Legislation Calls for Voluntary National Standards

On Tuesday, January 9, Sen. Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut and Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers of Michigan introduced legislation that would establish voluntary national standards in math and science. The Standards to Provide Educational Achievement for Kids (SPEAK) Act would amend the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) by Directing the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB) to develop rigorous, voluntary core math and science standards for grades K-12 anchored in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Providing grants to states that meet NAGB content criteria and adjust teacher certification and proficiency levels to match. Allowing the Secretary of Education to extend NCLB's implementation requirements for participating states.

Aimed at standardizing proficiency targets in math and science, the bill
(S. 244/H.R. 325) comes on the tails of legislation introduced on
January 4, 2007by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, chair
of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

As reported in the January 9th issue of This Week in Washington, Kennedy's
legislation calls for state academic standards to be aligned with international
standards and would require states to align standards with college entrance
requirements but does not call for national standards.

House to Consider Reducing Interest Rates on Student Loans

On Wednesday, January 17, the House is scheduled to consider H.R. 5, the College Student Relief Act of 2007. The bill, introduced on Friday with 209 cosponsors (218 votes are needed for passage), would cut interest rates in half on need-based federal college loans over the next five years.

According to REP. George Miller of California, chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, "Once fully phased in, these cuts would save the typical borrower, with $13,800 in need-based federal student loan debt, $4,400 in savings over the life of the loan." Miller said, "Tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities have risen 41 percent—after inflation—since 2001. The typical student now graduates with $17,500 in total federal student loan debt. According to past estimates from the Department of Education, as many as 200,000 would-be students are forced to delay or forgo attending college altogether due to the cost."

National PTA supports legislation and programs, such as federal grants to students and other forms of financial aid, that foster an economically, culturally, and ethnically diverse student population. Public benefits, such as increased economic growth and productivity, justify greater federal support for increasing access to postsecondary education for all citizens, particularly for those students who, due to financial constraints, would not otherwise enroll.

National Endowment for the Arts’ Grants for Arts Projects
Application guidelines for the next round of Grants for Arts Projects are now available on the NEA's website at www.arts.gov/grants/apply

Organizations may apply under the following categories:

1) Access to Artistic Excellence:

To encourage and support artisticexcellence, preserve our cultural heritage, andprovide access to the arts for all Americans. Anorganization may request a grant amount from $5,000to $150,000. Two deadlines: March 12 and August 13, 2007

2) Challenge America:Reaching Every Community Fast-Track Review Grants:

To support projects that extend the reach of the arts tounderserved populations. Grants are for $10,000. Deadline: June 1, 2007

3) Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth:

To advance arts education for children and youth inschool-based or community- based settings. An organization may request a grant amount from$5,000 to $150,000.
Deadline: June 11, 2007.


Community Foundation of Dutchess County’s Partnership in Education (PIE) Teacher GrantsDutchess County Pre-K – 12 teachers in parochial, private/independent, and public schools areeligible to apply. The purpose of this program is to recognize the important contributions teachersmake to a community, and to make funding available to teachers for professional development opportunitiesor special projects completed with their classes. Awarded in four categories: General, Writing,Marionettes/Puppets, and Community Service.Guidelines and application available onlineat http://www.communityfoundationdc.org/

Charging Students for Calculators

There have been numerous questions lately regarding the charging of students for calculators. School districts can require students to provide their own student supplies. Supplies are defined as something which is consumed in use, loses its appearance and shape in use, is expendable, and is inexpensive. Examples include pencils, pens, paper, etc. Calculators do not fall into this category and must be considered like classroom teaching materials for which school districts are authorized to levy a tax.


The State Education Department requires the use of calculators for intermediate and high school level mathematics and science assessments. To the extent that calculators are a necessary part of the educational program, the school district must provide them. Under no circumstances should students be charged for a calculator or otherwise required to purchase one in order to participate in an educational program.



School districts may purchase, and must still provide calculators, even if operating under a contingent budget if the calculators are required for participation in the educational program.



