Notes from the Backpack: A PTA Podcast

What can families do to address bullying and how can schools act proactively to prevent bullying altogether? We talked with Dr. Deborah Temkin, the vice president VP Youth Development & Education Research at Child Trends to get answers. She shares strategies for supporting children who are bullied and offers advice to parents who have learned that their child is doing the bullying.

Resources:

• Visit StopBullying.gov for resources related to bullying, including cyberbullying and bullying prevention.
• Read “Life Lessons: How to Stand up to Bullying with Books” and “Helping Your Child Understand Cyberbullying” in PTA’s Our Children online magazine.
• Follow Deb Temkin on Twitter @DrDebTemkin 

You probably find yourself thinking a lot about your child’s academics, but what about their engagement in the arts? We interviewed Julian Bass, a two-time PTA Reflections winner, who has gone on to make a name for himself as a filmmaker and visual effects artist. He shares how his own parents supported his artistic journey and how families can encourage their children to follow their dreams.

Resources:

• Get involved with Reflections today by coordinating with  your State Reflections Chair, registering your PTA to join the program or starting with some at-home arts activities!
• Celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month with National PTA and Americans for the Arts by sharing your artwork in the Show Your Art Challenge on social media using #ShowYourArt2020! 
• Read Jump-Start the Arts With the Whole Family in PTA’s Our Children online magazine
• Follow Julian Bass on social media at @TheJulianBass

If you’ve noticed your child is struggling with academics more than usual, but you’re not sure if it’s due to the pandemic or signs of a learning difference, we’re here to help. We spoke with Amanda Morin, writer and senior expert at Understood.org to learn strategies for supporting students with learning differences during online and hybrid learning. She offers advice on helping your kids stay organized, read social cues, manage distractions and more.

Resources:

• Practice taking N.O.T.E (Notice, Observe, Talk, and Engage) of your child’s learning patterns with Understood.org’s Take N.O.T.E resources.
• Read through Amanda’s suggestions for making your child’s accommodations work in an online setting in her post “IEP Accommodations During Distance Learning”
• Listen to Understood.org’s podcast, In It: A Podcast on Raising Kids Who Learn and Think Differently, hosted by Amanda
• Follow Amanda on Twitter at @AmandaMorin and Understood.org at @UnderstoodOrg

With the presidential election less than a month away, how are you talking to your kids about civic engagement? We spoke to U.S. Congresswoman Jahana Hayes, who offers wisdom from her experience in the classroom and on the Hill. She shares how families can help kids become active citizens and lifelong voters by encouraging them to contribute to their communities in meaningful ways.

• For more resources to teach your kids about the election, check out these tools from iCivics
• Read through the Congresswoman’s tips for families that she shared with National PTA as the 2016 National Teacher of the Year
• Follow Congresswoman Hayes on Twitter and Instagram at @RepJahanaHayes

Will school closures and distance learning be a temporary setback for kids’ learning or will it have a permanent effect on their education? We spoke with Ralph Smith, managing director of the Campaign for Grade Level Reading to get his perspective on the impact COVID-19 is having in the hardest hit communities. He offers suggestions for parent leaders looking to support the most vulnerable learners and their families during this challenging time.

Resources:

• Learn more about COVID-19’s impact on families and children by exploring Learning Heroes’ report: “Parents 2020: COVID-19 Closures - A Redefining Moment for Students, Parents, and Schools”
• Keep your child on track this year with the help from these literacy & math Family Guides, created by Seek Common Ground and Student Achievement Partners
• Discover what COVID-19 recovery could look like in the Learning Policy Institute’s framework, “Restarting and Reinventing School: Learning in the Time of COVID and Beyond”
• Follow the Campaign for Grade Level Reading on Twitter at @ReadingBy3rd

Are you overwhelmed by all of the online resources available to your child but not sure where to start? During this unusual school year, we need to help our children find online resources that meet their needs. We turned to Merve Lapus of Common Sense Media who shared how families can set students up for success this school year. Listen to discover helpful learning resources and tips for establishing healthy online habits. 

Resources:

• Visit Wide Open School for a daily schedule of educational activities curated by Common Sense Media
• Read Common Sense Media’s report, “Closing the K–12 Digital Divide in the Age of Distance Learning”
• Listen to our interview with Dr. Natalie Milman from Season 2, Online Learning during COVID-19, for more ideas
• Follow Merve Lapus on Twitter and Instagram at @MoLapus

How many books on your children’s shelves feature Black and Brown characters? The stories we read to our children should be mirrors to see themselves and windows to see others who are different from them. We spoke with Newbery Medal award-winning author, Kwame Alexander about the importance of representation in kids’ literature. He shared about his own writing process, how to inspire your kids to write and some of his favorite books!

Resources:

• Explore the books published by Kwame’s own imprint, Versify.
• Pre-order Kwame’s next book, Becoming Muhammed Ali, via Barnes & Noble or Amazon
• Watch Lee & Low’s webinar, “Representation Matters: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Bookshelf”
• Check out National PTA’s Our Children article, “5 Great Kids’ Books that Highlight Diversity”
• Follow Kwame Alexander on Twitter and Instagram at @KwameAlexander

Mientras los distritos escolares planean una temporada de regreso a la escuela sin precedentes, el dinero está especialmente ajustado. Invitamos nuevamente a la Dra. Marguerite Roza, nuestra invitada de Finanzas de la Educación Básicas: El dinero habla, para que nos cuente las novedades. Ella nos cuenta qué está sucediendo actualmente en el mundo de las finanzas de la educación y cómo pueden las familias abogar por las necesidades de sus niños.

Hablamos con la Dra. Marguerite Roza, directora del Edunomics Lab, para aprender sobre el misterio de las finanzas de la educación. Ella nos brinda una guía práctica sobre cómo pueden las familias mantenerse informadas con respecto a las decisiones financieras de su distrito escolar y cómo pueden abogar por las prioridades que más les importan.

A medida que el año escolar termina virtualmente, las familias se preguntan, ¿qué viene después? Hablamos con Amalia Chamorro de UnidosUS para obtener más información sobre el impacto de COVID-19 en nuestros estudiantes Latinos y su impacto potencial en el regreso a la escuela. Amalia ofrece consejos a los padres Latinos sobre cómo pueden mantenerse actualizados, involucrardos y asegurarse que sus voces sean escuchadas y consideradas.