Alabama Parent Teacher Association

Join us for our August Office Hour:

📅 Tuesday, August 18, 2026
🕛 12:00 PM (Central Time)

Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86727869349

In addition to insurance questions, the Office Hour is open for any PTA-related topic. There is no formal presentation or agenda, just an opportunity to connect, learn, and support one another.

We look forward to connecting with you! Hope to see you there!

Warmly,
Sarita Edwards
VP Leadership Development
Alabama PTA
📧 [email protected]

You lead. We support. Students thrive.

P.S. Have a leadership topic you'd like to see featured in a future Leadership Development Workshop or Office Hours? We'd love to hear your ideas! Feel free to email me with your suggestions.
Monthly office hours are tentatively scheduled for the third Tuesday each month. You can find updated information here: https://www.alabamapta.org/keydates

Reflections Chairs, check your email! 🎨✨

Our 2026–2027 Reflections Chair Guide and resources were sent out last night to help you get your Reflections year off to a great start!

Council Reflections Chairs and non-council PTA/PTSA contacts, be sure to check your inbox. Local PTA/PTSA units, your Council Reflections Chair will be connecting with you soon!

We’re excited for another wonderful year of creativity, culture, and student voices through National PTA Reflections!

📧 Questions or need to update your Reflections contact?
[email protected]

Let’s make 2026–2027 a wonderful Reflections year for Alabama students!

📰 National PTA Responds to Executive Order Weakening Childhood Vaccination Recommendations 📢

Last evening, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would weaken childhood vaccination recommendations. National PTA President Dr. Bill Datema, who has had a decades-long career in public health and education, and National PTA Executive Director Howie Berman, MA, CAE, issued the following statement on the executive order:

“The executive order decreases the number of vaccinations recommended for all children, separates combination vaccines into single vaccines and discourages school-based vaccination requirements. This follows the announcement in January that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would no longer be recommending routine immunization for diseases with known health impacts on our nation’s children. Our association is deeply concerned the changing and weakened recommendations will further confuse families, create more burdens for parents and caregivers in accessing health care for their children, increase vaccine hesitancy and mistrust of medical professionals, and lead to higher rates of preventable childhood diseases. This is especially concerning as a new school year gets underway."

Please share and read our full statement here: https://www.pta.org/home/About-National-Parent-Teacher-Association/PTA-Newsroom/news-list/news-detail-page/2026/08/11/national-pta-deeply-concerned-with-administration-s-recommendations-for-childhood-vaccinations

🛡️ Missed Our PTA Insurance Training? We’ve Got You Covered!

We had an informative session with Jamie Fagan of AIM Insurance today covering PTA insurance and coverage options. If you weren't able to join us, we encourage you to watch the recording to learn more about protecting your PTA and understanding your coverage options.

❓ Still have questions? We're here to help!

Jamie will be joining us again for our Open Virtual Office Hour on Tuesday, August 18, at noon.

This is a great opportunity to:
✔️ Ask Jamie your insurance questions
✔️ Get clarification on coverage
✔️ Bring any other PTA questions you may have
✔️ Connect with Alabama PTA leadership

Bring your questions—we'll help you find the answers!

📅 Tuesday, August 18
⏰ 12:00 Noon
💻 Virtual Open Office Hour

We hope you'll join us!
No need to register, just join us with the zoom link at the scheduled time. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86727869349

You can find more on insurance on our website: https://www.alabamapta.org/insurance

www.youtube.com

🌟 A BRAND-NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR ALABAMA STUDENTS! 🌟

We are so excited to share the 2026–2027 National PTA Youth Council, a brand-new initiative from National Parent Teacher Association, designed to elevate the voices, ideas, and leadership of young people across the country.

🗣️ Your Voice. Your Leadership. Your Impact.

Youth Council members will have opportunities to:
✨ Connect with other youth leaders
✨ Build leadership, communication, and advocacy skills
✨ Share their perspectives on issues affecting young people
✨ Contribute to National PTA projects and initiatives
✨ Participate in trainings, meetings, and special events

And the best part? You don't have to be an experienced leader to apply. National PTA is looking for young people who are ready to participate, learn, collaborate, and make their voices heard.

📣 Applications are OPEN through September 13!
https://nationalpta.submittable.com/submit

We would LOVE to see Alabama students represented on the National PTA Youth Council! 💙
Find full details here: https://www.pta.org/home/About-National-Parent-Teacher-Association/PTA-Leadership/youth-council
👉 Encourage a student in your PTA/PTSA to learn more and apply!

