Membership Representative

Shannon Reynolds

Email: shannon@utahpta.org

Phone: 801-261-3100

 

 

MEN ENGAGED IN PTA AWARD 2012

Region 5

• Hunter High
• Valley Jr. High
• Beehive
• Gerald Wright Elementary

Region 6

• South Hills Middle

Region 9

• Manila Elementary

Region 10

• Mapleton

FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF AWARD 2012

Region 2

• Bates Elementary
• Lomond View Elementary
• Bonneville High

Region 3

• Holt Elementary
• Layton High

Region 5

• Philo T. Farnsworth
• Beehive Elementary
• Rolling Meadows
• Hunter Jr. High
• Silver Hills Elementary
• Morningside Elementary
• Eisenhower Jr. High
• Gerald Wright

Region 6

• Jordan Ridge Elementary
• Falcon Ridge Elementary
• Columbia Elementary
• Jordan Hills Elementary

Region 9

• Harvest Elementary
• Thunder Ridge Elementary
• Eagle Crest Elementary
• Ridgeline Elementary

Region 13

• Fairview Elementary

Region 16

• Fiddlers Canyon Elementary
• Canyon View High
• Canyon View Middle

Region 17

• Silver Mesa Elementary
• Sunrise Elementary
• Bellview Elementary

Early Bird Membership Award Recognition

Region 1

Century

Fielding

Garland

A.C. Harris

McKinley

North Park

Discovery

Foothill

Mountain View

Willard

Canyon Greenville

Heritage

Lewiston

Millville

Mountainside

North Park

Park

River Heights

Summit

Sunrise

Cedar Ridge

Mountain Crest High

North Cache Center

Sky View High

Spring Creek Middle

White Pine Middle

Willow Valley Middle

E. Bowen

Hillcrest

 

Region 2

Bonneville

Heritage

Highland JHS

Hillcrest

Lincoln

H. Mann

T.H. Bell Junior High

H. Guy Child

Marlon Hills

Roosevelt

Uintah

Washington Terrrace

Country View

Farr West

Fremont High

Hooper

Kanesville

Pioneer

Plain City

Rocky Mountain Jr.

Wahlquist Junior

West Weber

Shadow Valley

James Madison

Mount Ogden Middle

Odyssey

Ogden High

Polk

Taylor Canyon

T.O. Smith

Wasatch

Freedom

Lakeview

Midland

Municipal

North Park

Roy

Roy High

Roy Junior

Sand Ridge Junior

Valley View

West Haven

A.P. Bates

Green Acres

Lomond View

Majestic

North Ogden

North Ogden Jr.

Orion Jr.

Weber High

 

Region 3

Centerville

Meadowbrook

Reading

J.P. Stewart

J.A. Taylor

Tolman

Washington

West bountiful

H.C. Burton

Columbia

Creekside

Kaysville

E.G. King

Morgan

Whitesides

Windridge

Antelope

Bluff Ridge

Buffalo Point

J. Cook

Ellison Park

Holt

Sand Springs

Syracuse Elementary

Eagle Bay

Endeavour

Farmington

Heritage

H. Holbrook

Layton

Snow Horse

Clinton

Doxey

Fremont

Lakeside

Parkside

Sunset

West Clinton

West Point

Bountiful High

Davis High

Layton High

Northridge High

Viewmont High

Woods Cross High

Centennial Jr. High

Centerville Junior

Fairfield Junior

Farmington Jr.

Kaysville Junior

Legacy Jr. High

Millcreek Junior

North Layton Jr.

North Davis Jr.

South Davis Jr.

Sunset Junior

West Point Jr. High

Adelaide

Boulton

Foxboro

Oak Hills

Orchard

Valley View

Woods Cross

Adams

Hill Field

Lincoln

South Weber

Vae View

Wasatch

 

Region 4

Beacon Heights

S.L. Beehive

Bonneville

Dilworth

Emerson

Ensign

Highland Park

Indian Hills

Nibley Park

North Star

Washington

Clayton Middle

East High

Highland High

West High

 

Region 5

Cottonwood

Crestview

H.R. Driggs

J.C. Fremont

Oakwood

Plymouth

Spring Land

Taylorsville

Twin Peaks

Woodstock

Granger

Mill Creek

Morningside

Oakridge

Upland Terrace

W. Wilson

Academy Park

P.T. Farnsworth

Hillsdale

Hunter

Jackling

Valley Crest

West Valley

Arcadia

Bennion

Fox Hills

Rolling Meadows

C. Smith

South Kearns

H. Truman

Westbrook

T.W. Bacchus

Beehive

J. Bridger

Copper Hills

Diamond Ridge

Elk run

Lake Ridge

Magna

D. Orchard

Silver Hills

Western Hills

Gerald Wright

Brockbank Junior

Cyprus High

Evergreen Junior

Hunter Junior

J.F. Kennedy Jr.

