Did you know 160,000 kids miss school every day out of fear of being bullied? The recent cases of young people who have tragically ended their lives because they were so badly bullied are a painful example that there is a serious problem in America today. There is no better time than the present to start changing these statistics…and we can do so through education!
By Jilliane Hoffman,
Author of Pretty Little Things
Last December, New York’s Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that more than 3500 registered sex offenders had been purged from the social networking sites Facebook and MySpace in the state’s first database sweep for sexual predators.
That’s 3500 caught, convicted and registered sex offenders who’d actually used their real names when they signed up for a Facebook or MySpace page. That’s not counting all the deviants that haven’t yet been busted, pled to a lesser charge, had charges dropped, never registered their emails with their probation or parole officers, socially communicate using an alias, or live outside the Empire State. With that in mind, consider this sobering statistic: According to the Center for Sex Offender Management (CSOM), the average sex offender offends for 16 years before he’s finally caught. In that time span, he has committed an average of 318 offenses and violated 110 victims.
Are you aware that forty years ago this month, the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) and the National Congress of Mothers united to form the National PTA, adapting the same mission they had operated under separately: to improve the education and well being of every child? Today, while many great accomplishments have been made there are still obstacles that we must conquer, both inside and outside of the classroom and across ethnic backgrounds. So at this year’s national convention there will be much to tackle:
The nation’s K-12 public education system is in crisis.
Our students lag behind compared to children in other countries in math and science – which is not a plus for their futures in a global economy and job market.
And our schools also face widespread funding shortages, a childhood obesity epidemic and unbalanced academic standards all across the country.
In this LIVE webcast event from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, National PTA President Chuck Saylors will be joined by actress, mother and National PTA Advisory Board member Tichina Arnold, National PTA representatives and Ambassadors; Tomeka Hart, Executive director of Memphis Urban League, University of Memphis student representative; as well asBarbara Andrews, director of Education and Interpretation for National Civil Rights Museum. They will be discussing the challenges of educating the 21st century child in today’s classroom, and what needs to be done to close the achievement gap in education.
Want to learn ways in which you can take a more hands on approach in your child’s education? You’re in luck, as during this webcast event you’ll have the opportunity to email your questions and have them potentially answered live during the event.
By Wednesday Martin, Ph.D.,
Author of Stepmonster: A New Look at Why Real Stepmothers Think, Feel, and Act the Way We Do
The media is in love with the term “blended family.” From USA Today to Star magazine to the New York Times, from 20/20 to Oprah, there’s no escaping the articles about repartnering with children that don’t just label such families “blended,” but further suggest that “blending = success.” That is, not blended = failed stepfamily. Read the rest of this entry »
We are definitely in an era of change! An organization once known as the Congress of Mothers will now be lead by two men! For the first time in its 113-year history, the National PTA will install a father as its National President. That’s why PTA is offering an exclusive LIVE webcast to the readers of Super Parents Talk, so you can be the first to meet the new National PTA President, Chuck Saylors, who will be installed at the PTA national convention on June 28th in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.
The webcast will also feature Byron V. Garrett, the organizations first-ever male CEO, and offer the opportunity for parents who can’t attend the convention to reap the benefits of asking each expert questions via email and have them answered during the live webcast!
As new online strategies take the world by storm, Saylors and Garrett will focus many of their upcoming efforts on getting parents and teachers involved with new tools by offering conversation and updates on Facebook and Twitter, engaging National PTA members with these new Social Media platforms. The webcast will also offer information on important topics such as:
1. Strategic planning and priorities for the National PTA for the next two years
2. How National PTA is working with the Obama Administration and reauthorization of NCLB
3. Positive impact of male involvement and ways in which men can get involved
4. Summer tips to stay ready for back to school season
