National PTA Kicks-Off Convention Today in Orlando

ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwire - Jun 9, 2011) - National PTA's^®115th Annual Convention and Exhibition gets underway today at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center in Orlando.

Parents, teachers, students, and leaders will gather to discuss hot issues, like what to do about sexting and head injury reporting for schools; elect new national leaders; attend more than 60 workshops for parents, parent leaders and advocates; as well as visit more than 200 exhibits.

Keynote Speakers
Judge Glenda Hatchett highlights the speaker line-up (Friday, June 10; 4pm). Judge Hatchett, a mother of two sons, presides over the TV show, "Judge Hatchett." She's the founder of Parent Power Now (an online parenting network) and has authored national best-sellers, including Dare to Take Charge and Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say.

Michelle Shearer, 2011 Teacher of the Year, will also speak during the convention (Sunday, June 12^th; 11am). She teaches advanced placement chemistry at Urbana High School in Frederick, Md., and emphasizes that teacher-student interaction is crucial to student achievement. Special-needs, racial-minority, and low-income students have all benefited from her patient teaching approach that relates scientific principles to real-life problems.

Emerging Minority Leaders Conference
National PTA hosts its Emerging Minority Leaders Conference in conjunction with the convention in Orlando. In its sixth year, this conference builds the leadership skills of ethnic minority parents, caregivers, and advocates at every level of PTA. Attendees strategize with each other; boost their leadership skills through thought provoking discussions and interactive workshop sessions while building new relationships with other emerging leaders from across the country. The conference will also feature a screening of the film, "Waiting for Superman," on tonight at 7:30 pm at the Disney Coronado Springs Convention Center.

Complete convention information can be found at: http://www.pta.org/2042.asp.

About National PTA
National PTA^® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

To view this release in a media-rich format, go to: http://www.pwrnewmedia.com/2011/national_pta/convention_kick_off/