"What if my child's school doesn't have a PTA?"

• Know that there are other interested parents who feel as lost as you. Connect with them at school functions.
  
  
• Visit your principal and tell her you would like to meet other parents who have a commitment to helping.
  
  
• Get together with that core group, share observations, and come up with a plan. = It doesn't have to be huge; find one issue in which you know you can make a difference (collecting donations of books for classroom libraries or creating a core of volunteer helpers for the after school program) and give it your all.

"We have a PTA but it's small and inactive"

Everyone's burned out. That's what happens when you overburden a few willing hearts.

• Acknowledge members' contributions but find new blood to relieve them of their long-time responsibilities and revive the unit.
  
  
• Believe there are people just as interested as you in creating a school that focuses on improved student achievement. They are out there!
  
  
• Talk with parents of your child's classmates, those you meet at school functions or at the grocery store.
  
  
• Help create a welcoming environment for participation and open communication if that has not been the norm. Leave any negativity behind and celebrate the diversity of your parent population.
  
  
• Ask your teacher base and administrators what the most pressing needs of the school are. Then ask your new key group how it can contribute.

Recognize that not everyone is a leader. You need those volunteers who will man the fall festival booth for three hours just as much as you need a coordinator of the event. Both can work to raise funds for that visiting author or a purchase of new science lab materials. When you introduce the idea that everyone can contribute, you create an atmosphere that allows individuals to focus on their strengths. As a result, a few individuals who saw themselves only as followers will step up to leadership positions.

Seven years ago, I had such an opportunity at my son's elementary school. They were doing a great job with encouraging kids who already read well and had a lot of special programs for the lowest group, but the kids in the middle were in trouble. The PTA was spending most of its time with fundraising, but I saw the need for something more tangible. I created a model for a volunteer-based tutoring effort for those kids. Combining the needs of children with the need for a valuable way to contribution was a win-win situation for me.

Today, that "Reading is for Everyone©" model is still an integral part of the school and it formed a basis for my business as the Literacy Ambassador. With that one small step, I started on the road to becoming a facilitator in helping others. That's what can happen with interest and a great idea!

Every parent has a role in his or her child's education, and finding your own path for that is the surest way to for your child to succeed. Former U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley reminds us, "Our children may be only 20 percent of our population but they are 100 percent of our future." Use your participation in your child's school and PTA to brightly pave the path for that future.

For more ideas about participating in your child's education and contributing to their school's success, check out:

• The National PTA's own website (including the members only section)
  
  
• The National Coalition for Parent Involvement in Education is a website with solid information about getting families involved in schools.
  
  
• Project Appleseed is devoted to improving public schools through parent and family involvement. It offers suggestions on how to foster involvement in school to both school staff and individual parents.
  
  
• The George Lucas Educational Foundation website shares innovative ideas about parents participating in public schools.