Welcome to the Iowa PTA Website!

Since 1900, Iowa PTA has worked to promote the health, education and welfare of children and youth in homes, schools and communities, and to develop partnerships between parents, educators and the general public.

Iowa PTA serves PTA leaders and members throughout Iowa, presenting workshops and offering printed and video resources, quarterly bulletins, monthly electronic newsletters, and maintaining this website to assist PTAs in the important work they do on behalf of children. State PTA board members attend PTA meetings throughout the state to do presentations and provide training or support for PTA units and councils in their own hometown.

Iowa PTA officers and board members are volunteers, as are all PTA board members at the local, council, state and national level. We represent nearly 18,000 Iowa PTA members on numerous state-level committees and coalitions, and are proud to be affiliated with National PTA, the largest volunteer organization in the country working solely on behalf of children and youth.

As advocates for children, PTA members speak before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children and youth. Iowa PTA conducts a variety of legislative activities throughout the year. The purpose of these activities is to gather information, to relay legislative information to PTA members and other advocates, and to provide opportunities for PTA members and advocates to contact legislators on a regular basis.

The Reflections program is a National PTA program promoting Arts in education. Reflections challenges students to create original works in visual arts, photography, literature or music based on a selected theme. PTA schools throughout Iowa participate in the Reflections program involving hundreds of students and all grade levels. Selected projects from each school are displayed throughout the Iowa PTA Convention, and families of the students are invited to attend a recognition and awards ceremony. Entries judged superior at the state level are sent on to National PTA for consideration at the national level.

The Iowa PTA Scholarship Program, known as the H.L. Taylor Scholarship, is designed to recognize and award academic achievement. Every year three graduating seniors from Iowa high schools are awarded scholarships to assist with tuition at an Iowa college, university, or trade school.

PTA is dedicated to promoting children’s health, well-being, and educational success through strong parent, family, and community involvement. Iowa PTA provides parent/community involvement workshops for parents, educators and community groups free of charge. Building Successful Partnerships topics include "Working with Teachers and Administrators", "Defining and Overcoming Barriers to Parent Involvement," and "How to Help Your Child Succeed." Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence is a certificate program designed to recognize schools that uphold the highest standards in parent involvement, based on National PTA's National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs - the gold standard for parent involvement. The certification process also assists schools in documenting how they meet the parent involvement requirements in the No Child Left Behind Act.

Iowa PTA is proud to recognize the following certified Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence in Iowa:

Greenwood Elementary	Des Moines	Certified 2007
Eisenhower Elementary	Davenport	Certified 2006
Hubbell Elementary	Des Moines	Re-certified 2008
Perkins Elementary	Des Moines	Certified 2007
Pierce Elementary	Cedar Rapids	Certified 2003
Clive Elementary	West Des Moines	Certified 2003
Westridge Elementary	West Des Moines	Certified 2003
Windsor Elementary	Des Moines	Certified 2007

Iowa PTA provides workshops, programs and training for PTAs at a time and place that is convenient for your PTA. For a brief description of workshops and programs available at your location, select the following:

• Presentation Request Form

The annual Iowa PTA Convention provides all PTA members with an opportunity to be involved in their state PTA, to have a voice in state issues, and to attend workshops and events designed to improve their skills. By attending the annual convention, PTA members can network with others from around the state, share information, and get new ideas to improve the programs they provide in their own community. Convention events and speakers are selected to motivate and inspire each of us to be effective advocates and provide exceptional programs for our children and our schools.

For information on the Iowa PTA Convention, select the following:

• http://ipta.octadyne.net/en/_state_pta/convention.cfm

To learn more about PTA, visit the various sections of this website or select the following:

• What PTA Does
• Why PTA

More information about the benefits of PTA membership can be found on the National PTA website at the following locations:

Why Your School Needs a PTA:
http://www.pta.org/why_your_school_needs_a_pta.asp

Why Join PTA:
http://www.pta.org/why_join_the_pta.asp

Frequently Asked Questions:
http://www.pta.org/1169.asp

Member Benefits:
http://www.pta.org/pta_member_benefits.asp

For additional information, contact any member of the Iowa PTA Board of Managers or the Iowa PTA office.