Champions of Change

Champions of Change Blog

  • Helping a Nation of Children

    Posted by Sharon Whitworth on August 9, 2012 at 11:00 AM EDT

    Sharon Whitworth is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    I am truly honored to be named a White House Champion of Change for all the PTA parents who volunteer so hard for all their children.

    I can remember that day when I took my first son to kindergarten with my other son on my hip. Scared for him, scared for me to get involved, but yet I knew I needed to be there for him so that he could get the best possible education experience ever. I was lacking in self-esteem and very backward when I was told that parents weren’t allowed to volunteer in the kindergarten classroom. I went home to cry and said that I would never return to that school. It wasn’t but a couple of days after this happened that the principal called to tell me that I indeed was wanted and needed at the school. I went back and became involved because it was that important to me to be at school. Through involvement in PTA, my self-esteem grew and I was able to move on to leadership positions in my school’s PTA, 15th District PTA, and KY PTA.

    We need to be active and involved with our children as they go through the crucial years of schooling. Involvement comes in many forms from volunteering at school, giving your child a good breakfast, asking them about their day at school, to having a quiet place for them to do their homework and being an advocate for your child and other children. It didn’t take me long to realize that I and others needed to be the voice for all children. That is why I got involved in the PTA thirty-six years ago.

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  • Cultivating a Wholesome Education

    Posted by Carlina Brown on August 9, 2012 at 10:51 AM EDT

    Carlina Brown is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    I am honored to be recognized as a White House Champion for change on behalf of the PTSA at Rainier Beach High School. RBHS is located in the most diverse zip code in the nation, 98118 in Seattle, Washington. It is housed in a neighborhood frequented by the common negatives of any poverty stricken environment however; it is the one bright spot where students feel safe and valued. With slightly over 400 students it serves over 19 languages. Students on average enter our school with a skill set several years below high school standards due to different needs i.e. English Language Learners, Special Education and passed on or ignored educational needs.

    We were once a school that was often excluded from vital discussions so when expressing our concerns and wishes to our school board members and Superintendent we are relentless and brutally honest. We do our research and can confirm with facts and knowledge of our school and its history.

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  • Bright Futures for All Children

    Posted by Deirdre Pierce on August 9, 2012 at 10:49 AM EDT

    Deirdre Pierce is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    I have had the incredible honor of experiencing many great moments of joy in my lifetime, and to add being nominated and then selected as a White House Champion of Change adds a total new level of “awe” to that list!

    I proudly hail from a generation that read comic books (many of which I wish I had today), dressed-out for PE every school day from 1st grade through high school, played jacks and pick-up-sticks, jumped rope, watched cartoons on a TV with an antenna, and played outside all day until the street lights came on.

    It wasn’t until I became an adult, graduated from college, began working, had children of my own and started volunteering in my neighborhood schools on my off days, that I fully realized the plight of many of our children. Rather than turn a blind eye, I chose to get personally involved and try to make a difference. Volunteering led to even more involvement in PTA, then to substitute teaching. Of course, I was in the classes where students took pride in declaring all out war on subs, yet I stayed and worked past all of their efforts to get me to quit and always delivered my famous line “don’t let this white hair fool you!”

    This opportunity allowed me to get a closer view of what was really going on with them, help expand the knowledge they already had, talk to them about the importance of a career and inspire them to realize that the stars are not that hard to reach with perseverance. After that, they told me that they trusted me and knew that I only wanted the best for them. What a dynamic breakthrough!

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  • Parental Involvement in Schools: The Key to Our Children's Success

    Posted by Janelle Sperry on August 9, 2012 at 10:25 AM EDT

    Janelle Sperry is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    When I was 8 years old, I remember attending the Bunker Hill Elementary School Fall Fun Festival. I would save every ticket for the stuffed animal game so I could have every possible chance to win the biggest toy. While I was getting my face painted, I remember my mom, dressed as a clown, running around through the event to make sure it was perfect for all the families and children that attended. Everyone waited all year for this activity and I always admired my mom for being the organizer because my friends all thanked me for her doing it. I guess from that moment I knew I was destined to be a PTA mom, too. I was always so proud of her for the many hours she dedicated to my school, and I wanted to be that kind of mom when I grew up. To this day, the best compliment I can receive is being compared to her.

    Now that I’m a mom of a 10 year old daughter, I realize how important it is to be involved in our children’s education from the moment they step into kindergarten. My first experience with the PTA was attending one of the first meetings at the school because there was going to be a discussion about improving the playground. I was immediately interested and volunteered to be in charge of the project. I was fortunate to secure a $17,000 grant through the WV Legislature, and we were able to pave a ¼ mile track as well as a new basketball court. We took out old, unsafe playground equipment as well as installed new equipment from multiple fundraisers sponsored by the PTA in previous years. PTA officers painted fun games on the new court as well as painted existing equipment, and purchased new playground mulch for safety. After a full summer of preparing our new playground, I organized our first ever “Welcome Back to School” event with over 500 people attending. It was a wonderful experience to see how happy the children were from the hard work of our PTA, and I was inspired to do even more because I saw what a group of devoted parents could do.

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  • Engaged Parents Can Help Strengthen Our Schools

    Posted by Emily Sack on August 9, 2012 at 10:15 AM EDT

    Emily Sack is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    I am honored to be a White House Champion of Change. I proudly accept this honor on behalf of the Kurtz Elementary PTA, staff and all of the students and their families.

    Kurtz Elementary has experienced many changes due to the local district ending our Year-Round Program and, closing schools. Kurtz welcomed another elementary school community into our building. Uniting these two communities into one cohesive family was the job of the PTA. Despite various challenges, we succeeded in many ways and continue to search for opportunities in which our school can be more efficient and effective.

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  • Giving to Those That Hardly Recieve

    Posted by Mandy Patterson on August 9, 2012 at 10:12 AM EDT

    Mandy Patterson is being honored as a Champion of Change for her time and effort in supporting parent involvement in our children's education.

    I am so honored and humbled to receive the Champion of Change recognition. I started this journey just like many other moms out there. My baby was going to 1st grade and I felt like I needed to be more involved at school, but because I had two little ones I couldn’t get into the classroom to help.  When the PTA asked for volunteers I selected several boxes and was asked to be the treasurer. This was a great place for me, I learned so much about the needs that the school, the families at the school and the parents had. 

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