July 1, 2025 – SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Heather Ippolito, President and the 2025-2027 California State PTA Board of Directors take office for their two-year term. The incoming board is one of the most diverse and geographically spread across California bringing their passion for the PTA mission to positively impact the lives of all children and families.

Ippolito is thrilled to lead 560,000+ members who make up the largest volunteer-led child advocacy organization in California. This board of directors is excited to continue the advocacy work of PTA  to support our schools and families so that every student in California has the opportunity to succeed tomorrow and each day after.

Together, the 2025-2027 Board of Directors will work towards guiding the leadership and membership of the organization to the drumbeat of “Every Child. One Voice.” Ippolito has served as a volunteer at the unit, council, district, and state levels of PTA bringing her 25 years of experience to guide this board. She hopes to focus on advocating to benefit the lives of ALL children and families across the state. Ippolito plans to positively impact our communities by building leadership capacity at all levels to support families, and most importantly, our children during these tumultuous and uncertain times.

“I am proud to serve as your California State PTA President for the next two years, to lead by example and to create a vision for how our work should be member-focused and mission-driven,” said Ippolito. “We can do so much if we focus on the mission that unites us as we work TODAY, TOMORROW, TOGETHER.”

Ippolito began her teaching career in Santa Clarita, California, where she taught first, fifth, and sixth grade. She holds a teaching credential, an administrative credential, and two master’s degrees – one in curriculum development and the other in educational administration. She is a proud mother of Liliana and wife of her high-school sweetheart, Ron.

In her role as President, Ippolito will chair the 2025-2027 Board of Directors. Visit our website to read more about our Board of Directors.

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About California State PTA: California State PTA connects families, schools, and communities. We are part of the foundation of our public education system and a trusted messenger to 560,000+ members, parents, families, educators, and allied agencies throughout the state, and proudly serve over 6 million school aged children.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Josiah Kitonga, Executive Director
(916) 465-8600
jkitonga@capta.org 

Eric Thompson, Vice President for Communications
ethompson@capta.org

 

Dear PTA Member,

I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Board of Directors who will be serving you this year.

We all began our PTA journey at a unit like yours. I began as a teacher who volunteered to serve as the yearbook chair. Eric began as a student representative to his PTSA. Leslie joined the PTA when her kids began elementary school. Every single member of the State board has served in various PTA positions in unit, council, and district leadership. We’ve celebrated Reflections winners, we’ve helped our units win membership awards, and we’ve had our fair share of PTA challenges.

This board is committed to doing all that we can to make your PTA life easier. We’ve already met to reimagine and revise our summer mailer to make it more useful to you. We are working on re-establishing an e-bylaws system where you can submit your bylaws updates with a click of a mouse. We are brainstorming some amazing programming for the 2026 Convention in Fresno April 30-May 3, 2026. Stay tuned to our capta.org website and social media channels for all of the latest news – you won’t want to miss a thing!

We would love to hear from you as we continue to plan for the upcoming term. Complete this survey to let us know what programs, training opportunities, and services would be helpful to you. Encourage your board to share their thoughts too – the more feedback we get, the better we will be at designing programs to meet your needs.

Here’s to a wonderful term.

Today, Tomorrow, Together!

Sincerely,

Heather Ippolito
California State PTA President

Visit capta.org/board-of-directors to read about our Board of Directors.

As we start a new year, we are reminded that as California State PTA, we are united in supporting all children and families.

• Our members represent the great diversity of California.

• We speak many languages.

• We celebrate many cultures and religions.

• We may call ourselves liberals or conservatives.

As PTA members, we believe that whatever the background of a child and family, we are united in improving their health, welfare, and education.

California State PTA first took a position on the Rights and Services for Undocumented Children and Children of Undocumented Immigrants in 1994. Since then, PTA has consistently defended the right of every child to a “quality public education, adequate food and shelter, and basic health services.” Our position statement affirms that schools are meant to be safe spaces where children can learn and grow without fear. Likewise, schools must be safe places for families to support their children’s education.

It is in the interest of all Californians to ensure that all children can reach their full potential and become productive members of society. Access to free public education is the most effective method of securing this opportunity and should not be denied to any child.

In recent guidance to schools, the California Attorney General underscores that both federal and state law support these PTA beliefs. The law says that “schools must provide free public education to all students regardless of their immigration status and regardless of the citizenship status of the student’s parents or guardians.”

We know that many of our communities fear and are anxious about the future of our children and families. Because of concerns for their safety and well-being, we are sending guidance to the hundreds of thousands of PTA members in California. We aim to help you understand student and family rights and identify where help is available if needed.

Please share with your PTA members.

Guidance & Resources

• Know Your Immigration Rights (English | Spanish | Chinese | Korean | Tagalog | Vietnamese)
• Know Your Educational Rights: Guide for Students and Families (English | Spanish)
• Immigration and California Families (Español | 한국어 | Tagalog | Tiếng Việt | 繁體中文)
• Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment for All
• California Department of Education: Resources to Support in the Case of Immigration Enforcement on School Campuses
• California Department of Education: WHAT TO DO if an Immigration Enforcement Officer Comes to Your School

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La PTA Del Estado De California Apoya a Todos Los Niños y Familias

Al comenzar un nuevo año, recordemos que, como la PTA del Estado de California, estamos unidos para apoyar a todos los niños y las familias.

• Nuestros miembros representan la gran diversidad de California.
• Hablamos muchos idiomas.
• Celebramos muchas culturas y religiones.
• Podemos llamarnos liberales o conservadores.

Como miembros de la PTA, creemos que, independientemente de los antecedentes de un niño y de su familia, estamos unidos para mejorar su salud, bienestar y educación.

