May 26, 2022

SACRAMENTO, CA – In the wake of recent elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, California State PTA, is asking for more than your thoughts – it’s time to take action.

California State PTA stands with National PTA and Texas PTA as one voice demanding safe schools for every child in our nation. We must put an end to gun violence and provide support for our children and families impacted by this trauma.

We must stand up for the 19 students, two teachers that died and the 17 injured in the Uvalde, Texas tragedy. As the country’s largest volunteer led child advocacy association, we must demand that our lawmakers be as brave as the teachers who gave their lives to shield their students from gunfire. As parents and teachers and community members who care about our children we must end this violence.

“For more than a century, California State PTA has advocated for safe schools and for gun laws to protect our children. And now another school shooting is in the news. When will it be enough? How many more children have to die before we do something? Gun violence is a public-health crisis that affects us all – and it is time for action,” said California State PTA President Carol Green. “California State PTA supports state and federal legislation that protect children and youth from gun violence.”

Our position statement on Firearms and Assault Weapons affirms the association’s stance on firearms including minimum age requirements to purchase guns, prohibiting the sale and possession of assault weapons defined as automatic and semi-automatic weapons, and incorporates language from the National PTA position that the safest schools are gun free schools.

California State PTA will be addressing gun violence, school safety and mental health issues with federal lawmakers in Washington D.C. on June 15 during the 2022 National PTA Hill Day – but we are not waiting – we ask our members to take action now and urge congress to protect our children from gun violence.

California State PTA will continue to watch federal legislation including House Resolution (HR)  8 – Bipartisan Background Check Act of 2021 (Thompson) and will keep members informed with action alerts. 

Take Action:

• Take Action: Urge Congress to Protect Our Children from Gun Violence
• 2022 PTA Capitol Hill Day Ask: Community Safety and Youth Violence Prevention
• National PTA calls for Gun Violence Prevention, watch here.

Resources:

• Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
• Every Town for gun Safety
• Harvard Health: Children and Gun Safety: What to Know and Do
• California State PTA Position Statement: Firearms and Assault Weapons 
• Grief & Loss Resources for Children
• Helping Children Manage Distress
• NCTSN Psychilogical First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) Field Operations Guide
• Talking to Children About School & Community Shootings

Resolutions:

• Ban on Military Assault-Type Weapons
• Firearm Safety and Awareness
• Firearm Safety Devices
• Licensing and Regulation of Handguns
• Violence Prevention in Schools

On Tuesday, National PTA shared:

Governor Newsom’s May 2021 Revise budget, buoyed by an unexpected surge in California’s tax revenues, helps repair the deep budget cuts of the pandemic and allows the state to start to invest more to support children, families and schools.

In just one year, the California budget has moved from a $54 million deficit to a projected $75 billion surplus. When combined with new federal funding under the American Rescue Plan, California has an additional $100 billion in funding surplus.

California State PTA is delighted that the proposed budget invests in long-time PTA priorities, including early education, summer school and after school programs, mental health, nutrition, community schools and targeted support for our most needy students.

We also strongly support many of the investments in families and children outside of the education budget that address poverty, climate change, and health and human services, particularly efforts to reduce child poverty.

Source: https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/4432

Education Proposals

• Early Education: Universal access to transitional kindergarten.
• Expanded Learning: Year-round access to enrichment activities and before/after-school supplemental education programs for children in low-income communities. Note: additional funding needed to adequately address the needs of all students.
• Quality Teaching: Funding to retain, recruit, train and support teachers.
  Student Support. Funding for additional teachers, including more school counselors, social workers, and nurses.
• Nutrition: Increased access to school-wide nutrition programs.
• Community Schools: Better integrated relationship between schools and health care plans, county health, and social services to provide school-based services to children. Grants for up to 1,400 local educational agencies (more than 60 percent of local educational agencies statewide) to convert school campuses into full-service community schools.
• Closing the Digital Divide: Greater student access to broadband internet and computer technology, both in the classroom and at home.
• Special Education: Federal and state funds for special education, particularly to address the impact of the pandemic, dispute resolution and inclusive practices.
• Distance Learning: Not Properly Addressed

We are deeply concerned that the state has not created a plan for high-quality distance learning. Not only is this important for students and families who can not or do not want to return to in person learning but also for innovative instruction going forward to meet the needs of students who thrive in this environment.

We believe families need quality distance learning options for the coming school year and beyond. The Governor’s current proposal to incorporate distance learning into independent learning fails to provide the on-going quality options students need.

PTA is advocating for a quality distance learning option that is equivalent to in-person learning for any family or student that needs it.

Maintaining a quality distance learning option will serve us as a state in the event of future unanticipated events. We should not waste this opportunity to prepare for the future.

Education Funding

Even with this welcome increase in state revenue, California per pupil funding still remains below the national average when adjusted for regional differences. Funding is estimated to be $13,977 per student in the coming year.

Summary of Major Proposals with Funding Allocations

You can find a quick summary of major state and federal education budget investments here.

Next Steps

Now the Governor’s May Revise will be heard by the budget committees and be voted on by June 15th with a deadline of July 1 to be signed by the Governor.

Resources to Dig Deeper

• Proposed 2021-22 California Budget
• Proposed 2021-22 Education Budget
• Ed100 quick summary of state and federal education budgets
• Legislative Analyst Initial Comments on Budget