S. Matheson Junior

Olympus High

Olympus Jr.

Bennion Junior

Bonneville Junior

Cottonwood High

Eisenhower Jr.

T. Jefferson Jr.

Skyline High

Wasatch Jr.

 

Region 6

Bingham High

Copper Hills High

Riverton High

Valley High

Herriman High

J.P. Jensen Middle

South Hills Middle

Sunset Ridge Middle

West Hills Middle

West Jordan Middle

Columbia

Heartland

Majestic

Oquirrh

Riverside

Terra Linda

West Jordan

Westland

Westvale

Copper Canyon

Falcon Ridge

Hayden Peak

Jordan Hills

Mountain Shadow

Oakcrest

Daybreak

Eastlake

Elk Meadows * one free Utah PTA Convention registration

Jordan Ridge

Monte Vista

South Jordan

Welby

Bluffdale

Butterfield Canyon

Foothills

Herriman

Midas Creek

Rosamond

Rose Creek

Silver Crest

 

Region 7

Copper Canyon

Clarke Johnson Jr.

East Grantsville

Willow

Harris

Middle Canyon

Northlake

Overlake

Rose Springs

Settlement Canyon

Stansbury Park

West

 

Region 8

No. Summit Middle

Heber Valley

Old Mill

J.R. Smith

 

Region 9

Hidden Hollow

Pony Express

Saratoga Shores

Thunder Ridge

Vista Heights MS

Westlake HS PTSA

Eagle Crest

Fox Hollow

Freedom

Lehi

Lehi High

Lehi Junior

North Point

 Meadow

 Sego Lily

Snow Springs

Traverse Mountain

Willowcreek MS

Alpine

Cedar Ridge

Deerfield

Highland

Lone Peak High

Mountain Ridge Jr.

Ridgeline

Timberline Middle

Westfield

Canyon View Jr.

Cascade

Foothill

Hillcrest

Orchard

Orem High

Scera Park

Sharon

Cherry Hill

Lakeridge Junior

Mountain View High

Orem

Suncrest

Vineyard

Westmore

Aspen

Northridge

A.T.E.C.

Central

Grovecrest

Lindon

Manila

Mount Mahogany

Oak Canyon Jr.

Pleasant Grove High

Pleasant Grove Jr.

Rocky Mountain

Valley View

 

Region 10

Canyon Crest

Centennial Middle

Dixon Middle

A Earhart

Edgemont

Provo Peaks Elementary

Franklin

Lakeview Elementary

Provo High

Rock Canyon

Spring Creek

Sunset View

Timpview High

Payson Junior

Mt. Nebo Junior

Salem Hills HS

Spanish Fork Junior

Diamond Fork Junior

Maple Mountain HS *One free Utah PTA Convention Registration

Barnett

Goshen

Orchards Hills

Park View

Salem Junior High

Santaquin

Spring Lake

Taylor

Brockbank

Canyon

East Meadows PTA

Foothills

Larsen

Park

Rees

Riverview

Salem

Sierra Bonita

Art City

Brookside

Hobble Creek

Mapleton

Sage Creek

Springville Junior

Westside

 

Region 11

Roosevelt East

 

Region 12

Castle Heights

Wellington

Castle Dale

Cottonwood

Huntington

 

Region 13

Fairview Elem.

Fountain Green

Manti Elementary

Moroni

Ephraim Elem.

Ephraim Middle

Gunnison Valley

 

Region 14

Pahvant

 

Region 15

Fillmore

 

Region 16

Canyon View Middle

Cedar East

Cedar High

Cedar Middle

Cedar North

Cedar South

Enoch

Escalante Valley

Fiddlers Canyon

Iron Springs Elementary

Canyon View High

Three Peaks Elementary

 

Region 17

Alta High

Brighton High

Hillcrest High

Jordan High

Butler Middle

Crescent View Middle

Eastmont Middle

Indian Hills Middle

Mount Jordan Middle

Union Middle

Bella Vista

Brookwood

Butler

Canyon View

Jordan Valley

Midvale

Midvalley

Peruvian Park

Ridgecrest

Bell View

Copperview

Edgemont

Granite

Oakdale

Park Lane

Quail Hollow

Sandy

Silver Mesa

Willow Canyon

Alta View

Altara

Crescent

Draper

Lone Peak

Oak Hollow

Sunrise

Willow Springs

 

Region 18

Monticello

 

Region 19

Grant

Hillcrest Junior

Liberty

Longview

McMillan

Murray High

Parkside

Riverview Jr.

