2013-2015

Ohio PTA Biennial Report

When trying to decide upon the theme for my term, Our PTA Symphony: Bringing Harmony to Every Childs
Life, it was a no-brainer that it would be musical, not just because of my love for music, but because of what
music encompasses and embraces. Music is a universal language that speaks to all.
The definitions of symphony are anything characterized by a harmonious combination of elements;
sounding together; but my favorite definition is agreement of sound one voice. Our PTA tagline is Every
Child. One Voice, so I thought it to be the perfect word!
A symphony typically has four movements. A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition. It
could stand alone as a section on its own merit. Its a complete, but not independent musical idea. I related
the goals for my term to the movements of our PTA Symphony.
The first movement (goal) was Family Engagement. Statistics show that when parents are actively involved in
their childrens education that they are more likely to succeed. Family Engagement takes on many facets. No
matter the circumstances, we want to provide the tools and resources needed.
Our second movement was Training. Leadership training is critical, such as officer training and conflict
management, so that we have flourishing PTA units and councils, but we also want to teach parents how to be
involved in their childrens lives and education. We want our families educated on current educational issues
such as Ohios Learning Standards, and timely topics such as bullying, human trafficking, and school safety.
The third movement is Advocacy, which is the hallmark of this great organization and is what sets us apart
from all other unaffiliated parent groups. One of my good PTA buddies always shares that were affected by
legislation no matter where we turn. When you stop at a stop sign, its there because of legislation. We want
to be at the forefront at the Statehouse here in Columbus and at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. talking to our
legislators about issues that impact our children, but we also want to educate parents about legislation that
impacts their children.
The fourth movement, but certainly not least, was Relevancy. I want PTA to be relevant for all children, all
families, and all communities. I want everyone to know the value of PTA. I want Ohio PTA to be relevant and
of value to every child and family, no matter what their situations are. No matter what challenges they may
face, we are for Every Child.

Presidents Articles
Variations on Our Theme
Each month, my articles for the newsletter were written around my term theme, Our PTA Symphony:
Bringing Harmony to Every Childs Life. The topics included:

Putting the Pieces Together

Dont Judge Value By Time
Is Our PTA Symphony in the Key of Life?
Celebrating the Composers of Our PTA Symphony
What Part Will You Play in the Ohio PTA Pops 108th Annual Convention?
Honoring Excellence
Variations of Our Theme
Resonating with Our Families and Communities
The Power of the Sound of One Voice
How Can You Be Instrumental in PTA?
The Beauty of a Rest
This is What True Harmony Is!
Always Remember
Grand Finale
Many of the Ohio PTA Directors, councils, and units embraced the theme in their work during the term.

As was stated, there were four movements or goals to Our PTA Symphony. This report will be broken down
into these four areas:
Family Engagement
Training
Advocacy
Relevancy
It was my extreme pleasure to have served as the Conductor of Our PTA Symphony and to have been the 52nd
State President of Ohio PTA.

Lisa Mack
2013-2015 Ohio PTA State President
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Family Engagement
The first movement (goal) was Family Engagement. Statistics show that when parents
are actively involved in their childrens education, they are more likely to succeed.
Family Engagement takes on many facets.

Although the term started on July 1, 2013, an early jumpstart was made with the Board Orientation being held
in May 2013. During that time, the incoming Board of Directors (Board) discussed who PTA is.

Data in this report was taken from National PTA's membership card activation survey. The total sample size for
the Ohio data set was 4,696, which was determined to be an ample sampling.
It was important to understand who Ohio PTA members were, so that their needs could be met.
Demographics of Ohios children were also discussed, so that the needs of the children and families in Ohio
could be understood.

Throughout the term, the Ohio PTA Board focused on a subtheme, State-level commitment requires statelevel thinking and state-level commitment. The principle was that the Board needed to look beyond their
personal environments and experiences, and think about all children and families in Ohio regardless of
socioeconomic status, race, religion, parent status, etc. A precept was added each Board meeting.
Commitment was first defined as a willingness to deposit everything, and then the list below gives each
additional value given. State-level commitment:

Requires moving out of our comfort zone

Is not one size fits all

Is not always comfortable

Requires looking beyond ourselves

Requires statewide visioning looking at whats best for the children and families in Ohio now and in
the future

Requires empathy - the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously
experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without
having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.

