Building Community by Supporting Children and Families
Parent Teacher Leadership Academy utilizes research-based practices to provide professional development to parent and teacher leaders who use their knowledge to support students’ achievement through strong family-school partnerships.
What is the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy?
The Parent Teacher Leadership Academy (PTLA) is a leadership program that provides selected parents and teachers with opportunities to develop their knowledge and abilities as leaders within their school communities. Both parents and teachers are selected for participation by their school’s principal.
The Parent Leadership Academy includes:
• Elementary Parent Leadership Academy (EPLA)
• Hispanic Parent Leadership Academy (HPLA)
• Pre-K Parent Leadership Academy (PKPLA)
• Middle School Parent Leadership Academy
Parent Participation
Parents participating in the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy will:
• Learn about key factors in supporting student academic achievement.
• Develop skills and techniques to use when working with parents, teachers, principals and other school personnel.
• Explore innovative ways of building and sustaining strong family/school partnerships.
Teacher Participation
Teachers participating in the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy will:
• Apply tools to assess their schools’ current types and levels of parent/family engagement.
• Design a school-wide research-based strategy for engaging parents/families as partners in school which is directly linked to student achievement.
• Develop as a cadre of teacher leaders to increase parent/family and school engagement.
Parent Leadership Academy Sessions
The parents in the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy meet six times during the school year. Click here for more information about the 2019–2020 parent sessions.
Teacher Leadership Academy Sessions
The teachers in the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy meet five times during the school year. Click here for more information about the 2019–2020 teacher sessions.
Testimonials
I didn’t know much about finding sponsors and potential partners for our school, so it is extremely helpful to get this information. I now can help other parents and PTO members in looking for sponsors for various events throughout the school year. Monetary needs should not limit programs that are beneficial to our students.
–Elementary PLA Participant
Working together with parents is such an important part of a child’s education. I am thankful that I was able to be a part of PTLA! It has helped in building those relationships.
-Elementary TLA Participant
I feel motivated to know that I have an important part in the development of my daughter and he school. I am curious to see how far I can go.
–Hispanic PLA Participant
I have learned more about how teachers and parents can work together to meet every child's needs.
- PLA Participant
This session was the best! I have an example of a grant proposal, and I learned how to take our school project full force!
–Elementary PLA Participant
This session has given me great insight of how to get more parental involvement as well as community involvement through a variety of wonderful project ideas. It also helped me realize the importance of teacher-parent-community roles.
–TLA Participant
I know more questions to ask my daughter's teacher. I understand that I must communicate.
-Pre-K PLA Participant
The reading was very insightful, and it opened my eyes to the partnerships between schools and families. I've learned many strategies that I will definitely implement in my classroom and school.
- TLA Participant
I gained understanding of issues at my child's school and the community at large. We had opportunities to vocalize and share concerns and develop new perspectives on issues.
- PLA Participant
The session taught me the importance of not only being a leader, but empowering others along the way.
- TLA Participant
Learning about grant writing was beneficial to me. I have never written a grant before, so I needed this information!
-Elementary TLA Participant
I appreciate the time and effort that goes into helping me personally develop to become a better leader and instill change in my school/community.
–Middle School PLA Participant
Today’s session contributed to my leadership development as a teacher leader in school by reenergizing my focus and understanding of what it means to be a leader’ it’s not an individual effort meant for a few but a job required for everyone. The only way to succeed is by working together.
–Elementary TLA Participant
The Parent Teacher Leadership Academy (PTLA) is a joint initiative of the Tuscaloosa
City and County School Systems, the University of Alabama’s Center for Community-Based Partnerships, and the faculty in the University of Alabama’s
College of Education and College of
Human Environmental Sciences.
Address
Capital Hall, 270 Kilgore Lane
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Phone
(205) 348-5743
Email
ptla@ua.edu
Member of the
National Network for Partnership Schools