 Viewmont

 

Region 20

Arrowhead

Bloomington

Coral Cliffs

Dixie Sun

East

Heritage Elementary

Lava Ridge Intermediate

Santa Clara

Sunset

Tonaquint Intermediate

Desert Hills High

Desert Hills Middle

Hurricane Middle

Pine View Middle

Pine View High

Snow Canyon High

Snow Canyon Middle

Bloomington Hills

Coral Canyon

Fossil Ridge Intermediate

Horizon Elementary

Kanab Schools

Little Valley

Panorama

Riverside

Sandstone

Sunrise Ridge Intermediate

Washington

“QUEST FOR SUCCESS-INCREASING OUR MEMBERSHIP!”

*** National PTA introduced a new membership card with instructions at National PTA Convention in June 2012.  Here is the latest information and resources available from National PTA:

National PTA Membership Resources

Membership Card FAQs

Membership Card Template (pdf)

If you have any questions please contact Utah PTA 801-261-3100 or toll free 866-PTA-UTAH--(866-782-8824)

Note:  Dues for 2012-2012 are $2.25 for the National portion and $1.75 for the Utah PTA portion. 

Click on the links below to print membership remittance forms.

Local Remittance form for State & National Dues

Local Remittance form for Council Dues

 

Send us your testimonial to put on our website!

Tell us how PTA has been valuable to your school!

How has having a PTA at your school benefited your families, students and teachers?

Send your testimonial (no longer than a paragraph) to Shannon@utahpta.org along with your name, school name and PTA position and your school will be entered to win a fabulous prize! Winners will be chosen from Elementary and Secondary schools! Winners will be posted on our website.

National PTA offers incentives for Local PTAs and State PTAs to Increase Membership.  See Details

Three Fall Funding Opportunities for PTAs! See Details

•      Take Your Family to School Week: Safety at Home and at Play (February 18-22, 2013)  See Details
•      National PTA Phoebe Apperson Hearst Innovation in Family Engagement Award  See Details
•      Urban Family Engagement Network Grant  See Details

    

Did you know that 70% of Utah schools have a PTA? This is the highest percentage in the nation (only 20%-30% of schools nationwide have PTAs). Utah PTA's total state membership is approximately 120,000. The PTA contributed a total of $17,237,060 of in-kind service and volunteer work to Utah's public school children. Become a member of PTA today. 
Why Join PTA?

National PTA offers member benefits.  Join Utah PTA, an affiliate of National PTA and enjoy the member benefits offered with those businesses who have partnered with National PTA.  Business include:  Hertz, MetLife, OfficeMax, Sharp, T--Moile, and others will be coming.
National PTA Benefits

Benefits are also available in Utah if you are a member of Utah PTA, benefits include:

Come Play With PTA

**We are happy to announce a new benefit that has been offered from Zion's Bank. 

Zions Bank @ Work offers a wide variety of great financial products and services designed especially for UTAH PTA members.  This added benefit provides you with discounts as well as no-fee banking services

Zions Bank @ Work – Free Interest Checking 

• No minimum to open
• Earns interest
• No service fee
• Free checks
• Free Internet Banking
• Free Bill Pay
• Cash Rewards
• Overdraft protection*

And….

½% discount on select consumer loans* including personal, auto, boat, RV and Home Equity loans.

Print a pdf copy of the  Zions Bank Member Benfit

 

 

 

Use the following document to help enhance your PTA Membership drive!

EARLY BIRD MEMBERSHIP AWARD Loca PTAs apply.  Local membership dues must be mailed into the Utah PTA office and postmarked before the due date of October 31, 2012.  No applications are required.  Recipients will be acknowledged in our Utah PTA Connection newsletter and receive a certificate in a Region meeting.

MEN ENGAGED IN PTA Local PTAs apply.  Local PTA must have male membership of 40% or more.  Application required with a copy of PTA membership list to Utah PTA office by October 31, 2012.  Award will be listed in our Utah PTA Connection newsletter and PTA will receive a sports team related prize at Utah PTA Leadership Convention.

FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION, AND STAFF MEMBERSHIP AWARD Local PTAs apply. Local PTA must have 100% membership of their faculty, administration and school staff. Application required with a copy of your faculty membership sign up sheet to Utah PTA office by October 31, 2012. Award will be listed in our Utah PTA Connection newsletter and PTA will receive two coomplimentary registrations to Utah PTA's Leadership Convention in May 2013.

MEMEBERSHIP CAMPAIGN AWARD  Local PTAs apply. This is a membership promotion award for an outstanding membership campaign. The local PTA membership representative needs to submit one copy of all local PTA membership promotion materials including; flyers, letters, articles, incentive ideas, and any other public relations material created for the year-long campaign, etc. to the Utah PTA office, postmarked before due date of February 15th. The Utah PTA Membership Campaign Award winner will receive $100 for their PTA.

MEMBERSHIP COUNCIL AWARD  PTA councils apply. To be awarded to any PTA council that has an increased membership by 10% within one year. The PTA council membership representative  needs to send an application in to receive award, with a copy of each unit’s membership numbers and percentage increased, to the Utah PTA office, postmarked before due date of March 15, 2013. Each winning Council will receive one complimentary registration to Utah PTA’s Leadership Convention!

DOUBLE YOUR MEMBERSHIP AWARD  Local PTAs apply. To be awarded to any local PTA that has been organized for minimum of one year, for doubling the membership within one year. The local PTA membership representative needs to send an application in to receive award, with a copy of the unit’s membership numbers and sign-up sheet showing the increase, to the Utah PTA office, postmarked before due date of March 15, 2013. Each winning local PTA will receive $100 for their PTA!   

Find the application forms for these awards below or in your Utah PTA state handbook.  I look forward to seeing lots of applications! Don’t let this opportunity slip by!

If you have any questions please contact Shannon Reynolds, Utah PTA Membership Representative at shannon@utahpta.org or 801-261-3100.

Membership in a local unit of Utah PTA is available to any person who is passionate about making a difference for children. Utah PTA's 2012-13 membership campaign is entitled, "Quest for Success, Join PTA!"

Membership dues are set by each local school unit and include membership in council, state, and national affiliates. Membership dues are used to further the programs and activities of PTA units. While not all members are available to volunteer their time at a local school, Utah PTA believes that each member can be an example and make a difference in the life of a child.

Starting July 1, 2012 Utah PTA dues are $1.75 per member and National PTA's dues are $2.25.

The dues help are used for the Board of Directors of Utah PTA to serve and provide valuable training and resources to the local PTA units across the state. Our Board is comprised entirely of volunteers. The Board wants to be a resource to all local PTA units regarding all children's issues.

September 2012 is hereby proclaimed Utah PTA Membership Enrollment Month in the state of Utah, to encourage and invite students, parents, families, educators, and citizens to "CELEBRATE CHILDREN!" and renew their commitment to children and youth by joining their local PTA/PTSA.

 

Ten Tips for Launching a Successful Membership Campaign

1.      Develop a recruitment team (membership committee) and formulate a goal.  Work together with your PTA board to establish a team goal and individual goals, and be sure to assign specific responsibilities and completion dates.  Make sure the goal is reasonable and attainable ,though challenging.  While seeking new members, be sure someone on the team works on member retention or  getting previous members to renew.

2.      Target potential members.  Define your objective (what you want to accomplish), your strategy (a plan of action to achieve what you want to accomplish), and your methods (the tactics you are going to use to implement your plan) to target potential members effectively.  Consider recruiting members at back-to-school night, at the first game or performance of the school year, by knocking on doors of parents who are uninvolved in the school, by going to other groups in the community and asking people to join, etc.  Pick strategies and methods that will fit your individual strengths, comfort level, budget, time, and expertise.

3.      Make everyone feel welcome.  Develop a plan for teaching new members about PTA and for making them feel as though they are part of the organization.  A regular orientation evening with new and old members is an effective way to introduce new members.  Suggest that all members check out the PTA basics e-learning course on www.pta.org.  It’s great way for new members to learn about PTA and for long-time members to gain a fresh look at their association.

