The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) plays an important role in schools, and this year there is a new President, Kathy Mimberg. Prior to becoming the PTA President, Mimberg worked for a civil rights organization, where she worked in communication. Mimberg’s outgoing personality has prepared her to be the new leader of the PTA. In her first year, Mimberg will face some tough challenges, but she is more than ready to tackle them head on.
Mimberg was eager to get started as the President. She is a strong believer in community service and giving back. As a parent, Mimberg thought becoming the PTA President would be the perfect way for her to give back to her community.
“PTA is a wonderful way for parents and guardians to support Yorktown’s students, teachers and staff,” Mimberg said.
The PTA’s purpose is to allow parents to further advance the education of students. What the PTA does varies by school level, but the primary focus is to help raise money for the teachers and their needs. One of Mimberg’s coworkers, Martha Kopca, is a representative for the Advisory Council, which makes recommendations about educational practices and programs.
“The PTA’s primary purpose is to enable parents to work with the school faculty to enhance the educational environment and programs for the students,” Kopca said.
The first problem Mimberg is facing as PTA President is the redistricting process. She and her team are attempting to redraw the Arlington school borders. As part of her job, Mimberg is responsible for telling new families that they are now part of the Yorktown community.
“I have attended many community meetings so that Yorktown has a welcoming presence and I can provide information about our school community to families whose children may move from the Washington Lee zone to YHS,” Mimberg said.
Although it is only Mimberg’s first year as PTA President, she already has plans on changing a few aspects of the school. Her main focus is making it easier for families to access information online, which would allow for people to buy apparel as well as tickets to the Graduation Boat Party online.
“We just started the process of building a new website that will make it easier for families to find information and get involved,” Mimberg said.
Mimberg’s role is very important to having a successful year for everyone. She acts as a middleman between parents and the faculty, and must provide parents with information that she gets from meetings and activities.
“She is a key liaison between parents and the principal and faculty to ensure both the PTA and the school administration concur on PTA activities and focus,” Kopca said.
As an outgoing person, it is no surprise that Mimberg has enjoyed interacting with other members of the PTA. Mimberg works alongside 35 other PTA officers who do jobs ranging from leading Teacher Appreciation Week to being Science Fair Judges.
“It has been a lot of fun to connect with other parents and work together on behalf of Yorktown,” Mimberg said.
Being organized is one of the most important qualities of the PTA President. Mimberg must stay on top upcoming events and make sure all projects are running on time, all while finding time to work with other members of the PTA.
“It would be hard to do this job without good organizational skills,” Mimberg said.
One of the hardest parts of adjusting to being the PTA President is that Mimberg grew up in South America where there is no PTA, homecoming or bands.
Not only has Mimberg had to learn about these school activities, she has also had to make sure they operate smoothly.
“The schools I attended did not have PTAs, nor extracurricular activities,” Mimberg said.
Growing up in South America has also been a positive for Mimberg as she is fluent in Spanish, allowing her to efficiently communicate with both English and Spanish speakers.
“Moving from country to country improved my ability to meet people and work with everyone,” Mimberg said.
Mimberg definitely has a challenging job, but has been managing it perfectly. Her co-workers recognize her hard work, and are appreciative. Mimberg is quick to respond to emails from parents and coworkers, and is effectively keeping everyone in the community informed.
“She has spent countless hours working with YHS administrators and others to make sure that the PTA and the school are running like a well-oiled machine,” Kopca said.
Mimberg has a great group of coworkers working alongside of her. This will make her first year as PTA President productive and successful.
