The Louisiana PTA is the liaison between the local PTA and National PTA, helping each to function effectively and to support and sustain the other. The LAPTA also coordinates programs statewide on behalf of children and youth, is represented on state committees and commissions dealing with children and youth, provides conferences, workshops, publications and resources on issues and leadership development, services units and districts.
The latest edition of the Louisiana PTA Monitor is now available on the Newsletter page of this site.
President Obama Announces Fatherhood Initiative
On June 21, during a Father's Day event in Washington, DC, President Barack Obama announced The Fatherhood, Marriage and Family Innovation Fund, which will "scale up effective fatherhood and family-strengthening programs." The fund is part of a nationwide fatherhood initiative designed to raise awareness about the importance of fatherhood, and help absent fathers reengage with their families.
Obama has also authorized U.S. Department of Labor funding for transitional jobs programs for "noncustodial parents facing barriers to employment." The U.S. Department of Justice will also create its first "Fathering Reentry Court" to connect ex-offender fathers with employment opportunities and services they need to honor their child support responsibilities.
The President specifically mentioned the National PTA as an organization that can assist in this important effort. National PTA leaders, including President Charles J. "Chuck" Saylors, CEO Byron V. Garrett, Ambassador and NFL athlete Chris Draft, and with five PTA fathers from the local Washington, D.C. area, attended the event.
IMPORTANT NOTICE FROM
NATIONAL PTA
On August, 1, 2010, National PTA will begin a new chapter in its illustrious history. The national headquarters will be relocating from Chicago to Alexandria, Virginia.
Due to the relocation process, we anticipate intermittent downtime for all of National PTA’s electronic communications, including PTA.org, PTA e-mail, the Three for Me website, and OMDR between Tuesday, July 27 and Friday, August 6.
Family Engagement in Education Act: H.R. 5211
The Family Engagement in Education Act incentivizes schools and districts to meaningfully engage families to close the achievement gap. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on May 5, 2010 by Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) and Representative Todd Platts (R-PA).
Research demonstrates that family engagement in a child’s education increases student achievement, improves attendance, and reduces the dropout rate. The Family Engagement in Education Act (H.R 5211) incentivizes schools and districts to meaningfully engage families to close the achievement gap.
Read more as a downloadable PDF file, Proposal Overview, below. Additionally, there are links to the Action Alert and a full copy of the Bill, H.R. 5211.
*This article was taken from the National PTA Website
