Greetings, all...

I'm on the final leg of my trip that has taken me far and wide in the world of PTA. I've literally observed and worked with PTA from coast to coast. I had the unique opportunity to attend the Hawaii PTSA Convention in Honolulu and conduct a keynote speech for the Department of Education in the US Virgin Islands.

For those who are wondering...yes, it was all work, and a rough travel schedule to boot. I did have one day in Honolulu on the front end to attempt to recover from the 6-hour time difference. While there, I had the pleasure of meeting with the Superintendent of the Hawaii Department of Education, who is a tremendous supporter of parent involvement. Though budget negotiations were underway and teachers were protesting in front of the education building with 4-news crews in tow, Patricia Hamamoto still made time for PTA.

I also met with the Chair of the Hawaii Senate Education Committee and a member of the House. By the caliber of the meetings, it was clear that Hawaii PTSA President Val Sonoda has established key relationships to move the PTSA agenda forward. Val was re-elected for another term at their convention, so more great things are to come from Hawaii, I'm certain.

I then, reluctantly, left Hawaii on a 19-hour trip...bound for St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. I've traveled to St. Thomas many times over the last decade, usually related to education issues. This trip was even more special since I was there at the request of the Department of Education. I provided the keynote address for three different professional development events that were taking place. From P.E. teachers to school nurses, primary and secondary teachers, and education advocates in general, I received a firsthand account of the issues that challenge the USVI.

While there I connected with our National President Jan Harp Domene who was providing a board training for the USVI PTSA. Kudos to Deborah and team for being gracious hosts and coming to support my events as well.

If the buzz generated from coast to coast is any indication as to where PTA is headed, our future is bright like the sun in these two tropical locations. Thanks to all of you for continuing to fight on behalf of children everywhere. Be comforted in knowing that people are advocating and making moves in every corner our country under the banner of PTA. Every child, one voice!!!

Greetings one and all.

I hit the ground running as soon as I returned from vacation. After spending a few days in the office, reconnecting with staff and cleaning up my e-mail inbox, I boarded a plane for Florida.

Through our MORE Alliance, we have a tremendous partnership with All Pro Dads, a program by Family First. The leadership of Family First invited National PTA to participate in a Florida media tour with Coach Tony Dungy. I spent all day Thursday flying from Tampa to Jacksonville to Miami for a series of events promoting a new campaign. Family First has partnered with AAA and the Florida Division of Driver's Licenses to provide Floridians an opportunity to donate $1 to Family First when they renew their driver's licenses.

The events were very well orchestrated and extremely well intended. In the first few days, they had already raised over $20,000 to support the program. Coach Tony Dungy fielded the majority of the questions and referenced PTA a number of times. Special thanks to Florida PTA's Karin Brown and others for coming to the event in Miami.

That evening, I boarded a flight to New York City for an event Friday morning. Though we got in late that night, I was ready to roll on Friday. I was invited to present two awards at The LEAGUE's National Awards & Recognition Breakfast at Chelsea Pier Sixty. It was a great event as well. Hosted by actor Josh Lucas and CNN Correspondent Jessica Yellin, a number of individuals and schools were recognized for their commitment to service and volunteerism. A PTSA from Indiana was one of the national winners. Kudos to Mrs. Ingrid Voelker's Team: Class of 2011 (LaPorte High School PTSA) for a job well done.

The event was full of surprises, including paparazzi. Erica Hill of CNN and SuChin Pak of MTV News were two of the celebrity presenters as well. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan also delivered brief remarks about his commitment to service-learning. I felt honored to be included and have PTA at the table. I was also overwhelmed to know that John Amos ("Good Times", "Coming to America", etc.) was my co-presenter!

You'll hear more details soon about how PTA members can be more involved in service this summer and beyond. Without question, community service is one of the best ways families can stay connected throughout the summer.

You can always get more updates and follow my adventures on facebook!

http://www.facebook.com/ParentTeacherAssociation#/pages/Byron-V-Garrett/74863141241

All the best!

Labels: All Pro Dads Arne Duncan, Byron V. Garrett, CNN, MTV, National PTA, PTSA

Hey everyone!

Last month, I swam in a meet at Texas A&M for one of my last competitions before National Championships. Even though i hadn't trained significantly for butterfly since i swam at the 2000 Olympics, I broke the American record in the 50m Butterfly! Without any pressure on me to swim fast, I really took off. With National and World Championship Trials coming up in about a month, this was an awesome confidence booster.

Before I take off for Indianapolis and then hopefully Rome for those meets, the PTA is holding their National Convention in my backyard. Not literally, but it'll be in Ft. Lauderdale near my home and I'm thrilled that they've asked me to be the keynote speaker. Just being in a room with so many great educators and devoted parents is an honor and I hope I can pass some inspiration along to the people who have inspired my to achieve more and more.

I'll also be signing books at the PTA Family Expo on Saturday, June 27 at Lockhart Stadium from 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM. I'll only be there for a short time so I can make sure to get to the National Convention for my speech, but I love seeing fans so please stop by and say hi!

Greetings one and all! Since my introduction at the National Convention in San Diego, I've continually promoted the benefits of social networking for PTA. Whether it's Myspace, Facebook, Youtube or Twitter - all of these tools can be used to enhance the stature, relevancy and presence of PTA.

If you're reading this blog, it's likely that you're already an avid social networker. That's excellent, but we need the majority of our members engaged online. It's no longer the wave of the future. It's the TIDAL wave hitting our shores as I write.

Recently, I attended the European PTA Convention in Germany and posted photos from the event in real time. Though I was in Europe, people from around the world sent me notes and made comments about the pictures and shared their own experiences in Europe only minutes after my posts.

The opportunity to be engaged in real time allows us to be flexible, adaptable and relevant to ALL generations. I'm an avid Facebook user just as Betsy Landers (National Secretary-Treausrer) is an avid Twitter-er. She has folks tweeting and following her on an hourly basis at times. Though we hail from different generations, we've both discovered the power of social networking for PTA.

Recently, Target held an online campaign "Bullseye Gives" where 10 charities were eligible for up to $3,000,000 based upon the number of votes cast over a 10-day period on Facebook. The contest garnered more than 291,000 votes with PTA receiving 10,904 votes, 3.7% of the total votes equaling $112,259!

We need everyone's support in moving our social networking efforts forward. Given the size, scope and significance of our mission, we should have finished first. If you're connected thanks, if you're not - it's never too late to start!!!

Remember, it's not the wave of the future, it's the TIDAL wave of now and that's the power of social networking for PTA.



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