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Did you know that Apex Elementary has an Advocacy Chairperson? This individual attends advisory council meetings and Apex Education Advisory Committee meetings, reporting back to us with notes and action items. Our current chair is Carissa White.
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Updates
The Leandro case has progressed in the courts - On November 10th, Judge W. David Lee ordered North Carolina to move $1.7 billion in available funds to implement the first two years of the Leandro plan. He issued a 30 day stay with the order giving the state an opportunity to comply. Legislative leaders have indicated that they plan to fight the order. At our last general meeting on November 9th, the AES PTA passed a resolution in support of fully funding the Leandro Plan. Read the resolution here. Stay up to date on the latest Leandro news via Public Schools First NC or Every Child NC.
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NOVEMBER 9, 2021 | AES PTA ADOPTS RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE LEANDRO PLAN
SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 | NATIONAL PTA & NC PTA STATEMENT ON SHOOTING AT MT. TABOR HIGH SCHOOL
National PTA, North Carolina PTA and all PTA members nationwide are dismayed to hear of the shooting that occurred today at Mt. Tabor High School. This was the second shooting at a high school in North Carolina this week. “As students across the country are returning to school in person—many for the first time in 18 months—parents should not have to fear for the safety of their children due to senseless gun violence. As we’ve said too many times—more must be done immediately to protect our nation’s children and families. We cannot wait any longer. “For years, PTA members have advocated for sensible gun safety and violence prevention policies that will make our schools and communities safer for everyone and save lives. We’ve called for research to be funded on the causes and effects of gun violence on youth and communities, as well as evidence-based strategies to reduce gun violence. We’ve also called for education programs to be established to teach students, parents and community members about gun safety and violence prevention. “At the same time, we’ve continuously advocated for improved mental health programs and services for children and families, including the prioritization of mental health education, early intervention, prevention and access to school and community-based mental health personnel and services. And this continues to be more important than ever as mental health and social and emotional well-being are among the most pressing issues to address as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We call on Congress to urgently address the epidemic of gun violence as it is destroying our communities. It has been and remains a top priority of PTA to prevent and eliminate gun violence in schools, communities and at home; promote the safety and well-being of all children; and ensure every child has every opportunity to reach their full potential. Our association has developed resources for parents to make sure schools are safe and supportive places for their children, as well as tips on how to talk to their children about violence. We also launched a webpage at PTA.org/MentalHealth with resources to help families learn about mental health and some of the most pressing issues and approaches, along with tools to help families cope. We encourage everyone to get involved in our efforts to protect every child.” About National PTA National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org. About NCPTA North Carolina PTA is the state’s oldest and largest volunteer organization advocating for every child to reach their full potential. Founded in 1919 and affiliated with National PTA, there are more than 920 Parent Teacher Associations in schools across the state with more than 106,000 members. PTAs provide advocacy, vital volunteers, and material resources to their schools. NCPTA supports PTA units and provides programs, training, and advocacy on behalf of North Carolina’s children. To learn more about NCPTA, please visit our website at www.ncpta.org. Contact: Francelia Burwell, President North Carolina PTA Phone (919) 787-0534 office@ncpta.org 3501 Glenwood Ave Raleigh, NC 27612 DECEMBER 12, 2019 | LEANDRO REPORT FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS FIRST NC
A major review titled Leandro Report: Sound Basic Education for All was released this week. The report comes from Public Schools First NC, a non-profit organization focused on advocacy for public education. This comprehensive action plan is designed to provide a roadmap of the actions and investments that are needed for state leadership to meet the constitutional obligation to provide every child in North Carolina with the opportunity for a sound basic education. To address the eight critical-need areas identified in the research, short- and long-term actions and investments are needed, including the following:
Moving forward on this set of recommended actions will enable the state to lead its education system on a path toward a future where many more economically disadvantaged students have a chance to meet challenging academic standards and become college and career ready. North Carolina has tremendous assets to draw upon in undertaking this work, including a strong state economy, a deep and long-standing commitment to public education to support the social and economic welfare of its citizens, and an engaged business community that sees the value and economic benefits of the public education system. It has a highly regarded system of higher education and community colleges accessible statewide. And the North Carolina educator workforce is highly committed and working diligently every day to meet the needs of at-risk children, even contributing their own resources whenever they can to fill needs. The state also has a history of launching and sustaining successful education initiatives. It invested in building a strong core of teacher-leaders, has the most NBPTS-certified educators of any state, piloted models to leverage teacher leadership, and launched innovative programs for preparing teachers and principals. The state has high-quality data systems, has highly rated early learning programs, and has been a leader in digital learning. Leveraging these many assets and building on its strong history of leadership for education will support North Carolina as it takes on the new challenge to transform its system to ensure access to a sound basic education for all students. NOVEMBER 18, 2019 | BAC8 MEETING NOTES
Our Advocacy Committee Chair, Jen Ferrell, attended a WCPSS Board Advisory Council meeting for District 8. Our district's rep, Lindsey Mahaffey, was present. Dr. Paul Pettiford, Co-Superintendent for Student Support Services, presented to the council on the topic of social emotional learning. | ||||||