4.      Include Everyone.  Make your recruitment plan reflect the diversity of your school community.  Make sure that the materials you produce take into account the background and interests of those you are targeting to join, and that they are available in the languages families speak at home.  Consider, too, having a translator present at meetings and other events, and assigning buddies to new members, especially those who may face language or cultural barriers.

5.      Make use of key resources.  Recruitment will be easier if you use trusted resources.  See the Utah PTA website, www.utahpta.org, under Membership for copies of our brochures and ideas.  Use the Membership Handbook as well as the Utah PTA State Handbook and this bi-monthly “Perspectives” publication.  See the national PTA’s website, www.pta.org and their “Get Involved for Your Child, Join PTA” brochure, PTA Quick-Reference Guide, register for your Back-to-School kit and see many other PTA resources that are in print and on-line.  Don’t  forget that people are resources, too!  Contact your council, region, state, or national PTA officers for resources, information, and guidance.

6.      Sell the value of PTA membership.  Recruiting new members goes hand-in-hand with making sure they find value in PTA and renew their membership.  Keep members motivated through on-going communication, opportunities to volunteer, and recognition.  Emphasize to new members what they get for their membership dues; for example, access to articles, newsletters, and publications from state and national PTA, exclusive membership benefits and sponsorship information, including discounts, special offers, and promotions from state and national PTA sponsors, free e-learning courses on subjects such as time management and conflict resolutions, as well as courses on PTA basics and access to join the Member to Member network, the grass roots advocacy system providing direct contact by state PTA members with members of state and national legislatures.  However, the number one benefit that  PTA members receive from PTA membership is the ability to help their own and other children.

7.      Collaborate with and learn from others.  People like to join organizations that make a difference in the lives of others, are educational and beneficial to the community, allow them to network with other people and provide opportunities to have fun.  Tap into the expertise of individual parents, teachers, and business people and let them showcase their talents through local PTA activities.

8.      Assist with service-learning initiatives.  In some schools, community service and citizenship education has evolved into formal service-learning for students.  Through these programs, students participate in individual and group volunteer service activities. As a PTA, sponsor activities to help educate children and increase awareness of your local PTA.  For example, plan a day of planting trees, picking up litter, or volunteering to do something to build a better community.  You will benefit through community service, and your students will learn important lessons.

9.      Implement your PTA’s membership recruitment and retention plan.  Plans are worthless unless they are put into practice.  Be sure to schedule your recruitment and retention activities throughout the year, and particularly at events such as “Back-to-School” in the fall and at the start of the New Year, in January.  Assign a specific person to be in charge of coordinating the different events, but involve all of your members.  Every event your PTA holds is a chance to have more people join, so always have your sign-up sheets and information ready!

10.  Evaluate and adjust accordingly.  Continuously seek feedback from team members on issues such as how many new members they are recruiting, how they are helping these new members acclimate to PTA and get involved, and how many members are staying active.  Regardless of whether the evaluation is done through a formal survey or informal communication, it should be systematic, recorded and used to adjust and improve the Membership plan’s strategy.

  (Article adapted from Steps to an Effective Member Recruitment Plan from National PTA)

           

 

 

 

For more information and instructions please see the links below:

Joining PTA allows you to make a difference in your child's life, no matter where you join. You can:

• Join the PTA nearest you. To find your local PTA, use National PTA's look-up feature. Contact the school or president, and join! You can also view the Utah PTA Region Map to determine which region your school is in. Then, contact your Region Director from your area and get involved today!
   
• Join the National PTA. If you are concerned with advocacy or want more materials than a local PTA membership, consider joining the national PTA unit. You'll get a print version of the official PTA magazine, as well as all the same great benefits of local membership. Join as a national member now!
   
• Start a new PTA Unit. If you are a parent, school employee, or concerned citizen in a school without a PTA, starting a new unit is easy to do. Whether there is no parent group activity at your school now, or your existing parent group wants to realize all the benefits of PTA membership, please contact Utah PTA at 1-866-PTA-UTAH.

Utah PTA would like give a special thank you to Goldenwest Credit Union for their generous support of our membership campaign.

