Editing User:Dave/visit/2014-07 PTA Convention Leadership Training

July 2014, [[User:Dave|I]] was sponsored (~$100-$150) by the [[Sagamore Hills Elementary School PTA]] to attend the [http://georgiapta.org/ Georgia PTA] Community Leadership Training.  I was not on the Sagamore PTA Board, but an interested volunteer who had helped a little with communications and science.  I went with:

* [[Jen Ranero]], President 2013-2015
* [[Kristie McMahon]], President 2014-2016
* [[Amy Gabriel]], Treasurer
* [[Nancy Shober]], Communications

==Experience==

I wasn't too impressed by the experience.

On the plus side, it was nice to see the organization’s enthusiasm for children. I can see how such a get together could fire folks up to do more good than they would have otherwise.  I enjoyed getting to know the Sagamore PTA Board.

On the weak side, I was disappointed in the lack of training.  I feel like there's quite a bit of stress for our PTA around issues that every other PTA is probably also addressing, and I was hoping a get together like this would suggest best-practices and real world, go through the motions, training, that we could take back.  There was mention that there was a lot of wisdom in the audience, but they didn't provide opportunities for attendees to share and teach one another.

==Notes==

Took a look at vendor offerings. Grabbed material but didn't chat.

===IT Vendors===

It's an appealing idea, that a single product could take care of our school IT needs.  The following vedors were there to help.

Unfortunately, my impression is that they're still not right.  Little mobile support, no mention of how to export data, …

====SchoolCollabo====

Quick impressions, '''[http://www.schoolcollabo.com/ SchoolCollabo]''': Looks good, started by MIT parent (smart), not too much marketing-speak, looks like they're thinking

See [[Sagamore SchoolCollabo]] for how we gave it a spin.

====PT Avenue====

Quick impressions, '''[https://www.ptavenue.com/ PT Avenue]''': Not so good, old design, simple throw-in-a-bit-of-everything thinking, poor tech (urls, asp, also work on office software, mention hardware updates)

===Yearbook Vendors===

====YearbookLife====

…

====Picaboo Yearbooks====

…

===Georgia Virtual===

Went to a session by [http://www.gavirtuallearning.org/ Georgia Virtual Learning], offering a wealth of learning opportunities through '''[https://www.gavirtualschool.org/ Georgia Virtual School]'''.

==Media==

<gallery widths="800px" heights="800px">
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training Sagamore contingent.jpg|[[Sagamore Hills Elementary School PTA]] at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training [ [[Dave Barker]], [[Nancy Shober]] (Communications), [[Jen Ranero]] (President), [[Kristie McMahon]] (President), [[Amy Gabriel]] (Treasurer) ]
</gallery>

==="Red Carpet Affair" dinner===

Only Dave Barker went to the "Red Carpet Affai" dinner

<gallery widths="360px" heights="360px">
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training Red Carpet Affair.jpg|The "Red Carpet Affair" photo op before the dinner at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training (that's Georgia PTA president elect, Lisa Marie Haygood, bottom right).
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training Dave represents.jpg|[[Dave Barker]] sports a top hat as the lone representative of the [[Sagamore Hills Elementary School PTA]] at the "Red Carpet Affair" dinner of the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training scene 1.jpg|Live jazz plays at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner 
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training scene 2.jpg|A table at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner 
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training Red Carpet Affair menu.jpg|On the menu at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner? Fancy food and standing Govenor Nathan Deal and local news anchor Tom Haynes.
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training new friend 1.jpg|Selfies by [[DeKalb County Schools]] [[Sagamore Hills Elementary School]] parent [[Dave Barker]] and [[Clayton County Public School]] [[Elite Scholars Academy]] PTSA Vice President Delzora Tharpe at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training Georgia Govenor.jpg|Standing [[Georgia]] Govenor Nathan Deal and wife with [[DeKalb County Schools]] [[Sagamore Hills Elementary School]] parent [[Dave Barker]] and [[Clayton County Public Schools]] [[Elite Scholars Academy]] PTSA Vice President Delzora Tharpe at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner
File:2014-07 GA PTA Convention Leadership Training new friend 2.jpg|Selfies by [[DeKalb County Schools]] [[Sagamore Hills Elementary School]] parent [[Dave Barker]] and [[Clayton County Public School]] [[Elite Scholars Academy]] PTSA Vice President Delzora Tharpe at the 2014 [[Georgia PTA]] Convention Leadership Training "Red Carpet Affair" dinner
</gallery>