Hello DCCPTA Family!

September is here! By now, the backpacks have been packed (and probably already lost at least once), routines are starting to settle in, and PTA leaders across Duval are doing what we do best, bringing people together to make our schools and communities stronger.

September is PTA Membership Month, and I want to remind everyone that membership is about so much more than a number on a spreadsheet.

Advocacy is the heart of PTA, but membership is our lifeblood.

Every person who joins PTA adds another voice to our mission. Parents, teachers, students, grandparents, neighbors, business owners and community members all have a place in PTA. You don’t have to attend every meeting, chair a committee, bake anything, or somehow find a mysterious 25th hour in the day. Joining is participation. Joining is support. Joining strengthens our collective voice.

So this month, I challenge every local unit to tell people why membership matters. Don’t just ask them to “join PTA.” Invite them to be part of something bigger. Tell them what your PTA has accomplished. Show them where their membership dollars go. Help them understand that when thousands of us speak together on behalf of children, people listen.

And while you’re at it—have some fun! Set a membership goal. Start a friendly classroom competition. Challenge your principal. Recruit the grandparents. Ask the crossing guard. At this point, if they stand still long enough, hand them a membership form.

September also gives us an opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity that makes our community so special. Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15 and continues through October 15, honoring the histories, cultures, achievements and contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

For our PTAs, it’s also a reminder that family engagement means making sure every family knows they belong. Our schools are filled with different cultures, languages, traditions and experiences, and those differences aren’t obstacles to overcome, they are strengths to celebrate.

As we head further into this school year, remember that you don’t have to do everything to make an impact. Sometimes leadership looks like organizing a major program. Sometimes it’s advocating at a meeting. And sometimes it’s simply noticing the parent standing quietly in the corner and saying, “Come sit with us.”

That’s how we grow PTA.

One relationship. One voice. One member at a time.

Thank you for the energy, creativity and heart you continue to pour into your schools. I am incredibly excited about what we’re building together this year across Duval County.

Let’s make September a month of membership, belonging, culture and connection, and keep showing our community what happens when families, schools and communities work together for every child.

With appreciation for all that you do,

Celita Wilson
President
Duval County Council of PTAs
Advocacy with heart. Action with purpose.