 

When the New School Beckons: Military Families in Transition

by: Kathleen P. O’Beirne

Every year, many students move with their families to new communities. Some moves are to allow one or both parents to pursue a new job opportunity, or unfortunately, a move may be the result of a job layoff or divorce. Children in military families move more frequently than their civilian peers. In addition to their mobility, these children may be faced with multiple deployments of one or more parents. More National Guard and Reserve members are being called up, and many military parents are receiving back-to-back combat assignments. It is crucial for educators and school families to understand and talk about these dynamics so they can act as partners in supporting children in military families. The first step in supporting mobile military students is understanding the normal reactions to a move. While the process can go smoothly, there can be especially trying times as well, depending on the age and developmental stage of the child. Teens tend to have an especially tough time leaving their peers; on the other hand, late elementary school students may love the adventure. Knowing the basic stages of a move can help educators and school families understand the emotions often felt by transferring students and their families—and can help them find ways to ease the transitions. Stages of transition Stage 1: Anticipation and notification of a move  Most military families know approximately when a new assignment is due to occur. The longer the forewarning, the easier it is for families to plan ahead. For high school students, advance warning may enable them to take classes that may not be offered at their new school. In many cases, their current school will allow them to take certain courses they might not ordinarily have been allowed to take. Once the orders actually come, parents should be sure to alert their children’s schools at least several weeks before the move is scheduled to occur to allow the schools enough time to compile a thorough cumulative folder for each student and provide exit counseling. Key during this period is for the transferring students to hear from their teachers and peers how they have made a difference. Research on military families shows that the exit time is even more critical than the first days at the new school. The quality of the landing is largely determined by the quality of the launch. A transferring student’s parents and current school counselor should communicate with the new school to share information about the student’s special needs and achievements and to ensure proper placement. If the family has been active in PTA, the PTA president at the family’s current school should offer to alert the PTA president at the new school of the family’s impending arrival. The PTA at the new school will be able to ease the family’s transition by helping the family get acquainted with the school, the community, and other PTA families. Stage 2: The actual move The actual move is a period of high tension in most families. Parents who make an honest attempt to listen to their children’s concerns can help their children cope by recognizing their sacrifices and courage. Parents also can help their children understand the duty and commitment of their military parent(s) that makes the move necessary. Many military-connected high schools now have the Military Child Education Coalition’s (MCEC’s) counseling referral system, which connects families and students with counselors so they can discuss upcoming moves and their ramifications. (The MCEC website [www.militarychild.org] lists participating schools.) Despite the widespread use of e-mail to send documents, military families should hand-carry copies of official school documents to ensure that there are no delays in enrollment. Stage 3: House-hunting  If military quarters will not be assigned, the family may have to search for its own housing. This is an opportunity for the whole family to learn decision-making skills, and if the family is not experiencing financial stress, can be exciting. But while finding a home can be a thrill, it can also put families on edge by taxing their free time and requiring them to deal with complicated financial and legal details. Stage 4: Making it home Moving requires families to reestablish order out of chaos. Boxes must be unpacked, and bedrooms and living areas must be set up. Parents can help their children attain a feeling of control by letting them make decisions about which room is theirs and where their pictures, stuffed animals, books, and other personal items will be placed. Stage 5: Getting to know the new school  The real adventure for transferring students begins when they enter their new school. New students get a school handbook, school map, and course schedule to add to any information they gathered before the move. The PTA and the school counselor should ensure that the school provides an ambassador or student guide to help introduce new students to the school—especially the lunchroom, which can be the most intimidating place in the school for new arrivals. (The MCEC Student 2 Student Initiative Web page [www.militarychild.org/S2S.asp] has great tips on implementing a student guide program.) The parents of new students should be contacted by the PTA with a personal invitation to attend the next PTA meeting. Teens often find the transition to a new school very trying. They tend to be sensitive about social matters and usually hate being the object of attention. Because their parents are unfamiliar with the new area and the new students, transferring teens may temporarily lose some of the privileges they had in their previous home, such as driving and staying late after school with friends—and they may resent that loss of freedom. It may take teens one to two months to become comfortable in the new school. Flipping through scrapbooks and e-mailing friends from their previous school may help students keep a sense of self during this time. Stage 6: Self-discovery  Students will spend the next two to four months forming stronger connections to their new environment. They will be selective about their acquaintances and activities and may assess themselves and others in an uncomfortably intense way. Younger children usually skate through most of this stage. Students will need to exercise care as they navigate the choices available. The “fringe groups” are always looking for new members, but the other groups tend to take a while to open up. If counselors, teachers, and families are supportive during this time, mobile students will emerge with a strong sense of themselves and a purposeful commitment to their new school and community. Students may connect to a school community more quickly if they join a school group, such as band or a sports team. Stage 7: Turning point—recognition and acceptance  After passing through stage six, with the self-doubt and loneliness that can accompany it, mobile students often find that stage seven is a radiant burst of joy. Something happens about six months after a move that lets students know they have arrived. They know how to solve a complex problem; they become the “go-to person” because others recognize their special skills or talents, such as their problem-solving ability. And, most of all, people know them and like them. The pitfalls of mobility  As is abundantly clear, social and psychological transitions after a physical move take time. At times, it may feel like forever. The most realistic way for families to deal with these transitions is one day at a time. If a student does not pass through the transitional stages within the normal time frames, then a nudge via the school guidance counselor or military family support center may be helpful. If families move more frequently than once every two years, they may experience cumulative relocation or cumulative deployment fatigue, which occur when there is insufficient time for achieving a full transition. Students and families who have not stayed in the same place for at least 18 months after stage seven may need extra help with their new transitions. A healthy new start While military families are never the same after a relocation or deployment cycle, they can achieve successful transitions. And PTA can help. PTA has a network of local units that serve military children, parents, and educators in various parts of the world. Involvement in PTA enables parents to function in a familiar group setting and connect with their new community through their children’s educational activities. Military families bring a richness of experience to their schools, their communities, and their PTA units. We owe it to them and to ourselves to help them make their frequent but necessary transitions as painless and successful as possible. Kathleen P. O’Beirne has published many articles on and resources for military families. She was raised in a military family and is a Navy wife and mother. She can be reached at Kathleenobeirne@aol.com.