Requires contemplation looking at with continued attention; deep consideration; thinking fully or
deeply about; having as a purpose or intention; expectation

Is comprehensive covering completely; inclusive; thoroughly understanding with ones mind; having
an extensive mental grasp

In August 2013, President Lisa Mack and President-Elect Sheila Ragland attended the Operation: Military Kids
Camp on Kelly Island. They were able to visit with children of active duty parents, who were able to spend a
week with other children who were sharing the same experiences and challenges.

In October 2013, President Lisa Mack presented a workshop, How to Help Your PTA Reflect the Community
that You Serve, at the National PTA Emerging Minority Leaders Conference in the Washington, D.C. area.

Ohio PTA created a new award called the Family-School Partnership Certificate of Achievement Award given
for taking advantage of training, and engaging with family, school, and community. The inaugural class of
recipients received their awards at the 2014 state convention, with the second class receiving theirs at the
2015 state convention.

2014 Family-School Partnership Award Recipients

2015 Family-School Partnership Award Recipients

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Service Projects:
Starting at the 2013 November Board meeting, the Board began an Ongoing Service Project initiated by
Director of Family-School Partnership Pamela Bonnett, collecting canned goods, non-perishables, and paper
products. These items were donated to:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Lincoln Heights Elementary - Cincinnati

Elyria Hospitality Center - Elyria
Good Neighbor Food Pantry - Green
Trevitt Elementary - Columbus

Statewide service projects were done at each of our state conventions. The Socks and Underwear Service
Project was executed in 2014 for Shoes and Clothes for Kids (SC4K). Over 250 pairs of underwear and nearly
500 pairs of socks were delivered to SC4K, an organization that distributes new clothing and shoes to
Cleveland area inner-city children. The Shoe Collection Service Project in 2015 was for ShoeBox Recycling.
Sixteen (16) boxes were sent. The monies from both service projects went towards our scholarship program.


In February 2013, President Lisa Mack participated on a panel at Kent State University entitled, Why is
College Important and How Do We Make It An Expectation? at the See You @ College Conference.

As a result, President Mack was invited to be a co-presenter of a workshop at the Ohio TRIO Conference in
April 2014, entitled The Importance of Mentoring and Parent Involvement. As an extension of this
connection, President Lisa Mack and President-Elect Sheila Ragland presented, The Importance and Benefits
of Parental Involvement, at Ohio TRIOs April 2015 Conference.
In July 2014, President Mack met with Upward Bound in the Cleveland area to discuss being a component in
parent engagement. Ohio PTA attended a parent meeting and continues to be in discussion about a parent
conference and contributing to Upward Bounds parent newsletter.

In September 2014, President Lisa Mack participated in the Breakfast Challenge for Childrens Hunger
Alliance by making a video representing Ohio PTA. The Breakfast Challenge encourages schools to examine
and expand student participation in their School Breakfast Program. The Challenge is sponsored by the
American Dairy Association, Childrens Hunger Alliance, Ohio Action for Healthy Kids, Ohio School Nutrition
Association, and is supported by over 20+ school education and health organizations.

Diversity and Inclusion:

The new position of Director of Diversity and Inclusion took effect this term to assure that the work of the
award-winning Mosaic Diversity and Inclusion Committee would be sustained.

The Mosaic Committee started the process of creating a Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit that will have helpful
information on reaching out to military families, Grandfamilies, and in the areas of cultures, special needs,
educationally/economically disadvantaged, gifted, male involvement, and more.

The Male Involvement Committee created the M.A.C.K. (Male Action Changing Kids) Award. This essay
contest allows students to write about how a male positively changed/influenced their lives. In both 2013 and
2014, Ohio PTA was able to secure a grant for the award from Allstate Insurance. In its first effort for the
2013-2014 school year, there were over 140 entries. The award was featured in National PTAs magazine, Our
Children, in the October 2014 issue.

2015 M.A.C.K. Award Winners

2014 M.A.C.K. Award Winner

President Lisa Mack was a guest on Watch D.O.G.S. Radio talking about Ohio PTAs male involvement efforts,
especially having to do with the 2014 convention. The Male Involvement Committee held its 2nd Annual Chili
Cook-Off at the 2014 April convention and crowned its second Chili King, Robert Ragland. The Chili Cook-Off was
the brainchild of the Male Involvement Committee, designed to give the opportunity for delegates to engage
with the committee by sampling the different chili recipes of committee members and helping select the winner.

