led by CAP to educate school leaders, students, teachers, and parents about the need for better, fairer and fewer tests. National PTA understands the frustration that parents, students and educators have expressed regarding over testing. However, instead of walking away from assessments themselves, National PTA seeks to empower and engage parents in the important conversations around the amount and types of tests students take as well as advocate for parents to be at the table as these discussions occur at state and local levels. Parents are an important part of the solution to improve assessments, and we can’t walk away from this responsibility. The association believes that in order to provide the most accurate information to parents, educators, schools, districts and states all students must participate in required state assessments. The information gathered from assessments helps to make sure all students and schools are receiving the necessary resources and supports in order to reach their full potential. Additionally, if we do not have full data sets, we won’t know if the assessments actually do what they are designed or purported to do. National PTA has always believed that educational improvements and increased well-being for our nation’s children comes from engaged and empowered parents and families. The parent voice is critical in the discussion around educational equity. Parents must be part of the solution for fairer, better and fewer tests. National PTA urges you to sign the Testing Bill of Rights to ensure students are taking high-quality and aligned assessments, parents have accurate information on their child’s progress and achievement and teachers have a tool that helps improve instruction. Jacki Ball is the director of government affairs at National PTA.

Our Own [Ohio's] Lisa Mack [Immediate Past President Ohio PTA] Represents Parents!

PTA Leader Participates on U.S. Department of Education’s Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for New Every Student Succeeds Act

ALEXANDRIA, Va., (March 22, 2016) — National PTA is pleased to announce that PTA leader Lisa Mack is participating this week on the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee for the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). With the new law, the U.S. Department of Education is required to go through the “negotiated rulemaking” process on standards, assessments and how states and districts spend their own funds in relation to federal money. Mack is one of only 15 people selected to serve on the committee and is representing parents and students, including historically underserved students.

“Lisa is a strong advocate for education, children and families, and we are proud that she has been named to the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee—an important next step in the successful implementation of ESSA,” said Laura Bay, president of National PTA. “Lisa’s outstanding leadership, dedication, passion and experience will be tremendous assets to the committee and on behalf of families and students nationwide.”  

Mack has been active in PTA for 23 years and has held leadership positions at the local, state and national levels. She served as a district advisor, vice president of leadership, state president-elect and state president for Ohio PTA. She also chaired Ohio PTA’s Mosaic Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is currently a member of National PTA’s Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach Committee. In addition to her participation in PTA, Mack has been involved in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst City School District as well as with the Ohio Department of Education.

During the negotiated rulemaking process, committee members will meet at least twice at the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, DC. At these meetings, committee members will discuss updated regulations for academic standards, assessments and supplement funds to reflect changes included in ESSA. The committee and negotiated rulemaking process are designed to give everyone with a stake a chance to provide input and try to reach agreement. 

The negotiated rulemaking committee will meet March 21-23 and April 6-8. For more information, visit ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/index.html.

About National PTA

National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

Who are PTA/PTSA’s student leaders?

Students who are committed to improving their school. 

Does that sound like YOU? If the answer is yes, then join your PTA/PTSA. 

Why should I join PTA/PTSA?

PTA/PTSA membership gets you a seat at the table with school decision-makers:

• Parents
• School leaders 
• Community members 

At all levels, but especially the secondary grade level – student voices must inform that conversation as equal members with an equal vote. That’s why you should add PTA/PTSA to your student leadership resume. You will gain experience in leadership, advocacy, public speaking, teamwork, event planning – all while improving your school. 

In many places, PTA/PTSA student leaders earn community service hours for their contributions to the organization. Find out if that is possible through your PTA/PTSA.  

Gender Bias Still Holds Girls Back in STEM

Source: National PTA One Voice Blog

Posted: 17 Mar 2016 06:00 AM PDT

Women have historically been responsible for some of the greatest achievements in science, technology, engineering and math—from the completion of the Brooklyn Bridge to writing the first computer code. Unfortunately, women’s accomplishments have been limited by gender bias that persists today—even among well-intentioned parents and educators.

With Women’s History Month being celebrated now in March, this is a great opportunity to both honor women’s achievements in STEM as well as reflect on how we start eliminating these biases.

Without a doubt, our attitudes toward equal opportunity among the sexes have come a long way in recent decades. However, many parents and educators still let traditional gender stereotypes influence the way they treat girls. In fact, one survey found that parents were more likely to discuss an acting career than a STEM career with their daughters by a 2-to-1 margin.

Providing girls with positive exposure to STEM fields from an early age is critical if we want to keep them interested in the subject. A recent study by the Girl Scouts of America Research Institute found that girls who knew someone working in the STEM field, or who were exposed to STEM activities, were more likely to have an interest in STEM.

