The PTA – the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation – is zeroed in on Memphis for the next several days.

The 114th Annual National PTA Convention and Exhibition runs from Thursday (June 10) through Sunday. Thousands of parents, teachers, students and leaders are expected to attend, including U. S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan who will deliver the keynote address during a session on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Charles J. Saylors

Charles J. “Chuck” Saylors, the PTA’s first-ever male national president, said he is excited about the focus on diversity and inclusion in PTA, specifically through the  Men Organized to Raise Engagement (MORE) alliance, Urban Family Engagement initiative, and Youth Summit.

“This convention will allow us to tackle these important issues head-on, all at once, together,” Saylors in his pitch for people to join him in Memphis for the annual convention. “We’ll also have more than 50 workshops, 200 exhibits, hundreds of resources, and countless opportunities for you to voice your opinions among a mobilized and motivated group that has the power to turn talk into action.”

Education Secretary Duncan will discuss ways to get parents and entire families involved in schools. He is part of significant presence that the education department plans to have at the convention.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Director of Community Outreach Alberto Retana will host two roundtables for parents to discuss their roles in education reform during the conference the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Among other things, Retana is expected to engage parents in discussions about turnaround strategies for low-performing schools, family engagement to support student achievement, approaches for improving graduation rates and efforts to help their state and districts move toward college and career standards for all students.

Parents invited include those from communities where Retana hosted community forums on turnaround strategies for low-performing schools, as well as those from states that have received School Improvement Grants to help with turnaround efforts and those from districts with promising family engagement strategies. The roundtables will take place at 4 p.m. Thursday (June 10) and at 6:15 p.m. on Friday.

In addition, Michael Robbins, special assistant in the Department’s Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, will lead a forum on “Responsible Fatherhood and Education Success” from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday. Topics include engaging men in education, community and the role of fathering, and fatherhood and economic stability. The forum is part of President Obama’s National Conversation on Responsible Fatherhood and Strong Communities.