Wake County is gearing up for another exciting and challenging school year. It is the ultimate goal of the Wake County PTA Council is to promote the welfare of all children and youth in the Wake County Public Schools.

For the 2006-07 school year, the WCPTA Council is promoting and supporting 148 schools and is advocating for over 127,700 students, an increase of nearly 7,300 students over last year. During this time of tremendous growth within our county’s public schools, it is even more critical that our PTA units become strong leaders.

As we go about our work of Building Leaders through Inclusion, we must always remember that ALL children, regardless of their ethnic, socio-economic, or religious status, are counting on us to have the courage to become the advocates we have sworn to be. It is imperative that we reach out to all parents and caretakers of children, and include their mothers, fathers, grandparents and other extended family members, as well as their mentors, pastors, coaches, neighbors, friends, and any business leaders who share the vision and mission of the PTA.

The WCPTA Council is committed to strengthening the local PTA units by:

• Providing direction, encouragement and leadership training
• Developing leaders for continued PTA service
• Being a source of information
• Uniting planning efforts to address community-wide issues
  
• Promoting effective parent involvement
• Sponsoring an electronic PTA forum for the purposes of providing information and sharing best practices

Throughout the year, the PTA Council will emphasize how local PTAs can make “inclusion” work for them. We must first initiate contact and engage everyone in the work of the school and the PTA. Everyone can share the vision of everychild.onevoice. Here are some strategies to try:

• Focus your membership campaign on specific target populations that have not been traditional PTA members
• Be proactive and welcoming in opening your PTA up to all parents, focusing on new parents in your school
• Plan a meeting outside the school building in a community center or location where others may be able to participate
  
• Provide refreshments, childcare, and/or language interpretation at your PTA meetings
• Encourage all parents to participate in at least one classroom or school event during the year
  
• Be open to and implement new ideas
  
• Most of all have fun!
  

Please share with us the strategies you use and your results so that others may benefit.

With appreciation for all you do on behalf of children,