National PTA President's Letter
October, 2000

For students and PTA members, a new school year is full of abundant hope and challenges. Two factors that lead to student success are first, a partnership between parents and their children’s new teachers, and second, an active PTA with access to the most up-to-date information.

The parent-teacher partnership can usually be forged during the first parent-teacher conference. This occasion may be the first chance these two important people in a student’s life have to meet each other.

Many parents approach this first meeting with trepidation, partly because they are not used to asking questions about the school’s different programs and policies or the teacher’s methods. As long as parents go in prepared with appropriate questions and with an open mind, this could be the opportunity to create the best possible learning environment for their child.

All student’s have individual personalities, habits and learning styles. No one knows more about these things or has more influence over children than the parents. For this reason, early communication can help the teacher tailor his or her methods to the children’s individual learning preference and interests.

Keeping Your PTA Active and Up-to-Date

Your State and National PTA are here to help an active local PTA develop parent involvement programs and address local community concerns.

The resources available to you vary in breadth and scope. They include:

Additional information and resources are available to members on the National PTA website at www.pta.org. Local PTA presidents may also call the National office at (800) 307-4PTA (4782) for further information.

An active PTA goes a long way towards helping your child’s academic success!

Ginny Markell
President, National PTA