As a student, you know what\’s happening in your school and you are uniquely qualified to determine how your education can be improved. You can provide this important student perspective for PTA/PTSA ideas and programs. Instead of being spoken for, you can speak for yourself. After all, you are the reason there is an education system.
PTA/PTSA provides you with an open forum for discussing students\’ needs in the school. You express your views to people who share your concerns about education, including teachers and school administrators who make final decisions.
You can make a difference in your community and school through involvement in PTA/PTSA programs that address issues such as school violence, bullies, cliques, alcohol and substance abuse, smoking, teenage sexuality and adolescent health concerns.
Membership in your local PTA/PTSA is your direct connection to the Accokeek PTSA and to a nationwide network of more than six million members in the National PTA, one of the largest child advocacy and volunteer organizations in the world. The National PTA is your voice in Washington, DC, just as the Accokeek PTSA serves your local interests in Accokeek and it\’s surrounding areas.
Learning means doing in PTA/PTSA. You can attend school board meetings with members of your unit, become an expert on issues of education and legislation and help gather community support for school board referendums and other legislation important to you and your school. You gain an understanding of public education and how it works, the operations of state and local governments and school boards as they affect schools. You learn about the legislative process and its impact on school funding and services.
PTA/PTSA involvement helps you gain leadership skills such as goal setting and conflict resolution.You learn how to run a meeting according to parliamentary procedures, strengthen your decision-making skills and speak in public-comfortably. PTA/PTSA is one of the few youth-focused organizations which give its youth members equal opportunity, equal responsibility, and an equal vote. Your PTA/PTSA membership entitles students to the same rights and privileges as adult members. You can become a leader in your unit by serving as a chairperson of a committee. Many of the contacts you make in the community during your PTA/PTSA work may prove useful after graduation (e.g. college recommendation letters, scholarship opportunities, and job prospects).
PTA/PTSA is an excellent way to meet people and to get involved in your school and in your education. You can make an impact on school policy or you will have a voice in determining the direction of your education.
GET INVOLVED – JOIN YOUR PTA/PTSA!
