WSPTA Standards of Affiliation for 2024-2025
Washington State PTA provides a Standards of Affiliation (SOA) Agreement Checklist to provide support and guidance to local PTAs and councils. The Standards of Affiliation agreement is a list of legal requirements from the state of Washington, the IRS, insurance requirements, local government licensing requirements, and Washington State PTA and National PTA requirements. It is…
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Governance
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Leadership
Set Up for Success with Standing Rules
Each local PTA and council has a set of standing rules that members of the board of directors must read and be prepared to follow. Standing rules are a legally binding agreement between a PTA’s board and members about how that individual PTA will be run. Standing rules need to be reviewed by the board…
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Governance
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Leadership
AIM Insurance for Debit and Secured Credit Cards
Insurance is an important part of any business. It protects your PTA in many ways. Per WSPTA policy 3.11: A local PTA or council must carry Fidelity Bond insurance in order to disburse PTA funds using electronic payments, secured credit or debit cards. The below information is directly from Association Insurance Management, Inc. (AIM) regarding…
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Leadership
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Membership
Debit and Secured Credit Cards – Is your PTA ready?
By Liz Nord, WSPTA Finance Officer Our PTAs need to adjust to the changing needs of our communities. One of the changes that WSPTA has been hearing about is the difficulty with leaders funding events, programs, and business needs up front, while waiting for reimbursement. Local PTAs and Councils are finding that relying solely on…
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Leadership
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Membership
WSPTA Delegation Makes an Impact at the 2024 National PTA Legislative Conference
By Nigar Suleman, Federal Legislative Committee Note: This is part 1 of 2 blog posts covering WSPTA’s experience at the 2024 National PTA Legislative Conference. Washington State PTA was well represented at this year’s Legislative Conference (LegCon) and Hill Day hosted by National PTA in Washington D.C. from March 5 to March 7. Our delegation…
Announcing the 2023-24 Student Programs Winners
We are very excited to announce the winners of both the 2023-2024 WSPTA Scholarship and the 2023-2024 WSPTA Essay Contest. Essay Contest Winners: Special Author – Elementary Division: Verity Truitt – Puesta del Sol Elementary Kindergarten Division: Charlotte Aftab – “My Role Model in the entire World!” – Redmond Elementary First-Second Grade Division: Prisha Prasad – “I love…
Ask WSPTA: Can we fundraise for teachers’ professional development?
Here’s a great question we received recently in the WSPTA Support inbox: “Is it appropriate for PTAs to fund or fundraise for the cost of teachers’ professional development?” And here’s the answer, courtesy of WSPTA Finance Officer Liz Nord: I am going to start with districts/WA state should be paying for teacher professional development. But we…
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Governance
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Leadership
Ask WSPTA: Advocacy vs. Lobbying
What’s the difference between advocacy and lobbying? Advocacy is the act of speaking for, in support of, or to plead a cause on behalf of others. For example, PTAs advocate when they inform members or decision-makers on a topic of concern. Lobbying is attempting to influence a specific decision. For example, an activity is lobbying when it involves asking…
WSPTA’s Leadership Service Award is a tool for leadership development
Washington State PTA is a volunteer organization. The differences we make in the lives of children are because of volunteers committed to being a voice for every child. In gratitude for the many hours of service and training put in by volunteers, the WSPTA Board of Directors created a leadership program to recognize and acknowledge…
WSPTA Seeks Presenters for 2024 Convention!
Do you have a program or practice you want to share with others? Here’s an opportunity to speak on topics showcasing your knowledge and experience with a wide audience of state leaders. WSPTA is now seeking session proposals for the 2024 Convention and Annual Meeting! The event will be held May 17-19, 2024, at the…