Zoom Registration: https://bit.ly/2SQuBC4

Copy-of-Executive-Function-Workshop-Final-4-1

Would you or someone you know be a great addition to the Alachua County Council of PTA’s (ACCPTA) Board? We are seeking nominations of highly motivated and qualified individuals to run for the 2020-2021 elected positions. See below for the position descriptions and how to make a nomination. Self nominations are accepted.

ACCPTA advocates for and supports all the PTA/PTSA units within our district. With emphasis on the PTA Mission to make every child’s potential a reality, ACCPTA is focused on providing information and advocacy of issues and needs that are important to the education and well-being of children. ACCPTA practices this purpose with efforts and support to local PTA/PTSAs and their school community including a broad range of training, community information meetings, legislative involvement on education and children’s health, and much more. If you know someone who can make an important contribution to the work of ACCPTA, contributing to making a difference in the lives and education of our children, please consider nominating them.

The ACCPTA Nominating Committee will review all the general nominations submitted for each position and select a candidate for each position to be presented for election at the May 2021 General Meeting. The selected candidates list will be published at least 30 days in advance and ACCPTA Bylaws allow for additional floor nominations made in accordance with these Bylaws.

Please submit your nominations with the following information to treasurer@accpta.org on or before 11:59 p.m April 4, 2021. 

• Name
• Contact Information
• School Association
• Current/Previous PTA Positions

---

Open Positions

• President – The president shall preside at all meetings of the council, the executive board, and the executive committee; sign orders on the treasury of the council with the treasurer or, in the absence or inability of the treasurer, a designated vice president; be a member ex-officio of all committees except the nominating committee; appoint members of special committees, unless others ordered by the executive board or the general assembly; appoint a parliamentarian; represent the council personally or by appointing an alternate on all committees of the Alachua County Public School system and other organizations deemed appropriate by the executive board; serve on the Florida PTA board of directors; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the executive board or the general membership
• Vice President – A vice president shall sign orders on the treasury of the council with either the treasurer or the president in the absence or inability of either officer. The vice president shall serve as aide to the president and in absence of inability of the president to serve shall, in their designated order, perform the duties of the office; perform such duties as may be designated by the president, the executive board or the general membership.
• Secretary – The recording secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the council, the executive board and the executive committee; present recommendations and information from the executive board at general meetings of the council; be custodian of all records of the council except those delegated to others; conduct such correspondence as delegated by the president; send all notices of meetings; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive board or the general membership.
• Treasurer – The treasurer shall be custodian of all monies; prepare and submit to the association for approval, a budget for the fiscal year, keep an itemized account of all receipts and disbursements; disburse monies only upon receipt of a voucher; sign orders on the treasury of the council with the president, or in the absence or inability of the president, a designated vice president; collect all dues of this council and notify by mail those local PTAs/PTSAs whose dues have not been paid on or after September 30th; present a written financial statement at every meeting of the association and at other times when requested by the executive board; present an annual report at the annual meeting; close the books June 30th and submit the records for audit not later than July 15th; perform such other duties as may be assigned by the president, the executive board or the general membership.

Alachua County Council of PTAs stands against racism and stands in solidarity with our Asian community. We support the National PTA’s statement addressing racism and racial inequities. We agree that we must unite as one to eliminate racism and social injustice. Our mission is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. We can only do that when all are valued, included, and safe. We are still learning and we invite you to join us in these discussions and this effort.

National PTA Adopts Position Statement on Addressing Institutional Racism

ACCPTA is advocating for the removal of high stakes associated with standardized tests this spring for many reasons:

• This has been an extremely difficult and unprecedented year for our students, teachers, school staff and families. Due to the pandemic, the delivery of education has been met with inconsistency, barriers, and challenges, resulting in an uneven playing field.
• During times like this, student and education staff mental health is just as important as academic progress. Alleviating the high stakes and punitive accountability placed on the FSA and other standardized tests would minimize anxiety and stress on students, educators, other school staff and families.

Federal Accountability Waiver
The U.S. Department of Education indicated that states can request a waiver from some of the federally-mandated accountability requirements for standardized tests, including:

• The requirement that schools test 95% of their students in grades 3 – 8.
• The requirement to identify schools for targeted support and improvement based on test results from the 2020-2021 school year (states would continue to provide support to the schools identified the previous year).
• The requirement to break down data by subgroups for accountability purposes (states would still break down the data and report it publicly).

The Florida Board of Education met on March 17 and discussed the possibility of requesting this waiver. Before doing so, public comment must be solicited by March 31.

Action Alert

We encourage you to ask the FL DOE to request the federal waiver. Removing these accountability requirements will relieve pressure on schools, districts, and families during a time when flexibility is critical.

View the information on the FL DOE web site
View the draft waiver request the DOE plans to submit
Submit comments to the DOE about the waiver

The FL DOE also has the authority to remove the state-mandated high stakes being used for standardized tests through an Executive Order. Doing this immediately would relieve test-based anxiety for students and teachers going into the tests this Spring.

Contact the DOE and the BOE to ask them to remove the high stakes placed on tests at the state level, including:

• Third grade retention (in cases where good cause exemptions are not appropriate)
• Teacher evaluations based on standardized test scores
• School grades (which are largely based on test scores)

Send the email to the Governor, the Commissioner of Education and Board of Education:

ron.desantis@myflorida.com
Commissioner@fldoe.org
Monesia.Brown@fldoe.org
marva.johnson@fldoe.org
joe.york@fldoe.org
andy.tuck@fldoe.org
Tom.Grady@fldoe.org
Ryan.Petty@fldoe.org

Let them know you want the state-mandated high stakes removed from the tests this Spring for the reasons mentioned here. If possible, include a personal story about how COVID has impacted your child’s education (through no fault of the school or the teachers) and how the high stakes placed on testing are impacting your child.