The Male Involvement Committee also created a video to encourage male involvement.

National PTA School of Excellence:

Ohio PTA congratulated seven (7) units for being recognized as 2014-2016 National PTA School of Excellence
winners. Two (2) additional schools received the 2015-2017 National PTA School of Excellence designation.

Reflections Program:
With the elimination of the position of Director of Programs, the responsibility for the Reflections Program
was moved under the umbrella of the Director of Family-School Partnership.
Ohio PTA is proud to have had National PTA Reflections Winners:
2013-2014 National PTA Winners Theme: Believe, Dream, Inspire
Award of Merit Primary - Literature - Jessica Jackson - Kirtland
Award of Merit Primary - Music Composition - Margaret Chen - Hudson
Award of Merit High School - Photography - Elyse Legeay -Bay Village
Award of Merit Primary - Photography - Mychal Evans - Buckeye Woods EL
Award of Merit High School - Visual Arts - Tristin Gallo - Green
Award of Excellence Special Artist - Meri Film Production - Alexis Kent - Avon Lake
2014-2015 National PTA Winners Theme: The World Would Be a Better Place If
Award of Merit Middle School Dance - Molly Whitham - Orchard Middle School
Award of Merit Intermediate - Literature - Lily Wood - Alcott El
Award of Merit Middle School - Literature - Gea Torres - Solon MS
Award of Merit Primary - Literature - Gabriel Velinov - Big Creek El
Award of Merit High School - Music - Gregory Watson - Lakewood HS
Award of Merit Middle School - Visual Arts - Natalie Upholz - Ridge MS

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Ohio PTA presented the Reflections Road Show, traveling to a total of nine libraries throughout Northeastern
and Central Ohio in 2014 and 2015. Winners entries were displayed.

Effects of Poverty:
Ohio PTA has been researching and discussing the effects that poverty has on our children and families in
Ohio. An interesting fact to note is that the fastest growing segment of those affected by poverty is our
suburban areas. With that comes the challenge to provide services.
We are researching how Ohio PTA can be a partner in providing the tools and resources to families impacted
by poverty.
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Training
The second movement was Training. Leadership training is critical, so that there are
flourishing PTA units and councils. But families also need to be educated on current
educational issues such as Ohios Learning Standards, and timely topics such as bullying,
human trafficking, and school safety.

It was previously mentioned that Board Orientation took place in May 2013. There was a time of training
incorporated as part of each of Board meeting. In September 2014, National PTA Field Service Representative
Ivelisse Castro provided our board training. In both November 2014 and 2015, 2-day training retreats were
held for the Board, designed to increase the Boards competence and capacity. Ivelisse Castro returned and
was part of our November 2015 Board training. Training topics for this term included Nominating, Leadership,
Standards of Affiliation, Engaging ELL/ESL Families, Boardsmanship, Generations, Sociological Imagination,
Keeping Ohio PTA Healthy, as well as a session with the Ohio Department of Education.

We had fall District Conferences for Districts 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, and 18.

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This term, Statewide Conference Calls were implemented that proved to be very effective. Calls were hosted
in the following areas:

Health, Welfare, & Safety included teen driving, marijuana laws, teen suicide, healthy lifestyles,
cyberbullying, and human trafficking.

Advocacy defined what advocacy is and discussed how to effectively engage our members and
advocate to our legislators. Strategies and goals, how advocacy and membership tie together,
grassroots advocacy, and relationships with schools were also topics.

Reflections held calls that allowed for last-minute Reflections questions and concerns.

Membership hosted all-chairs and general membership calls.

Family-School Partnership held a call on the School of Excellence.

Family-School Partnership, Health, Welfare, & Safety, Advocacy, and Education directors collaborated
to present a conference call on bullying.

Family-School Partnership, Health, Welfare, & Safety, Advocacy directors worked together to bring a
conference call on Human Trafficking.