- from Jean C. Stevens, Interim Deputy Commissioner, NYS Education Department

http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtserv/charging_for_calculators.shtml

PTA Advocacy Week: February 19-23, 2007

Get ready! PTA National President Anna Weselak has designated the week of February 19, 2007, as PTA Advocacy Week. This special week will be a time for PTA members to meet with their federal, state, and local lawmakers and tell them that children and education should be their highest priorities! The week is scheduled to coincide with federal legislators' district work period, when they will be in their home offices to talk to their constituents.

The PTA national legislation committee, the state PTAs' federal legislative chairs, and the national PTA office's public policy staff will work together to prepare PTAs for the February 19 launch of PTA's yearlong effort to develop child advocates, build a chorus of voices, and strengthen PTA's position as a voice for every child.

[from This Week in Washington, December 12, 2006]

Ok To Play ... PTA and ESRB Video Game Rating System Campaign

PTA joined forces with the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) to launch a national ratings education campaign "OK to Play". The campaign will encourage PTAs to hold meetings to educate parents in their communities about video game ratings, and will be supported on both the PTA and ESRB websites.

The campaign is distributing 1.3 million brochures to more than 25,000 PTAs across the nation to encourage and enable PTAs to educate parents about video game ratings. The brochures are available in both English and Spanish.
"Every parent knows how popular video games are these days, but perhaps not as many are familiar with the tools that can help them select games that are appropriate for their children," said Anna Weselak, PTA national president. "Just as with all media, we urge parents to be as involved and informed as they can. The ESRB ratings are informational and help parents to make sensible video game choices for their families."

PTAs began receiving the informational brochures this week, and are encouraged to distribute them to PTA members through their regular programs and events. Additional information on video game safety and the campaign is available online. Visit the Media and Technology section for more tips on managing kids' video game play, television viewing, and Internet use.

PTAs can help promote the OK to Play campaign and raise awareness about video game safety by downloading banner ads and posting them on their PTA and school websites.

[from This Week in Washington, November 22, 2006 ]

PTA Urges FCC to Put Children's Needs First

On Monday, October 23, 2006 the PTA joined other members of the Children's Media Policy Coalition in filing comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on the effects of broadcast ownership rules on children. The coalition urged the FCC to protect children's interests in its rulemaking on media ownership rules.

In its comments, the coalition argued that any relaxation of existing rules to allow for further consolidation of media companies must be accompanied by a stipulation that the FCC must analyze the impact of any proposed media merger on kids served by the market. The coalition is concerned that relaxation of ownership rules will reduce competition, stifling innovation and increasing commercialism in children's programming. Research shows that children are particularly vulnerable to the influences of commercialism. The coalition urged the FCC to consider the effects of consolidation on advertising aimed at children, as well as on the content of children's programs.

The coalition also argued that the FCC should limit local broadcasters to one license in a given market in order to ensure sufficient original programming for children. According to a 2003 Children Now research study, media consolidation diminishes the diversity and availability of programming for the child audience. The coalition argued that young viewers must have access to diverse viewpoints in television programming.

The coalition's comments may be read on the Children Now website.

A Founders Day for Families to Share

This February marks PTA's 110th Founders Day. This day commemorates the legacy of PTA's founders Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney, as well as Selena Sloan Butler, the founder of Georgia's Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, which merged with PTA in 1970. These were women of imagination and courage who understood that everyday people, banded together to accomplish a common mission, could change the world. PTA has clung close to the mission and purposes of our founders to support parent involvement and work on behalf of all children and families. We have a lot to be proud of, but our work continues. Founders
Day is a time of celebration and a chance to renew our commitment to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for parents, and a strong advocate for public education.

In 2006, National PTA decided to extend our celebration to the community by holding its first-ever "Take Your Family to School Week" during the week of Founders Day. This new event was a great success in welcoming families to get to know their children's world at school. It was an excellent example of the kind of participation our founders hoped PTA would encourage.

Founders Day is February 17. We encourage you to plan and promote your own Take Your Family to School Week events.

Look for more information on the event from National, State and Taconic Region PTA in the coming weeks and get ready to celebrate PTA.

Understanding Bullying

by Tara L. Kuther, Ph.D.