 

 

What’s New at the PTA, Dad?

By KYLE SPENCER from the New York Times

 

At Public School 11 in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, the senior president of the

Parent Teacher Association is a vivacious chatterbox who ascended the school’s executive board

the way many do: forging bonds with parents and teachers, doing an impressive stint as

treasurer and finally being drafted for the top slot by a growing fan base.

 

The one thing this executive officer did not do is man the cupcake table.

 

“I’m not into the baking,” said Juan Brea, an admission that once would have been unheard-of

in the PTA.

 

Mr. Brea, a 43-year-old who favors football, blue blazers, Polo cologne and chopping wood in

his Catskills backyard on weekends, is part of the changing face of the PTA. What was once an

easygoing volunteer group made up mostly of stay-at-home moms has begun to give way to

male leadership.

 

“This is like running a small business,” said Mr. Brea, whose day job is chief operating officer at

a small nonprofit. “I’m an operations guy. I believe I add value.”

 

A 2009 study by the National Congress of Parents and Teachers and the National Center for

Fathering, a nonprofit educational organization, found that 590 of 1,000 fathers surveyed

nationwide said they attended school parent meetings. That is up from 470 out of 1,000 a

decade earlier.

 

And in many of the top-rated public schools across New York City, where parent groups have

become ever-more-efficient fund-raising machines in the face of mounting budget cuts, fathers

with financial expertise and a zest for leadership are not just going to those meetings, but

running them.

 

The shift reflects a number of underlying social trends: more women with demanding jobs,

more men underemployed in a lingering recession, more shared parenting responsibilities over

all and the professionalization of the PTA itself.

 

In School District 2, which winds through some of Manhattan’s priciest neighborhoods, at least

10 of the approximately 40 elementary and middle schools now have male parent-group

leaders, up from just a couple 15 years ago.

 

On Staten Island, the male firefighters, police and emergency-medical technicians who used to

shy away from PTA meetings now call many of them to order. And in brownstone Brooklyn’s

District 15, PTA boards have been inundated with male leadership, in what officials say is a 15

percent jump from five years ago.

For the most part, female PTA leaders applaud the injection of testosterone. But “both women

and men would be lying if they were to say gender dynamics were not an issue,” said Michelle

Ciulla-Lipkin, a president of the PTA at P.S. 199 on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, where 5

of the 18 board members last year were male.

 

At P.S. 110 on the Lower East Side, some have said that John Mooren, an investment banker

whose platform as PTA president includes the ambitious goal of building a new gym, has been

trying to corporatize the once laid-back board. “My response is: we need money,” said Mr.

Mooren, 58, whose sons are in kindergarten and first grade.

 

In the cramped PTA room with the bright pink door at P.S. 75 on West End Avenue in

Manhattan, Hector Rios, a co-president, said that being the lone man among eight board

members has its downside: “Sometimes I feel like everybody’s husband.”

 

And at P.S. 3 in the West Village, Nick Gottlieb (a PTA co-president and Papa Nick to students)

said that years as a stay-at-home dad have not erased his own perception that he is occasionally

an interloper in the land of bake sales, recess volunteers and pajama parties.