Council Training was given in both 2014 and 2015 in two locations, the Cleveland area and the Columbus area.
Council Training was reinitiated because councils are such an important link in the PTA network. Training was
provided for council leadership, nominating, finances, PTA history, financial reviews, bylaws and standing
rules, leadership styles, ethics, conflict management, goal setting, and getting involved at the next level.

Our Leadership Training Conferences took place over the summer of 2014 in July in the Columbus area and
August in the Cleveland area. The conferences presented the opportunity for leaders and members to receive
officer, committee, and PTA training and a chance to network with fellow PTA members.

In February 2015, Ohio PTA received a grant to educate our parents about the upcoming state assessments
testing. The State Assessments Training was designed to inform parents about what to expect for the testing.
Ohio PTA found great success in educating families. Twenty-four (24) PTAs that took advantage of this grant
opportunity, which was rolled out in less than a months time.

Ohio PTA also traveled through the state as various workshops were requested.
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Advocacy
The third movement was Advocacy, which is the hallmark of this great organization and
is what sets PTA apart from all other unaffiliated parent groups. Ohio PTA is at the
forefront advocating to our state and federal legislators about issues that impact our
children. Parents also need to know about legislation that impacts their children.

President Lisa Mack and President-Elect Sheila Ragland attended the Healthy Kids Healthy Communities
Lobby Day with the American Heart Association and Action for Healthy Kids in November 2014 to advocate
about shared use and health education standards (HB 256). Ohio PTA had passed a resolution in April 2013 in
support of state health education standards. Mack and Ragland also joined the same group in November 2015
to advocate about shared use, tobacco tax, and CPR training in the classroom.

Ohio PTA was featured by National PTA for efforts with the Strong Start for America's Children Act of 2013
Campaign urging President Obama to fully support and fund early childhood education programs and early
learning.

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President Lisa Mack, President-Elect Sheila Ragland, and Director of Advocacy Jackie Arendt attended the 2014
National PTA Legislative Conference and then hit Capitol Hill to talk about co-sponsorship and support of the
Family Engagement in Education Act.
The ask was the same for the 2015 National PTA Legislative Conference attended by President Mack,
President-Elect Ragland, and Interim District 11 Advisor Debbie Tidwell.

2014 Legislative Conference

Arendt, Ragland, and Mack with Senator Sherrod

Brown and members of the European PTA Congress

From left to right: Ragland, Mack,

Congressman Jim Renacci, Arendt

From left to right: Tidwell, Senator

Sherrod Brown, Mack, Ragland

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Advocacy Highlights:

In September 2013, Ohio PTA signed on a resolution opposing placement of Ohio youth in adult court
and adult facilities. As a result of our support of this resolution, Ohio PTA prepared a statement and
signed on a bindover amicus brief sent to the Supreme Court of Ohio advocating for the rights of
children and youth involved in the justice system in March 2014.

In November 2013, Ohio PTA submitted opponent testimony and attended a hearing on House Bill 237
before the House Education Committee. This bill dealt with the repeal of the Common Core State
Standards.

In January 2014, Ohio PTA signed on legislation on background checks for gun safety after having
attending several meetings of the Gun Safety Summit convened by Minority Leader of the Ohio House of
Representatives Tracy Maxwell Heard and State Representative Margaret Ruhl.

In May 2014, Ohio PTA signed on to House Bill 204, designed to improve upon Ohios graduated
drivers license (GDL) law by enhancing two key provisions for teen nighttime driving and number of
passengers.

In August 2014, Ohio PTA sent a survey to all State Board of Education candidates to secure
information to educate its membership about their platforms.

Also in August 2014, several members of Ohio PTA gave opponent testimony at a hearing on House Bill
597 before the House Rules and Regulations Committee at the Statehouse. This bill was to repeal the
Common Core State Standards.

President Lisa Mack, along with several heads of educational groups, met with State Representative
Colleen Grady in September 2014 to discuss charter school accountability.

Ohio PTA signed on with the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), to address asthma from a public health
perspective. Ohio PTA committed to work with and support ODH in their work to implement the
defined Health Systems Strategies within this application to improve the coverage, delivery and use of
clinical and community-based services to decrease the burden of asthma in Ohio.

In October 2014, President Lisa Mack, Director of Advocacy Jackie Arendt, and Director of Health, Welfare,
& Safety Venezuela Robinson met with Senator Rob Portmans office to discuss human trafficking and
poverty.

As Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention remain a part of the National PTA Legislative Priorities,
in November 2014, President Mack, Executive Director Susan Owen, and Director of Advocacy Jackie
Arendt met with the Juvenile Justice Coalition (JJC) to discuss partnerships with the JJC to work to
improve Ohios juvenile justice system, for communities and for youth and families who are at-risk,
including efforts to prevent or divert youth from getting involved in the court system.

In February 2015, President Lisa Mack participated in a press conference to discuss making charter
schools accountable for providing high-quality education as well as welcoming and safe environments
to assure that every child succeeds.

In February 2015, Ohio PTA submitted a Letter to the Editor about tobacco prevention programs and
its support of the cigarette tax.
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Resolutions:
Ohio PTAs membership adopted two (2) resolutions giving the ability to advocate and educate on the
following issues:

Health Risks of E-cigarettes

Resolved that Ohio PTA will partner with other statewide organizations who wish to heighten
community awareness of the dangers of e-cigarette use by children and youth; that Ohio PTA through
its units and council will encourage local school districts to voluntarily adopt appropriate e-cigarette
policies and/or strengthen current smoking policies to include e-cigarettes; and that the Ohio PTA
Board of Directors will notify its membership as appropriate of future opportunities to engage in local
or state level advocacy regarding relevant legislation.

Regulation of Powdered Substances for Human Consumption

Resolved that Ohio PTA and its units and councils will urge the State of Ohio to research the risks
versus benefits to public health of powdered substances for human consumption such as, but
not
limited to alcohol and caffeine, and then develop regulations limiting their sale and access to youth
and children; that Ohio PTA through its units and councils will encourage school districts to include
powdered substance information in their substance abuse and drug awareness education curriculums;
and that Ohio PTA and its units and councils will work to increase parent awareness of the dangers of
powdered substances.

The Ohio PTA Resolutions Committee was prepared to bring forward a third resolution, Protecting Ohios
School Children by Preserving the Thorough and Efficient Clause of the Ohio Constitution," however, the
Ohio Constitutional Modernization Commission committee on Education, Public Institutions and Local
Government voted unanimously on March 12, 2015, to retain the thorough and efficient system of common
schools clause in the Ohio Constitution. It will, however, remain an Ohio PTA Board of Directors Position.

Several of our local units participated in education forums, candidate forums, and voter registration efforts.

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Relevancy
The fourth movement, but certainly not least, was Relevancy. PTA needs to be relevant
for all children, all families, and all communities. Everyone should know the value of
PTA.

The press release about President Lisa Mack being the first African-American president in the history of Ohio
PTA gained a lot of mileage. As a result of the story being run in her local paper, President Mack was
contacted by Senator Sherrod Browns office to discuss how to collaborate.

The Ohio PTA Board of Directors created an Elevator Speech so that when asked, Why PTA? theyd all be
speaking the same thing with one voice. The Elevator Speech and related Talking Points are as follows:
From our house to the White House, whether you possess a GED or PhD, several million members
from diverse geographic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds are making a difference
and reaffirming that in our over 100-year history, we still are the undisputable LEADERS and
ADVOCATES in Health, Welfare, Safety and Education for OUR and ALL CHILDREN...yesterday, today
and tomorrow. That's PTA!!! Check us out at www.ohiopta.org.
Talking Points:
Why Join?
Help the voice of our children to become stronger and louder
Need for your help has never been greater
Key to meeting the staff and administrators
Meet the parents of the children that your child spends time with
Allows you to make a difference in the lives of the children of the nation
Professional parent organization.
Largest child advocacy organization.
Because of PTA we have kindergarten, hot lunches, child labor laws, the juvenile justice system, labels
on music recordings, TV ratings, and more.
Provide training such as financial accountability and best practices, leadership skills, and timely topics
such as bullying and school safety.

To be relevant to members, several surveys were sent out, so that their voice could be heard. The areas
surveyed were:
Membership

Strategic Planning

Advocacy

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President Lisa Mack and President-Elect Sheila Ragland presented workshops entitled, The Right Way to
Consolidate School Buildings and Involving Parents in School Safety at the Ohio School Board Association
Capital Conferences in November of 2013 and 2014 respectively, and manned Ohio PTA exhibit booths. At
the 2015 conference, Ohio PTA launched its Superintendent Outreach effort, asking attendees, Is Your
Parent Group a PTA?