Congratulations to Challenger Middle School PTSA & Irondale Middle School PTA for being selected as Spring 2026 The Middle Ground Program Grant Recipients Sponsored by the New York Life Foundation.

Everyone grieves differently. Some get quiet. Some act out. Some seem “fine.” All of them need compassion, patience, and a safe space. The Middle Ground provides this opportunity.
National Parent Teacher Association New York Life Insurance Company

National PTA and the New York Life Foundation collaborated to launch the Middle Ground Program Grant funding dedicated spaces in middle schools for students navigating grief and loss. Inspired by the New York Life Foundation’s graphic novel Lost in the Middle, these spaces offer students storytelling, creative expression and peer connection so no child feels alone in their grief. Grant recipients also receive tools to become Grief-Sensitive Schools through the New York Life Foundation’s Grief-Sensitive Schools Initiative.

“Through Schools of Excellence, Middle Ground and our other programs, National PTA is committed to giving families and schools the information, resources and expertise they need to build strong partnerships, navigate challenges together and support student success all year-round,” added Howie Berman, MA, CAE, executive director of National PTA.
https://www.pta.org/home/programs/Healthy-Lifestyles/mental-health/the-middle-ground
Download the book and resources here.
https://www.newyorklife.com/foundation/kais-journey/lost-in-the-middle

We congratulate our three local 2025-2027 School of Excellence designees! McAdory Middle School Parent-Teacher Association Monte Sano Elementary PTA Williams Elementary School PTA

School of Excellence is a program for local PTAs and school communities to identify and implement an action plan for school improvement based on National PTA’s National Standards for Family-School Partnerships.

Enrollment in National PTA’s 2026-2027 School of Excellence program is now open!
Visit PTA.org/Excellence to enroll in the program.

👉For those PTA/PTSA advocates that would like to join a Mission-aligned organization in support of Alabama Public Schools.
Alabama Arise is launching a new campaign: Public School Strong Alabama. They are building a statewide network of parents, educators and community members trained to monitor local school boards, advocate for full funding, support our school staff and stand up against censorship.
What: Public School Strong Alabama Virtual Kickoff
When: Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2026, from 6 to 7 p.m.
Where: Online via Zoom (Register here)
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/Hn5P7GRpTkCgFC4gwkcDnw?vcrmeid=sjZo3cL2P0OcBqZklIdbAQ&vcrmiid=p2EG7lK84UWk4r4hMd0s6Q #/registration

"The real power to protect public education doesn’t lie in the State House or the superintendent’s office," Arise's Adam Keller writes. "It lies in the hands of organized parents, workers and community members."

🎨 Reflections Season Is Here!

Good morning, Alabama PTA Leaders!

An important Reflections email has been sent to all Alabama PTA Councils and non-council PTAs/PTSAs regarding the 2026–2027 National PTA Reflections Program.

We're currently confirming Reflections Chair contacts to ensure the right people receive important program updates, resources, training opportunities, and deadlines throughout the year.

If your Council or non-council PTA/PTSA has already selected a Reflections Chair, please check your email and reply with the requested contact information.

If you haven't selected a Reflections Chair yet, that's perfectly okay! Simply reply with the contact information for the person who will serve as your Reflections contact until a chair is selected.

If your Council or non-council PTA/PTSA did not receive this email, or if your contact information has changed, please email [email protected] so we can update our records and ensure you receive future Reflections communications.

If your PTA/PTSA is part of a Council, your Council will continue to provide information, guidance, and submission deadlines throughout the Reflections season. Non-council PTAs/PTSAs will receive information directly from Alabama PTA.

Thank you for helping us prepare for another amazing Reflections season! We can't wait to see Alabama students bring this year's theme, "What My Culture Means to Me," to life through their creativity.

📧 Questions? We're here to help!
[email protected]

🚨 Big opportunities are on the way!

New funding opportunities for your PTA/PTSA are launching this fall! 🍂 Don't miss your chance to apply.

Now is the perfect time to get prepared.

Together, let's continue creating meaningful opportunities for our students, families, and school communities!

Get ready to apply for new funding opportunities for your PTA/PTSA launching this fall!
✔️ Make sure you know your PTA ID. (PTA.org/FindAPTA)
✔️Confirm your PTA is in good standing.
✔️Be ready to share an implementation plan for any funding awarded.