I learned last night at the first PTA meeting of the year at PS 321 that PS 321 and over 300 other schools in NYC, is an EMPOWERMENT SCHOOL.

This designation is part of a new Department of Education Initiative. It means that the school has more authority in terms of decision making and budget. The school is also held more accountable for student performance. PS 321 was allocated additional money through this initiative, and that funding is helping the school in many different ways, from support in the school yard to intervention teachers to materials and programs in the arts.

PS 321 is also piloting some assessments that they are developing in concert with other schools that slign with their instructional approach. “For us one of the attractions of becoming an Empowerment School was the idea of having some input into new systems that the Department of Education will be putting into place for all schools next years,” writes Principal Liz Phillips in a letter to parents.

At the end of the school year, the school will be grade with a letter grade. “I don’t expect to get less than a B,” she said.

The first PTA meeting is usually the most well-attended of the year and is full of parents new to the school. The PTA discusses their fundraising initiatives and reports and reaches out to the parent body for financial support and volunteer help. There is a volunteer fair after the meeting.

This year’s PTA leadership is a highly skilled, organized group led by Amy Bender and Wesley Weissberg. The team is made up of fundraising dynamos and parents whose concern is for the entire student body and not just their own children.

There is even one male member of the team. He urged other men to get involved. “It’s not as scary as it looks,” he said. The PTA is traditionally mostly made up of women.

PTA MENTORING: It occurred to me that perhaps this team could offer mentoring to another school’s PTA. They have so much to offer in terms of ideas, organizational practices, templates, materials and approaches to fundraising and academic enhancement that could be a real contribution to a school that doesn’t have the same level of parent support.