CT PTA President's Letter
Feb, 2004

Hello everyone!

The No Child Left Behind Act is a hot topic in Connecticut these days. Especially since August 2003, when the Connecticut Department of Education announced that 149 public schools in the state had failed to meet the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act. People took notice again in December, when the Connecticut Department of Education announced that 81 high schools in the state had failed to meet the standards set by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Connecticut parents want to know more about the No Child Left Behind Act. They want to know how it affects their children and the schools they attend. Since one of the purposes of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is to educate parents about laws that affect our children, Connecticut PTA is taking an active role in educating Connecticut parents about the No Child Left Behind Act.

We have been presenting workshops and forums about the No Child Left Behind Act to PTAs and community groups throughout the state. Our forum in Manchester in November, featured speakers from the Connecticut Department of Education, the Connecticut State Board of Education, and the Manchester Public Schools. We have posted extensive information about NCLB on the Connecticut PTA web site (www.ctpta.org). At the 104th Annual Connecticut PTA Convention this coming May, we are offering three different workshops about the law.

It is important to understand the No Child Left Behind Act. No parent could disagree with the principles the law is based on — highly qualified teachers, safe and accountable schools, greater parent involvement, identifying schools that need to improve. But many parents have told us that they dislike the fact that No Child Left Behind means more testing and more bureaucracy. Will NCLB punish public schools instead of helping them?

Learn about the No Child Left Behind Act. Form your own opinions. And if Connecticut PTA can help, let us know. If you would like us to present a No Child Left Behind Act workshop at your PTA meeting, please contact our office in Hamden.

By the way, you may have noticed that the CT PTA Bulletin, our official newsletter, has a new look. We encourage you to copy it and share its information with your members.

I hope you will mark your calendar to attend PTA Legislative Day in Hartford on March 3rd and the 104th Annual Connecticut PTA Convention in Southbury on May 7th and 8th. I am looking forward to meeting you at these events. As you go about your busy lives, remember this year’s PTA theme, The Power of Association: Making Great Things Happen Together.

Yours in PTA,
Kevin Daly
President,
Connecticut PTA