This is something I can personally relate to. My fondest memories about growing up are the Saturdays I spent with my father, a marine engineer, at his office. He designed complex electrical systems that kept some of the world’s most massive ships humming. This early exposure was enough for me to develop an interest in STEM that eventually propelled me into software engineering.

Unfortunately, gender bias means many girls do not receive the exposure that I did. This has resulted in a workforce where women only make up a quarter of STEM employees, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce—a figure that has been shrinking in recent years. In high-demand, growing fields like computer science and software engineering, women make up even lower percentages.

The first step to solving the problem begins with awareness. We must first be aware that these biases continue to exist at home and in the classroom and understand their impact. We must also pay close attention to our own actions and reflect on the ways we interact with and evaluate girls and determine what unconscious signals we might be sending.

When we do this, we may notice patterns in our own behavior that we may have been unaware of. Once we identify these patterns, we can begin working to change them and ensure the girls are equally encouraged when it comes to pursuing STEM.

It benefits us all when both halves of the human population are working to solve the biggest challenges in fields like computer science, physics, environmental engineering and medicine.

---

Monica Nicolau is chief technology officer for Sylvan Learning. Prior to Sylvan, Ms. Nicolau worked at Micros Systems, Inc., now Oracle Hospitality, where she held a variety of roles, including director of software engineering. She earned her master’s degree in computer science at Johns Hopkins University.

Membership Matters Message

MARCH MEMBERSHIP MADNESS (CONTEST CHALLENGE!)
When we think of March Madness, we think of the college basketball teams competing to move forward in their divisions. We all wait to see which teams will fill the brackets each day and advance to the Final Four. I challenge you to think of Membership in the same way. Perhaps you have met your goal of a 5% increase or more; perhaps you are still working on it. Everyone has an equal chance of fighting for a spot in the PTA Final Four.

This month, we would like to present another unit Membership Challenge! Turn in 16 more members in the month of March and be entered into a drawing to win a cash prize for your unit to be announced at Convention! Why 16 you ask? The tournament starts with the “Sweet Sixteen” teams and so we will have a goal of 16 Sweet New Members per unit! You will receive one entry for every 16 new members. Turn in 32 members, get two entries, 48 members gets you three entries, etc. Invite people to be a part of your Sweet Sixteen and help your unit and Ohio PTA achieve the championship.

The prizes for our “Final Four” will be $100, $50, and two $25 prizes! We set a goal for this year of 70,000 members and we are at just about 85% of that goal!

Focusing on the "T" in PTA

Membership in PTA^® is not limited to just parents. Teachers play a vital role in a child's education, but are often overlooked. Events and programs like PTA Teacher Appreciation Week^SM is just one of the ways PTA celebrates and supports teachers. Listed below are PTA resources specifically for teachers.

Teachers, Join PTA Today!

Male Teacher EngagementResources to increase the involvement of male teachers

Teacher Appreciation Week
PTA Teacher Appreciation Week info

Teacher Resource Tools
How teachers can increase the value of PTA through advocacy, programs, and partnerships.

Source: pta.org

March Membership Madness!

The next membership conference call is Monday, April 18th, at 7:30 pm. 

MARCH MEMBERSHIP MADNESS (CONTEST CHALLENGE!)
When we think of March Madness, we think of the college basketball teams competing to move forward in their divisions. We all wait to see which teams will fill the brackets each day and advance to the Final Four. I challenge you to think of Membership in the same way. Perhaps you have met your goal of a 5% increase or more; perhaps you are still working on it. Everyone has an equal chance of fighting for a spot in the PTA Final Four.

This month, we would like to present another unit Membership Challenge! Turn in 16 more members in the month of March and be entered into a drawing to win a cash prize for your unit to be announced at Convention! Why 16 you ask? The tournament starts with the “Sweet Sixteen” teams and so we will have a goal of 16 Sweet New Members per unit! You will receive one entry for every 16 new members. Turn in 32 members, get two entries, 48 members gets you three entries, etc. Invite people to be a part of your Sweet Sixteen and help your unit and Ohio PTA achieve the championship.

The prizes for our “Final Four” will be $100, $50, and two $25 prizes! We set a goal for this year of 70,000 members and we are at just about 85% of that goal!

Legislative Conference 2016 / ESSA / Every Student Succeeds Act

Congrats to Lisa Mack, Immediate Past Ohio PTA President named committee member to the U.S. Department of Education to help draft regulations in ESSA

PTA Resources for Families on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

Overview of ESEA and ESSA

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first passed in 1965 by President Lyndon Baines Johnson. In December 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a new law to replace the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). President Obama subsequently signed ESSA into law on December 10, 2015.

