November County PTA Council Report

Howard County PTA Council Report
November 2008

Prepared for Cradlerock School

Prepared by Ricardo L. Whitaker


· Coat Drive – Cradlerock School participated in this year’s county-wide coat drive effort. We collected four bags of used coats and new hats and gloves of various sizes. The goods will be distributed throughout the county, wherever there are needs. Congratulations, Cradlerock, for a job well done! Also, a hearty thanks to Angela Woolverton for organizing the effort.

· Proposed 2009-2010 School Calendar – The Calendar Committee considered the various comments from around the county and has finally proposed a school calendar. The calendar is not official. It is a proposal that is going to the Board of Education. The Board will hold a hearing on December 11, 2008 to hear further comments from individuals or groups. Testimony may also be emailed to boe@hcps.org. In brief, the proposal suggests that school begin 8/31/2008, there would be two Professional Development Work days: 11/6 and 1/25. Spring Break would be 4/1 – 4/5. Only three school days would be given off. See “Board Docs” on the Howard County website, www.hcpss.org, for more details.

· BOE Liaison – Patricia Gordon, liaison for the school board reported that due to Thornton funding several academic gaps have been closing across the state, suggesting that the schools are doing a better job of educating children. Data also suggests that schools perform better when teachers perceive that the principal is doing a good job. Several folks suggested that PTA insist on getting regular reports from principals regarding the Individual School Improvement Plan and the Student Improvement Team.

· Reserve Funds – John Hannay, the president of the PTA Council, reported that the State PTA advised that the reserve funds in the Council, which have been hotly debated for years, meet the legal standard and are encouraged. The state office advised that the Howard Council not increase its reserve any higher.

· IRS Form 990 – Local PTAs must file IRS Form 990 by Saturday, November 15, 2008.

· Safety – The Safety Committee will be working to create guidelines regarding emergency intervention in regard to incidents that may occur during a PTA and school sponsored event. Presently, the lines are not clear as to which organization is responsible in the case of accidents and other hazards. A booklet was provided that discusses precautions to take when planning an event. The book is published by the Alliance of Nonprofits for Insurance Risk Retention Group. The booklet will be given to the Cradlerock PTA president. Also, upcoming, a monthly e-letter will be published for middle school and high school regarding the alcohol problem with some Howard County students.

· New Committees - Two new committees were formed: 1.Health and Wellness 2. Legislative. I provided my name to the legislative chair. I may do some limited work on this committee.

· Special Schools need PTA Help - The principals of Homewood and Applications and Research Laboratory (ARL) asked for help from local PTAs. These two schools serve children from across the county and therefore do not have local PTAs. Cradlerock PTA can help by participating in teacher appreciation activities. Anyone interested in volunteering to spearhead something should contact the principals directly for suggestions.

· Priorities – The Council is actively setting priorities for next year. Suggestions from delegates and PTAs were compiled. In the December session, the Council will make some decisions about county PTA priorities for 2009 – 2010. If anyone has a suggested priority, contact your delegate.

· Staying Informed – To keep up with Council news and events visit the website at www.ptachc.org. You may also email the Council, ptachc@gmail.com. To contact your Council Representative, contact Ricardo Whitaker, 410-878-6221 or by email: rick_whitaker_nsi@yahoo.com.