The campaign was extended by sending information to all superintendents and treasurers in the state of Ohio
asking if their parent groups were PTAs, and also sending information about the Hidden in Plain Sight Program
and 2015 state convention. The outreach was continued with additional touches, such as sending the post below:

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In May 2014, Debbie Tidwell, State Lead for Common Core State Standards, arranged for several PTA school
districts to be featured in National PTA Videos on Common Core State Standards, which can be found on the
National PTA website, pta.org.

Ohio PTA hosted several An Evening with Todays PTA events to share about PTA and its many programs.
The first was in the Dayton area in fall of 2013. Sherry Wilson, Senior Manager of National PTA Family and
Community Engagement, was the special guest, who shared the Family Reading Experience with the
attendees. The second, in Columbus, was a pre-convention event in April 2014, which was an informal
evening designed to network, answer questions, and share programs. The third took place in the Cleveland
area in November 2014. Ivelisse Castro, National PTA Field Service Representative, was present for both the
Columbus and Cleveland events.

In September 2013, the Ohio PTA Board voted to create the position of District Liaison to help its reach extend
even further. The District Liaison position serves as liaison developing districts with no district advisor, and
helps service units and councils under the direction of the Vice President of Field Service.

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Ohio PTA has worked on a Reading Literacy Partnership with the Ohio School Libraries, Ohio Public Libraries,
and INFOhio to develop resources about the Third Grade Guarantee, similar to the National PTA Parent Guides
for Common Core State Standards. We are continuing to work with them on creating videos centered on
reading literacy, to be disseminated to doctors offices, various centers, etc.

In April 2014, President Lisa Mack attended the National Gathering on School Nutrition in Washington, D.C.
She spoke on Capitol Hill at a Congressional Briefing and then met with several legislators about the School
Food Modernization Act.

In May 2014, President Mack participated in a forum on the Dropout Dilemma with Civic Commons, a part of
ideastream of the Idea Center, WVIZ, WCPN, and WCLV in Cleveland.

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President Lisa Mack was interviewed at the start of the 2014-2015 school year about it being the first time
public schools were majority minority. Information from this interview appeared in over 30 media sources.

This term, President Mack appointed a Marketing Plan Committee tasked with assisting with promoting the
work of the Ohio PTA. The impact of this committee was so effective that a bylaws amendments was adopted
by the general membership to make it a standing committee.

In November 2014, Ohio PTA was asked to give input concerning expected Superintendent Interpersonal
Attributes to be included in a manual written in collaboration with the superintendents association, the
Buckeye Association of School Administrators. This manual is to be given to starting superintendents to
master, in order to work effectively with students parents and families.

The Ohio PTA Board of Directors adopted two new Organizational Policies this term, which have been
recommended as best practices of non-profit organizations. The first was a Gift Acceptance Policy that was
incorporated into the Ohio PTA Standing Rules. The second was a Whistleblower Policy to which each Board
member must consent.

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Ohio PTA launched the electronic version of its newsletter and renamed it The Ohio PTA Voice in February
2015, thanks to the efforts of many over a period of several years.

The Ohio PTA Standards of Affiliation were officially introduced. Just as state PTAs have Standards of
Affiliation to remain in good standing with National PTA, similar measures were implemented for local units
and councils. This will help Ohio PTA better serve units and councils by making sure they are compliant with
IRS, Attorney General, and PTA requirements to remain in good standing. The Standards of Affiliation were
vetted at 2015 Council Trainings and it was found that the units and councils overwhelming responded
positively to this process as another means of support.

Ohio PTA launched a massive Social Media Campaign on Facebook, Twitter, and created a new Pinterest
account to stay current with 21st Century communication and to share with its members and others about
what Ohio PTA is doing.
During this term, Twitter followers more than doubled. As part of this campaign, Ohio PTA participated in
several Twitter Town Halls, including ones sponsored by Learning First Alliance and the International Society
for Technology in Education (ISTE) about Common Core. Ohio PTA also participated in the #ArtsEd Twitter
Chat with National PTA Ethan Clark, Manager, Arts in Education, and Jeff Poulin from Americans for the Arts.
The Twitter Chat focused on why arts education is so important and how parents and teachers can work
together to advocate for increased and improved art education programming.

