Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! PTA continues to be the oldest, largest, child advocacy association in this country, providing history and a milestone of accomplishments that support the connection to effective engagement and academic achievement for all children.

There are many issues and challenges our students and families face today, and this is our moment to make a difference in their lives. To be successful, we must work as a team, and become equipped as leaders and attend training, utilize resources and strengthen communications with one another. To ensure every child's potential is a reality, it is vital that we collaborate with local school communities. This is the heart of PTA.

The work we are charged to do is best summarized in the Vision and Mission of PTA, and captured in this year's Georgia PTA Theme and Membership Theme:

Theme: Stand together. Power up. Reach out.

Membership Theme: Join Us!

Thank you for this opportunity to serve you, students, families and educators. There is no better time than now to be a leader, and to advocate for education on behalf of all children and youth in Georgia. Your continued support is greatly appreciated; encourage others and invite them to Join Us!

Donna Kosicki

President, Georgia PTA
2011 - 2013

• Support public K-12 schools with adequate state funding, reflective of the actual costs of providing the state defined services, and Support equitable distribution of state funding to K-12 schools, currently calculated on property tax wealth in each school system.

• Support efforts to increase the graduation rate in Georgia through mandatory attendance until graduation or age 18, early identification of potential dropouts, improved instructional programs for at-risk students, expanded counseling and guidance services, job placement and work experience programs, immediate follow-up of why individual students drop out.

• Support public funding for K-12 education in public schools exclusively. Oppose any effort to use public funding for private schools or home school programs.

• Support multiple criteria be used to determine promotion and retention, and not rely on the results of just one test.

• Support the right of local boards of education to manage and control local public schools (in matters such as selection of instructional materials, hiring of personnel, millage rate, and school calendar) as they seek to improve the quality of education for all students and are sensitive to differences in educational needs of children and youth.

• Support state funding for a full time licensed nurse in every school

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Federal Legislation

National PTA's priorities complement PTA's mission of advocating for services and policies that benefit children, educating parents to be advocates for their children, and engaging community members in support of public education.

Parent Involvement
Studies continue to show that regardless of the economic, ethnic, or cultural background, parent involvement in a child’s education is a major factor in determining success in school.

Safe and Nurturing Environments
National PTA supports initiatives that foster a safe and supportive school climate, including violence prevention measures, delinquency prevention initiatives, class-size reduction efforts, counseling programs, and health and welfare reforms that meet the needs of underserved children and families.

Support for Public Education
Strengthen public education for our nation's children through advocacy and promotion, and engaging community members in support of public education.

To find out more about national issues, visit the Take Action section of the National PTA website.