National PTA President's Letter
August, 2003

Doing What It Takes to Make a Difference for All Children

We each play a vital role in creating a better world for every child in this country.

As a PTA member you have amazing impact on the work of National PTA. You contribute on committees, and provide valuable perspectives on education and parenting issues; we are a better association because of all you do. I am looking forward to working for each and every member, and moving our association forward to be a stronger voice for children, a relevant resource for parents, and an unquestionable advocate for our public school system.

It’s important that you know the impact that our 6 million members can make by contributing just a little time— the difference it makes is truly powerful in shaping our children’s futures. There’s no doubt that we’re all busy people, but when parents and families volunteer even one hour a month, everyone involved in our public schools is rewarded. Touching the life of even one child is the best reason to celebrate the work you do for PTA.

Today PTA is addressing challenges that include parents’ time constraints, cultural differences, and school budget shortfalls. Working together, we are making it easier for busy parents to be involved with PTA. We are reaching out to diverse communities in ways that are meaningful and relevant to today’s families, and we are providing training and resources to strengthen members’ leadership and advocacy skills.

Finally, we are working diligently to make full use of our National PTA resources, and we continue to focus our efforts on all fronts—legislative, programmatic, training, and partnerships—to better serve you and our nation’s children.

  Linda Hodge
  President, National PTA