La PTA del Estado de California adoptó por primera vez una postura sobre los Derechos y Servicios para Niños Indocumentados e Hijos de Inmigrantes Indocumentados en 1994. Desde entonces, la PTA ha defendido constantemente el derecho de cada niño a una “educación pública de calidad, alimentación y vivienda adecuada y servicios básicos de la salud.” Nuestra declaración de postura afirma que las escuelas deben ser espacios seguros donde los niños puedan aprender y crecer sin miedo. Asimismo, las escuelas deben ser lugares seguros para que las familias apoyen la educación de sus hijos.

A todos los californianos les conviene garantizar que todos los niños puedan alcanzar su máximo potencial y convertirse en miembros productivos de la sociedad. El acceso a la educación pública gratuita es el método más eficaz para garantizar esta oportunidad y no se le debe negar a ningún niño.

En una reciente guía para las escuelas, el Fiscal General de California subraya que tanto la ley federal como la estatal respaldan estas creencias de la PTA. La ley dice que “las escuelas deben proporcionar educación pública gratuita a todos los estudiantes independientemente de su estatus migratorio y del estatus de ciudadanía de los padres o tutores del estudiante.”

Sabemos que muchas de nuestras comunidades temen y están ansiosas por el futuro de nuestros niños y familias. Debido a la preocupación por su seguridad y bienestar, estamos enviando una guía a los cientos de miles de miembros de la PTA en California. Nuestro objetivo es ayudarle a comprender y conocer los derechos de los estudiantes y las familias e identificar dónde hay ayuda disponible si la necesita.

Comparta esta información con los miembros de su PTA.

Guía

• Conozca sus Derechos de Inmigración (Inglés | Español | Chino | Coreano | Tagalo | Vietnamita)
• Conozca sus derechos educativos: Guía para Estudiantes y Familias (Inglés | Español)
• La Inmigración y las Familias de California (Español | 한국어 | Tagalog | Tiếng Việt | 繁體中文)
• Promoción de Un Entorno de Aprendizaje Seguro y Protegido Para Todos

September 13, 2023 – California State PTA is honoring its advocacy origins. Like the PTA founders who first met over 125 years ago to discuss issues affecting children, PTA representatives from throughout the state of California recently met to discuss issues affecting children and families. The organization adopted advocacy goals ranging from expanding civic engagement to enacting common sense gun control to safeguarding the well-being of children and families.

Kathleen Fay, California State PTA Legislation Director for the 2023-2025 term, said “With these forward-looking advocacy goals in place, the association is poised to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families, whether it be promoting informed family engagement or providing support for vulnerable youth.”

At the quarterly meeting of the state’s Board of Managers, leaders from throughout California voted to advocate for legislation, policies, and measures that:

• safeguard the health, safety, welfare, culture, and well-being of children and families, including mental health services and support for vulnerable youth;
• promote evidence-based, informed family engagement;
• expand civic engagement, learning, and participation;
• enact common sense gun control.

In addition, the advocacy goals include providing programs, expertise, and resources to support and expand PTA advocacy at the local level.

Affirming the state organization’s dedication to local PTA leaders, Shereen Walter, California State PTA President for the 2023-2025 term, said “California State PTA reaffirms its commitment to support and enhance the advocacy efforts of our local leaders. Recognizing the unique needs and challenges faced by communities across the state, the association aims to empower local PTAs with the tools and knowledge needed to effectively advocate for positive change within their respective regions.”

About California State PTA:

California State PTA connects families, schools, and communities. We are part of the foundation of our public education system and a trusted messenger to millions of members, parents, families, educators, and allied agencies throughout the state. PTA is the nation’s largest volunteer-led child advocacy association working to drive improvements in the education, health, and well-being of all children and families.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Barbara Smith
Vice President for Communications
bsmith@capta.org

September 12, 2023 – SACRAMENTO, CA – California State PTA, the state’s oldest and largest child advocacy organization, is looking to the future. Anticipating new challenges and opportunities in the years ahead, the statewide leadership has adopted goals for more effectively helping the 3000-plus local PTAs support all the children, families, and schools in their communities.
Shereen Walter, California State PTA President for the 2023-2025 term, explained that the new goals include strategic planning to align the PTA’s vision with emerging trends, technologies, and educational needs.

“Our association aims to continue its leadership as we adapt parental involvement and advocacy to fit the evolving landscape of education,” Walter said. “We are committed to supporting educational excellence and the welfare of all children and families by strengthening PTA’s impact through strategic partnerships, innovative advocacy campaigns, and data-driven initiatives.”
Walter added that California State PTA is also committed to cultivating an inclusive organization that recognizes the diverse communities its local associations serve. “Everyone’s voice needs to be heard and valued.”

Every PTA is a membership organization. PTA thus is focused on sustaining an outstanding membership base and expanding its reach throughout the state.
“Our membership is our strength,” said Heather Ippolito, California State PTA President-Elect. “To keep attracting and retaining a diverse community of individuals, and helping our local PTAs to do the same, we will continue looking for ways to enhance member benefits, connect people throughout the state, and provide helpful content and training to our local leaders. Our goal is to train, develop, and support a robust network of leaders who will carry the work of PTA forward for decades to come.”
Through collaborative efforts and a shared commitment to education, California State PTA is poised to make a lasting impact in the lives of children and families across the state.

About California State PTA:

California State PTA connects families, schools, and communities. We are part of the foundation of our public education system and a trusted messenger to millions of members, parents, families, educators, and allied agencies throughout the state. PTA is the nation’s largest volunteer-led child advocacy association working to drive improvements in the education, health, and well-being of all children and families.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Barbara Smith
Vice President for Communications
bsmith@capta.org