Legislation Platform

To be heard and voted on in General Meeting 1 – Friday, May 3, 2025

Presented to convention delegates for adoption in even-numbered years. Adopted April 2022; Edits proposed for 2024

Review Key: Black text indicates current platform. Proposed additions are in blue text. Other edits are indicated with a red strikethrough.

Preamble

The California Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students, Inc. legislation platform reflects the priorities that guide our efforts to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children, youth, and families.

General Principles

General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation

1. Equity in every aspect of life for all children and youth, while recognizing that each child is unique with individual needs and talents.
2. High standards for those who work in all areas concerned with children and youth.
3. Effective governance systems and practices that are rooted in social justice to effectively serve the needs of children, youth, and families.
4. Coordination and planning by all agencies with clear definition of responsibility at each level of government.
5. Establishment of and adherence to fiscal responsibility in government, with concern for fair taxation, but keeping priorities for the needs of all children and youth foremost.
6. Adherence to strict ethical practices in political campaigns and at all levels of government.
7. Strong and broadly based tax structures at state and local levels.
8. Budgets and financial support to provide needed public services for all children and youth, with the continued constitutional guarantee of financial support for public schools, as the first claim on all state revenues in the general fund.
9. Local control when it serves the best interest of all children and youth.
10. Equal justice for all.

Legislation Planks

California State PTA will support legislation that:

1. To provide Provides the most comprehensive and diversified education possible for all children, youth, and adults: education that will achieve quality and excellence, encourage maximum individual development, and provide equitable educational opportunities for each student, with a particular focus on eliminating the achievement gap.
2. To advocate Advocates for a full and culturally responsive curriculum to meet the diverse needs of our student population.
3. To elevate Elevates the student voice to create an inclusive, positive, and supportive school climate.
4. To ensure Ensures access to affordable, reliable, and adequate broadband internet service for children, youth, and families.
5. To secure Secures financing for public education that will be sufficient to provide optimum educational opportunities for all students, including state aid to school districts for building purposes as well as state funds to cover excess costs of all programs mandated by the Legislature.
6. To support Supports all students with quality counseling and guidance services, school health services both mental and physical, and library services, provided by credentialed personnel.
7. To ensure Ensures pre-service and in-service teacher preparation programs, remuneration, supportive services, and professional development designed to attract and retain qualified teaching professionals.
8. To provide Provides guidelines for assessing competencies in the teaching profession, and to provide provides for due process in dismissal procedures.
9. To include Includes parents/guardians in decisions that affect the education and well-being of their children, and to promote promotes their involvement in their children’s education and schools.
10. To give Gives students the skills they need to become effective citizens in a democracy.
11. To protect Protects and improve improves the health of all families through the prevention, treatment, and control of disease.
12. To extend Extends and improve improves physical and mental health services and facilities, including rehabilitation.
13. To protect Protects families from unsafe, impure, or ineffective drugs, foods, medical devices, and cosmetics.
14. To prevent, Prevents, controls, or eliminate eliminates hazards to the health, safety, and well-being of all children and youth.
15. To require Requires state and local governments to publicize and disseminate information regarding issues affecting the public’s well-being in the language(s) of the community it serves.
16. To provide Provides effective community services and facilities for all children, youth, and adults, directed toward the well-being of the family.
17. To promote Promotes public policy that contributes to the stability of families and to the adequate physical, emotional, and financial support of children and youth.
18. To provide Provides services and facilities for the care, protection, and treatment of abused, dependent, neglected, or abandoned children and youth.
19. To secure Secures specialized programs for the prevention of crimes committed by juveniles.
20. To provide Provides adequate facilities and services for the treatment, education, and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
21. To promote Promotes public policies that protect and conserve natural resources and provide a quality environment for present and future generations.
22. To improve Improves governance systems and practices in order to effectively serve the needs of children and youth.
23. To support Supports the needs of vulnerable children in all aspects of their lives.