Each day hundreds of thousands of children dread going to school and facing the taunts, jeers, and humiliation wrought by bullies. When we think of bullying, the easily identifiable physical and verbal harassment comes to mind, including teasing, taunting, threatening, and hitting. Relational bullying is more difficult for adults to observe and identify. Children who bully through relational means socially isolate their victims by intentionally excluding them or spreading rumors about them. Bullying, then, refers to physical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly, is intended to inflict injury or discomfort on the victim, and creates an ongoing pattern of harassment and abuse.

The bullying relationship is characterized by an imbalance of power, such that the victim of bullying finds it hard to defend him- or herself and begins to feel powerless against the bully. The child who bullies typically is bigger, older, stronger, or more popular than the victim of bullying, and his or her intent is to exert power over the victim. For example, girls who bully through exclusion and other forms of relational aggression tend to have more social power than their victims. The bully is aware that his or her behavior causes distress, the bully enjoys the victim's reaction, and the bullying continues and escalates. Bullies hurt others in order to feel strong and powerful at a given moment.

It's very difficult for most parents to determine whether their children engage in bullying behaviors because most bullying occurs out of parents' sight.

Some adults and children rationalize bullying because victims are overly sensitive, cry easily, or act in ways that set them apart from other children. Even if the victim does show these characteristics, adults and children must know bullying is not a healthy coping response—it signals that a child needs to learn how to manage his or her emotions, release anger and frustration in more healthy ways, and learn more constructive strategies for getting along with others. Your role, as parent or teacher, is to help children establish more mature and healthy ways of relating with others, thereby ensuring that they will grow into caring and adaptive adults.

Who is likely to be victimized?

There are at least two types of victims: passive victims and reactive victims. The stereotypical image of the bullied child is the passive victim: He or she avoids confrontation, is physically slight, quiet, does not tease others, and does not defend him- or herself from the bully. The passive victim turns inward when bullied—crying and withdrawing rather than fighting back.
Reactive victims are much less common than passive victims. The reactive victim provokes attacks by being aggressive, disruptive, argumentative, and antagonizing towards bullies and other children, and retaliates when he or she is bullied. Sometimes reactive victims are referred to as bully/victims because they straddle the fence of being a bully and/or victim. They are difficult to identify because they seem to be targets for bullies, but they often taunt bullies and other children. Not only do reactive victims fight back when bullied, but they sometimes channel their rage and anger into bullying others, especially those younger and weaker than themselves. In this way, some victims of bullies transform into bullies themselves, perpetuating the abuse and singling out new victims.

What are the effects of bullying?

Bullying is not a normal part of growing up. Victims of bullying suffer psychological and sometimes physical scars that last a lifetime. Victims report greater fear and anxiety, feel less accepted, suffer from more health problems, and score lower on measures of academic achievement and self-esteem than students who are not bullied. Victims often turn their anger inward, which may lead to depression, anxiety, and even suicide. The experience of bullying is also linked with violence, as the fatal school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, and Jonesborough, Arkansas, have illustrated.

However, it's not just victims who are hurt by bullying. Bullies fail to learn how to cope, manage their emotions, and communicate effectively—skills vital to success in the adult world. Without intervention, bullies suffer stunted emotional growth and fail to develop empathy. Since bullies are accustomed to achieving their immediate goals by pushing others around, they don't learn how to have genuine relationships with other people. Instead, they externalize and blame others for their problems, never taking responsibility, nor learning how to care for another's needs. Bullies who don't learn other ways of getting what they want develop into adult bullies who are more likely to experience criminal troubles, be abusive toward their spouses, and have more aggressive children, perhaps continuing the cycle of bullying into the next generation.

Ending bullying: What works

The most effective way of addressing bullying is through comprehensive schoolwide programs. Schoolwide programs, developed collaboratively between school administration and personnel, students, parents, and community members, seek to change the school's culture to emphasize respect and eliminate bullying. So what has been shown to work in preventing and ending bullying?

