Bedford
Public
Schools

1.) To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental agencies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.

2.) To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children.

3.) To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

The National Congress of Parents and Teachers is an educational organization that seeks to unite the forces of home, school, and community in behalf of children and youth. It's objects are:

1.) To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community and place of worship.

2.) To raise the standards of home life.

3.) To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.

4.) To bring into closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate intelligently in the education of children and youth.

5.) To develop between educators and the general public such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social and spiritual education.

A PTA council is a group of local PTA units organized under the authority of the Michigan PTA for the purpose of conference, leadership training and the coordination of efforts of such local PTA units.

It serves as a medium through which the PTA's of an area can together attack problems beyond the scope of a single PTA working alone. Organized into a Council, a group of PTA's can bring the power of united planning and effort to bear on solutions of community-wide problems affecting children and youth.

A council strengthens each local unit enabling it to work more effectively in its own school and neighborhood. Working with a field Service Team, a Council may also help or organize new units and to give them the assistance that develops strong new units.

Through conferences and instructional meetings, it enables PTA officers and chairman to exchange ideas and plans, to benefit from each other's experiences in PTA work, to learn new techniques of leadership and to receive training for their specific responsibilities.

It provides members of PTA's with opportunities to gain even broader experience in leadership through services as council delegates, officers and chairmen; thereby helping also to develop leaders for positions and tasks of still greater responsibility in the Michigan and National PTA.

The Council acts as a channel of communication by relaying information, instruction and news from school officials, the Michigan and the National PTA's. When possible, it alerts the units to future plans and helps them translate these plans into programs and projects that serve the community.

Council maintains close and cordial working relations with the school administration. The school Superintendent and the school principals (or their representatives) of member PTA's are members of the voting body of the Council. Council representatives attend and report on school board meetings, and school board members are invited to attend council meetings.

A Council strengthens the local units, develops leaders, engages in worthwhile community service projects and broadens and deepens public understanding of home-school cooperation. In doing so, it extends PTA influence and this benefits children and youth.

Councils have strengthened the PTA in countless areas throughout the nation helping school educators and PTA presidents to understand their partnership roles as leaders in education.