Notes from the Backpack: A PTA Podcast

Homework is a major source of stress for students and their parents, but it isn’t all bad. When effective, homework reinforces the concepts that students learn in school and provides opportunities for families to be involved in their child’s learning. In this episode, we speak with Steve Sheldon, a researcher at Johns Hopkins University, who offers the information and strategies you need to make h...

How do you help your child learn to overcome communication challenges and be a good friend to others? We turn to author and parenting expert Jennifer Miller to explore how you can build these social and emotional skills with your child. She shares what it takes to raise a confident child and how you can become a more confident parent. We also discuss how to turn some of your toughest parenting mom...

What does it really mean to be “engaged” in your child’s education? For busy parents, it is impossible to do it all: attend and volunteer at school events, check the backpack and help with homework, drive to after school activities—while also planning meals and maintaining your home. Kwesi Rollins from the Institute for Educational Leadership gives us a realistic view of the barriers families face...

We discuss why recess is important for students’ physical health—as well as their social and emotional development—and take a look at what schools and families are doing to protect and enhance recess time at school. Researcher and dad, William Massey, explains the benefits of recess, what high-quality recess looks like and how parents can get involved in recess. PTA leader and school board member,...

We dive into parents’ top concerns about middle school with Phyllis Fagell—school counselor, therapist, author and mother of three. She gives us a deeper look at what is going on with middle schoolers developmentally and how families can address adolescent friendship issues, social media use and bullying. We also offer practical tips and ways both families and schools can best support our tweens.

We sit down with Bibb Hubbard—a mother and founder of Learning Heroes—to explore the research around what families and kids think about student academic achievement, how schools and districts can improve the way they share information with families, and what families can do to gauge if their child is on track and advocate for a more accurate picture of their progress. Liz Goshorn gives a mother’s...

Get the inside scoop on school discipline in America from former U.S. Secretary of Education and President of the Education Trust John B. King, Jr. We discuss the dangers of policies that keep children out of regular classroom learning, and what approaches schools can use to help students become responsible, thriving adults. King shares lessons learned from his personal and professional experience...

Find out what Notes from the Backpack is all about! Hosts LaWanda Toney and Helen Westmoreland give listeners a preview of what they can expect when they tune in to National PTA’s new podcast series.