• Increased awareness, understanding, and knowledge about bullying on the part of school staff, parents, and students
• Involvement of the wider community, including parents and service providers
  Integration of bullying-related content into the curriculum in ways that are appropriate to each grade
• Increased supervision and monitoring of students to observe and intervene in bullying situations
• Involvement of students
• Encouragement of students to seek help when victimized or witnessing victimization
• A plan to deal with instances of bullying
• Class and school rules and policies regarding bullying and appropriate social behavior
• Promotion of personal and social competencies (e.g., assertiveness, anger management, self-confidence, and emotional management skills)
• A schoolwide community of respect in which every student is valued
• Collaboration between parents, educators, service providers, and students to reinforce messages and skills across settings (e.g., home, school, community)
• Serious commitment to implementing the program on the part of administrators and school staff

Tara L. Kuther, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology at Western Connecticut State University, is the author of "Gimme Your Lunch Money: A Guide to Bullies and Bullying" (Parent's Guide Press, 2003).
www.tarakuther.com

BULLYING - Do you have to take it

Bullying is an action that involves repeated harassment intended to cause physical or psychological harm. Nearly one in three school age children have been bullied. Boys tend to be targeted with physical harm. Girls are tormented with malicious rumors, sexual harassment and jeers. Many people think that bullies have poor self esteem. In reality many tend to be overconfident, popular and harassed at home. They may perform poorly at school. By age 24, 60% have been convicted of a crime. Studies have shown that victims have poor social skills and few friends. They may look and act different or have different abilities.

Parents must teach their children that they should not have to face bullying on their own. As an adult, you would not come to work and face an atmosphere that some children do. You can change this atmosphere and help your child and others. Remember it is easier to prevent than to heal a problem. Be your child’s advocate.

1. Develop an open line of communication with your child. Encourage him/her to discuss their day in school.
2. Speak with your child about teasing and harassment. Encourage your child to tell a teacher. Bullying should not be tolerated.
3. Observe for signs of bullying; sleeping difficulties, unexplained crying, withdrawal from usual activities, clinging, sullenness, unexplained injuries or torn clothing.
4. Take action: meet the teacher and principal. Ask for their solution and a time frame to resolve the problem. Write down their solution and repeat it back to them. Make sure you have all the same understanding of how the bullying is to be handled. If it is not handled properly speak to the school Superintendent and the Board of Education.
5. Ask if your school has a program to combat bullying.
   A. Bully Proof Your School by Garrity Etal. Blue Prints is a program from Norway through a grant from the US Dept. of Justice. This program advocates zero tolerance for bullying. RECESS is a program from Great Britain.
   B. Many schools already use cooperative learning which involves group activities and dynamics.
   C. Peer mediation is usually in Middle School and High School. The students and an adult from the faculty mediate to an acceptable solution for both parties.
   D. Counseling can be an effective tool for both the victim and the bully. The counselor can assist in identifying and teaching the children involved to develop good coping skills and how to handle these negative, sometimes devastating situations.
   E. You may want to involve the police if the above does not work.

Sometimes it is difficult to envision yourself becoming an activist for a specific cause. If your child is bullied, involve yourself and make a change. You will help your child and many others to have a comfortable, safe and happy school experience.

The following sources may increase your awareness in bullying:

1. "The Bullying Prevention Handbook" by John H. Hoover and Ronald Oliver
2. "Childhood Bullying and Teasing" by Dorothea M. Ross PhD
3. "The Newest Breed of Bully, The Cyber Bully" - http://www.pta.org/pr_magazine_article_details_1117639656218.html
4. Bullying - http://www.ncpc.org/Topics/Bullying/index.php
5. Bullying - www.safeyouth.org/scripts/teens/bullying.asp

Reprinted from the NYS PTA Website

Help Build Your School Health Council

School health councils are an important means for parents to ensure that their schools promote student health. PTA showed its support for parents this past June by adopting a resolution at its national convention designed to do the following:

• Encourage schools to develop school health councils to foster the connection between good health and learning.
• Support health education efforts throughout the entire school, including in cafeteria offerings and physical education programs.
• Encourage collaboration with health-related organizations to assist in the development and activities of school health councils.

Pennsylvania PTA, which proposed the resolution, took action, offering "how-to" workshops and health and nutrition information. Pennsylvania PTA President, Christine Munchak, has noticed that many efforts succeed when parents have initiated the process and have remained involved. However, one of the obstacles Pennsylvania PTA Health Education Coordinator Theresa Mucciolo has seen in establishing school health councils is the lack of parent involvement on councils.

"Many school health councils are looking for parents, but parents should be looking for them," says Mucciolo.