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Ohio PTA Representation:

Ohio PTA continues to be asked to sit at the table as the parent voice for many organizations.
President Lisa Mack served as Vice President for the Coalition for Public Education, a statewide alliance of
education, parent, and civic organizations interested in improving public education for Ohios children and
increasing accountability to taxpayers.
Ohio PTA also has a seat on the governing board of the Ohio Standard Coalition. The Coalition used PTAs
Parent Guides for Common Core State Standards as the basis for their Parent Guide on Ohios Learning
Standards.
Ohio PTA has seats on and represents its membership with the following groups:
Action for Healthy Kids
Ohio Department of Education Committee of Practitioners
Educator Standards Board
Equity Stakeholder Group
Ohio Department of Health-- Healthy School Environment
Shared Use Committee with American Heart Association and Safe Routes to School
Ohio Teen Safe Driving Coalition
Ohio Injury Prevention Partnership (OIPP)
Several Teacher of the Year Committees
Ohio After-School Network
State Immunization Advisory
Education Leaders Cadre
School Based Health Care Advisory Workgroup
Healthy Schools and Communities Resource Team
Ohio Clinical Alliance
Home and School Health (HASH) Committee of Ohio Chapter of American Academy of Pediatricians

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Other Highlights

Ohio PTA was asked to help judge Indiana PTA Awards for membership, journalism, website, & Facebook.

Ohio PTAs membership adopted eleven (11) bylaw amendments during the term. One being to remove
the Assistant Director position. It was determined that this model was not effective. The Strategic
Planning Committee has been charged with discussing other models to help build Board capacity.

The Membership Dues Review Process was instituted, which proved to be very effective in challenging
units to ensure that their reported membership numbers match the submitted dues.

Membership Incentives included:

o Ongoing Members Perk Program
o Membership Card Activation Competition
o Drawings for member percentage increases for councils and units
o 14 in 14, which supported National PTAs 14 in 14 Membership Challenge, motivating each unit to
increase its membership by 14 between February 1 May 31, 2014. Bobbie B. Fairfax Elementary
in Cincinnati was a national winner.

Health, Welfare, & Safety supported the following programs:

o Fuel Up to Play 60
o Fire Up Your Feet
o Connect for Respect (C4K)
o Safe Routes to School
o National PTA Healthy Lifestyles

A Capital Campaign was initiated this term. The goal is to raise funds to help sustain the integrity of the
Ohio PTA facility. Ohio PTA Past Presidents have been invited to help with this effort.

Annual State Conventions:

o 2014 Theme: Ohio PTA Pops (a la Boston Pops) Ohio PTA received a $15,000 sponsorship from
Discover Financial Services
Bullying Town Hall
Back to Sports Panel
Workshops
Keynotes:
Dr. Karl Klamer, Specialist in Pediatric Sports Injuries
Linda Price Huff, Columbus Symphony Teacher of the Year
Comedy Show
o 2015 Theme: 109th Broadway Production of Ohio PTA The Convention
Hidden in Plain Sight
Workshops
Keynote
Tracy Hill, Executive Director of Family and Community Engagement, Cleveland
Metropolitan School District
Installation of 2015-2017 Board of Directors

The 2013-2015 Ohio PTA Board of Directors logged over 22,000 volunteer hours and 51,000 miles.
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Harmony
As was said earlier, a symphony typically has four movements. A movement is a self-contained part of a
musical composition. While individual movements can sometimes be performed separately, a performance of
the work requires that all the movements be performed together or be connected.
Each movement or goal could stand alone independently, but to make Our PTA Symphony complete, all of the
movements or goals need to be connected or in harmony. Striving to reach these goals is what continues to
bring harmony to every childs life.
Harmony is the use of simultaneous notes or chords. A chord is two or more musical notes played or sung
together one voice. The harmonization comes through our agreement as we speak as one voice on behalf of
all children.
Our PTA Symphony will bring harmony, or agreement, to every childs life when we speak with one voice, on
one accord, with the universal purpose of making every childs potential a reality by engaging and empowering
families and communities to advocate for all children.
May Our PTA Symphony resound forever!

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