Click to enlarge and view the full timeline of the ESEA Bill

With a new ESEA/ESSA, focus for advocacy now turns to effective implementation of the law to ensure every child has the ability to reach their full potential. While this new law provides a great opportunity for states to tailor their education systems to meet the needs of their students—including students with disabilities—this new level of authority will also require an increased amount of responsibility for states to ensure they close achievement gaps.

National PTA, our constituent associations, and advocates across the country will seek to support and empower all families to be active participants in the state and local implementation of ESSA to ensure equity and opportunity for all students.

The U.S. Department of Education is currently in the implementation phase of ESSA. The Department will provide guidance and clarification to states on how best to carry out the new law. You can get involved in the implementation process by signing up for emails from the Department of Education on ESSA implementation.

ESSA Resources

	Overview of ESSA, National PTA
	Title I Summary of ESSA, National PTA
	Title II Summary of ESSA, National PTA
	Title IV Summary of ESSA, National PTA
	ESSA: What Does This New Law Mean for my Child?, National PTA
	Family Engagement in ESSA, National PTA
	Statewide Family Engagement Centers One-Pager, National PTA
	U.S. Department of Education ESSA Site
	FAQ on the Transition to ESSA, U.S. Department of Education
	FAQ on Negotiated Rulemaking, U.S. Department of Education

National PTA Statements and Letters on ESEA Reauthorization

To view each letter or press release, click the blue icon to the left of the title.

	February 2016
	National PTA Statement on President Obama's 2017 Budget Proposal
	The State and Local ESSA Implementation Network letter of commitment to put students first sent on February 10.
	January 2016
	Implementation recommendations to the Department of Education on Title I of ESSA sent on January 21.
	December 2015
	December 10, 2015 — National PTA Lauds President Obama's Signing of Landmark Every Student Succeeds Act
	December 9, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Senate Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act
	Every Student Succeeds Act letter of support sent December 7.
	House passage of the conference report to reauthorize ESEA letter of support sent December 4.
	December 2, 2015 — National PTA Commends House Passage of Every Student Succeeds Act
	November 2015
	November 19, 2015 — National PTA Commends Passage of Bipartisan Agreement to Reauthorize Elementary and Secondary Education Act
	November 18, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Conference Committee Meeting on ESEA Reauthorization
	Inclusion of an education data privacy study committee in the ESEA reauthorization letter of support sent November 9.
	November 2, 2015 — National Education Groups Continue to Push Congress to Get ESEA Done, Begin Weeklong Ad Campaign
	October 2015
	School vouchers in the reauthorization of ESEA letter of opposition sent October 13.
	September 2015
	Reauthorization of Statewide Family Engagement Centers program letter of support sent September 30.
	July 2015
	A successful reauthorization of ESEA letter of support sent July 22.
	Quick action needed on naming and starting an ESEA conference committee letter of support sent July 22.
	July 16, 2015—National PTA Commends Senate Passage of Every Child Achieves Act
	July 14, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Senate Passage of ESEA/NCLB Amendment to Strengthen Family Engagement in Education
	Support and opposition to certain amendments in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter sent July 13.
	July 8, 2015 — National PTA Statement on House Passage of Student Success Act
	Support and opposition to certain provisions in the Student Success Act of 2015 letter sent July 8.
	A-PLUS ACT and school voucher amendments to the Student Success Act of 2015 letter of opposition sent July 8.
	Kirk-Reed-Baldwin-Brown amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent on July 7.
	National PTA's priorities in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter sent on July 6.
	June 2015
	Title I funding portability and school vouchers in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of opposition sent June 30.
	May 2015
	Physical education as a core subject and restoring PEP in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent May 1.
	April 2015
	Inclusion of family engagement provisions in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 letter of support sent April 13.
	National PTA’s positions on the Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2015 discussion draft sent April 13.
	April 8, 2015 — National PTA Statement on Every Child Achieves Act
	January 2015
	Amending section 1501 of ESEA letter of support sent January 28.
	Title I portability provision of the HELP Committee’s ESEA-NCLB reauthorization discussion draft letter of opposition sent January 26.
	The Coalition for Community Schools' recommendations for ESEA-NCLB reauthorization in the 114th Congress sent January 26.
	January 12, 2015 — National PTA Applauds Administration's Call for Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

National PTA Blog Posts on ESEA Reauthorization

	The Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 Senate Passage
	Special Video Message from President Bay: Thank You PTA Advocates!
	The Every Child Achieves Act Makes it Through the First Week of Floor Debates
	On Second Attempt, House Passes ESEA/NCLB Reauthorization Bill
	Elementary and Secondary Education Act-No Child Left Behind to Be Reauthorized
	ESEA Reauthorization Needs Stronger Family Engagement Provisions
	Senate Education Committee Passes Every Child Achieves Act
	National PTA Advocates on Capitol Hill for Family Engagement and Reauthorization of the ESEA