Greetings from across the ocean! I'm writing this blog from the airport in Athens, Greece as I wait for my return flight to the USA. I had the pleasure of attending the European PTA Convention in Garmisch, Germany.
What an awesome experience. PTA National Secretary-Treasurer, Betsy Landers, and I were fortunate to represent the mainland.

Some of you may not be aware that we actually have PTAs and PTSAs in Europe, but we do. They're located on military installations at the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DoDDS for short). The EPTA President, Wendy Dean, and her team did a superb job hosting the convention. People attended from Germany, London, Italy...all over Europe.

In addition to meeting with convention attendees, we had an opportunity to dialogue with DoDDS' leadership and explore how we can reactivate the PTAs in the Pacific (Japan, Korea, etc.).

The needs and challenges facing our military and civilian families serving the country abroad are different than being on the mainland. Our incoming President, Chuck Saylors, has helped us all understand the need to provide more support to these families in the US and abroad.

Our trip also included a school visit which was quite intriguing. We visited Garmisch Elementary, one of the smaller schools in the EPTA. They don't even serve hot lunch...children must bring their own.

Of course we had the good fortune to have great weather and fantastic food including the German staple, schnitzel. If you check Betsy's or my Facebook page, you'll find a host of photos uploaded during our visit. Oh, if you're not on Facebook, you should be. It's a wonderful tool and great way to stay engaged and connected with people around the world. It's also a great way to stay connected to PTA! http://www.pta.org

While I left Germany, I remained in Europe on vacation and visited France (Strasbourg), Italy (Venice, Florence & Rome) and Greece (Santorini). As I attempted to disconnect and disengage from work, I was continually mindful of the education crisis we face in the United States. The average European I met, regardless of the country, spoke anywhere from 3-5 languages. We've come a long way as a country, but we still have a long way to go.





Thanks for following my travels. You can also become a fan on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Parent-Teacher-Association/16682202028#/pages/Byron-V-Garrett/74863141241

Stay tuned to see what's next.

Labels: blog, Byron V. Garrett, CEO, DoDDs, EPTA, Europe, Germany, Military families