Who: New Mexico PTA 102nd Annual Convention

What: An opportunity to attend workshops to strengthen the PTA Leader in You!  Participate in goal setting for your PTA.  Attend a Bullying panel discussion focusing on what bullying looks like and what tools we can equip our student with.  Meet with Exhibitors to learn about programs and projects that can benefit Your PTA.

When: May 5th 8:30am - 5:00pm Convention.  Exhibitor Showcase and Reflections Celebration 5:00-7:00pm.  All food is included.  May 6th 8:00am - 4:00pm Convention.  All food is included.

Where: Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North

Why: PTA leaders from across the state come together to share ideas, learn new ways of running their PTA (we don't have to do it the way it's always been done) and meet with State Leaders, National PTA representatives and New Mexico PTA Board members.  You are not in this alone!!  New Mexico PTA has the resources and tools to help you advocate for and support the students at your school.

Come join us and be a part of the 102nd Annual State Convention.  Our theme this year is "Honoring You - Our Volunteers".  Please remember that the registration fee is an appropriate use of school parent engagement funds (talk to your Principal) and PTA funds. 

Follow this link to register www.newmexicopta.org.  We look forward to meeting you on May 5th!

• Eagle Nest Elementary and Middle School PTA in Angel Fire
• Gonzales Elementary PTA in Santa Fe
• Jemez Mountain Community PTA in Gallina

have been awarded Kindle e-readers to encourage family reading and promote early literacy development. The PTAs were selected by National PTA and Amazon to receive the e-readers. This award demonstrates their leadership and commitment to encourage family involvement in their children's reading, reinforce core literacy skills and inspire a child's love of literature. The three schools were among 100 PTAs that were chosen nation-wide.  

"Family engagement and early literacy skills are two critical factors that determine children's success. And research shows that when families read together, children do better in school and beyond," said Laura M. Bay, president of National PTA. "E-readers are a powerful tool to engage children in reading and make it possible for children to have a large collection of books in the palms of their hands. We're thrilled to bring Kindle e-readers to New Mexico schools to support their family engagement and literacy efforts that support student achievement."

The donation of Kindle e-readers is part of the PTA Family Reading Experience, Powered by Kindle. This is a national program that engages the whole family to support the development of literacy skills and foster a love of reading. Through a set of fun, educational activities, the program empowers families with information and tools to use at home and new ways to explore reading books together.
Congratulations!!

Monday, April 3rd was the first official deadline for states to turn in their plans for implementing the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to either the U.S. Department of Education or to their governors for review.

This is not the official, final list from the Education Department of those that have submitted so far - Connecticut, Delaware, the District Columbia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Vermont, just states that responded to NPTA's inquiry.

An additional five states-Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, North Dakota, and Oregon-have finished their plans, or are very close but are giving their governor and, in some cases, other state leaders, time to review them before officially turning them in. The Trump administration has allowed states to submit their plans by May 3 if they need additional time for governors to take a look. Governors don't have veto power over ESSA plans, but the law requires state chiefs to give their governors 30 days to review the plans. 

Arizona is reformatting its plan to fit the new template unveiled by the Trump administration. But the state isn't planning to make any policy tweaks. It will submit by May 3.

You can look at the State Plan Stakeholder Toolkit on www.PTA.org/ESSA that provides you information you need to communicate with your state education chief and governor on the importance of stakeholder engagement. 

Here is what is required under ESSA (Section 1111(a)(5) -page 17, on whether state plans need to be made public. New Mexico did post their state plan on the Public Education Dept webpage but also per ESSA, the U.S. Department of Education should post each state plan that is submitted. 

Specifically, the language states:
(5) PUBLIC REVIEW.-All written communications, feedback, and notifications under this subsection shall be conducted in a manner that is transparent and immediately made available to the public on the Department's website, including-
(A) plans submitted or resubmitted by a State;
(B) peer-review guidance, notes, and comments and the names of the peer reviewers (once the peer reviewers have completed their work);
(C) State plan determinations by the Secretary, including approvals or disapprovals; and
(D) notices and transcripts of hearings under this section.

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