For more information about school health and wellness, go to the National PTA website's Health and Wellness section. For more information about school health councils, take a look at the American Cancer Society's A Guide to Community-School Health Councils as well as information in the Action for Healthy Kids' Resources to Improve Schools database.

An Easy Way to Contact Your Legislators

The National PTA, through their website www.pta.org, has made it very easy for us to contact our legislators in Washington about issues that concern us and PTA, and to also see our legislator's voting record and other vital information about our legislators.

As if that's not enough, National PTA makes it even easier by listing topics of interest we can choose from and has pre-written letters. All we have to do is type in our name, hit a button and it's sent!

Here's how:

• Access the National PTA's Elected Officials page: http://capwiz.com/npta2/dbq/officials/
  (You can also get here from the PTA's main page: www.pta.org => Issues and Action => Take Action => Elected Officials)
  
• Either enter your zipcode and zipcode-plus, or enter the last name of the official you wish to email. Click Go.
  
• You should see one of more officials. Click the info link to access contact and background information. Click the email link to select pre-written messages (which you are able to edit) or compose your own message. Add your name and contact information, click Send Message and off it goes!

Please take advantage of this extremely easy tool. National has done all the hard work, allowing us the ease and freedom to have our voices heard!

The NYS PTA's recommendation on Playgrounds

MEMO: Playgrounds
TO: NYS PTA Board of Managers
FROM: JoAnn Incalcatera, NYS PTA Treasurer
DATE: December 12, 2006

New York State PTA has a responsibility to ensure that our units are fully informed before making any decision. To that end, here is information we believe you need to know:

NYS PTA does not recommend PTA units become involved in the raising of funds for, or participating in any aspect of replacing or building playgrounds. As a 501 (c) (3) organization, we are chartered to advocate and educate on behalf of children. The primary focus of PTA should be on the promotion of the Purposes of PTA, and not on fundraising. Fundraising is necessary to support PTA programs and to meet the needs of the PTA budget. It is important to keep in mind our mission statement "that we will maintain our commitment and service to all children and to its diverse membership through increased parent and community awareness, advocacy, education and involvement." Basically, the only funds that should be raised by a unit are to support the primary function of advocacy and education, not to purchase things such as playgrounds. Please remember that PTA funds may not be donated to or raised for another group.

Playgrounds are expensive and the IRS not only looks at how PTAs spend their money but how they raise it. The fundraising activities must reflect our Mission and Purposes. Book Fairs are a good example; while we are raising funds we are promoting how important it is to read. The IRS will see that there is a direct connection between the fundraising act and the mission to encourage all children to read. The amount of fundraising a unit would have to do to support a playground would be extensive and very hard to justify under this requirement. The PTAs time and resources would be better spent attending school board meetings and making it their priority that the needs of all children are met. Many units have worked with their school boards and community members to achieve the goal of securing a safe playground. They did not raise the funds, purchase, or install the playground. They achieved their goal by ADVOCATING!

Another concern is the issue of liability. The greater the involvement of the PTA in raising funds and building the playground, the greater the exposure for lawsuits. The NYS PTA has experienced several claims and lawsuits; this impacts our ability to secure insurance for our all units and also raises the cost of the insurance.

We do not recommend PTAs engage in playground projects. However, if after careful consideration of all the issues the PTA decides to go ahead, the following must be adhered to. The unit must be fully informed and the membership must vote to approve this activity. This kind of project will most likely span several years so please consider that the current leadership will be committing future leadership and members. The PTA should not under any circumstances purchase or install any equipment. The "grant" process as outlined in the NYS PTA Resource Guide should be followed. This does add a layer of insulation but it does not absolve the PTA of all liability. The PTA has to be very aware of IRS regulations and make sure they are in compliance.

The question of the PTA being the recipient of a grant to pay for playgrounds and other items has also become an issue. We recommend extreme caution when it comes to applying for and accepting a grant for schools. Once the PTA has committed to the grant, they become legally responsible for the administration of the grant. There are many legal and IRS requirements, as well as record keeping details that are beyond the ability of many units. Once again, this also increases our exposure for fraud and liability and therefore impacts our ability to secure affordable insurance.