 

“I have to make an extra effort not to be perceived as stepping on people,” said Mr. Gottlieb,

who has daughters in kindergarten and third grade. “And I think that does have to do with

being a man.”

 

A 1997 study by the National Center for Education Statistics, a federal agency, found that

children whose fathers were involved in their schools were more likely to stay in school, do well

and enjoy themselves while they were there.

 

A decade later, in 2008, the National PTA — a 5.5-million-member organization headquartered

in Alexandria, Va. — paired with the National Center for Fathering in the hope of getting more

active male members. Its Web site now lists tips on recruiting men, including scheduling

meetings in the morning, which many New York City schools now do.

 

In 2009, the national PTA elected Charles J. Saylor, a construction industry executive and

father of four in Greer, S.C., as its first male president.

 

“I grew up in a home where both parents were involved,” said Mr. Saylor, who started out

heading the fund-raising committee at his oldest son’s elementary school because of, he said,

“an inability to say ‘no.’ ” Over the years, he said, “I just started noticing on the county, state

and national level more men in the room.”

 

In 2010 the administration of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, for its part, started NYC Dads, a

14-agency initiative designed to get men to support their children’s development in and out of

school. And Dennis M. Walcott, chancellor of the city’s department of education, pushes

father involvement at events like one in St. Albans, Queens, where fathers brought neckties to P.S. 36

and taught their sons how to tie them.

 

The surge in male leadership has, in many places, followed a more fundamental shift in the

nature of the PTA. Women with advanced degrees, high-powered jobs and technological savvy

have brought a new level of sophistication and seriousness to the business of supporting

schools. The changed dynamic — committees that are better organized, deadlines that are taken

seriously, goals that are more ambitious, schedules that accommodate working parents —

helped make many PTAs more comfortable for men.

 

In interviews around the city, many female PTA leaders praised their male counterparts for

overhauling disorganized talent shows, automating bookkeeping, building gardens, cultivating

contacts with local politicians and silencing parents who go off on tangents during meetings.

 

Not that women cannot or do not do the same things, but “men on the board can add a calm,”

said Kathy Ellman, who has three sons and who served on the PTA board at P.S. 11. “They can

be a little more relaxed.”

 

Still, for every admiring story about a father whose PowerPoint presentation revolutionized the

Read-a-Thon, there is one about the bossy treasurer whose budget-balancing came with an off-putting

tone. Or the president who chose the wrong time to talk school politics.

 

And what seems to be a perennial gripe: men going missing when it’s time to do the grunt work.

“You don’t see many male presidents with the cellophane and the curling ribbon working on the

auction baskets,” said Bijou Miller, who lives on the Upper West Side and has sat on a halfdozen

school-related boards over the last decade.

 

Mr. Brea of P.S. 11 said he was focusing on appealing to big-ticket donors and setting up

processes that future boards can benefit from. He recently helped convert the PTA into a taxexempt

organization, and helped secure a $2,500 computer program that tracks donations.

 

At P.S. 295 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Dan Janzen used his stint on the grant-writing committee

to persuade Marty Markowitz, the Brooklyn borough president, to give the school $150,000 in

interactive white boards.

 

“That was my aha! moment,” said Mr. Janzen, 44, a freelance copywriter and father of two. “I

said, ‘This is real. I can really get things done.’ ”

 

And at P.S. 261 in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, Rick Knutsen, 46, who has a daughter at the school,

can sometimes be spotted playing piano for the chorus, or doing a PowerPoint presentation for

the PTA, for which he is a president.

 

Eli Janney, one of the group’s vice presidents, is often at a table in the lobby, Starbuck’s coffee

by his side, peddling tickets to a fund-raising event and imploring parents to “Support the

school!”

 

But Mr. Knutsen has faced some discouraging moments. He was recently dressed down, he

said, by a mother irate that he chose the cherished winter concert, which draws a big crowd, to

vote on a letter opposing a new charter school nearby. She thought his timing was wrong.

 

“My kid tap-danced and then I got yelled at,” Mr. Knutsen recalled glumly.

 

Among the beneficiaries of the new PTA dads are their wives.

 

“If our daughter comes home and tells us about something that happened at school, Rick pretty

much already knows about it,” said Mr. Knutsen’s wife, Frances Barney Knutsen, who works for

BNY Mellon. “That’s comforting.”

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