Author: Lydia Vi

Share the Gift of PTA this New Year

Posted on by Lydia Vi

By the California State PTA Convention Commission

As we welcome a new year, we are reminded that every January brings fresh opportunities to renew our commitment to children, families, and public education. The Gift of PTA is not just something we give during one season; it is a year-round dedication to advocacy, service, and community connection that continues to strengthen schools across California.

The new year is an ideal time to reflect on our impact and set intentions for the months ahead. Through our collective efforts, PTA members give the gift of leadership, collaboration, and support, creating meaningful change in the lives of students and families.

Ways to Share the Gift of PTA in the New Year

  1. Grow Our Membership: A new year brings new families and fresh occasions to invite parents, caregivers, educators, and community members to join PTA and be part of a united voice advocating for every child’s success.
  2. Recognize Excellence: The PTA Honorary Service Awards and other recognitions provide an opportunity to start the year by celebrating individuals and organizations whose dedication makes a difference. Recognition reinforces the value of service and inspires continued involvement.
  3. Give the Gift of Time and Talent: Whether volunteering at events, mentoring emerging leaders, or sharing professional expertise, every contribution matters. The new year is a perfect time to encourage members to step into leadership roles and strengthen PTA at every level.
  4. Empower Student Voices: Programs such as Reflections and student leadership opportunities allow young people to express their creativity and perspectives. Supporting student voices helps develop confident, engaged leaders for the future.
  5. Build Stronger Connections: Strengthen partnerships with local agencies, civic leaders, and businesses to expand PTA’s reach and impact. Collaboration ensures sustainable programs and reinforces PTA’s role as a trusted community partner.
  6. Celebrate and Share Impact: Share your PTA’s successes through newsletters, social media, and community outreach. Highlighting accomplishments not only celebrates progress but also invites others to join the mission.

As we look ahead, the new year offers a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. Each act of service, every partnership formed, and every member engaged represents a gift that strengthens our schools and communities.

Together, we enter the year with optimism, dedication, and a shared vision for the future.

We look forward to seeing you at our California State PTA Convention 2026 in Fresno where every voice, every member, and every gift continues to make a difference.

Extreme Heat is Getting Education Advocates Steamed

Posted on by Lydia Vi

By the California State PTA Education Commission and Legislative Advocacy Team

Explore climate solutions for schools at LegCon26, February 2-3

About 20 percent of California schools lack air conditioning, and in many others, the AC is ineffective. In Sacramento in 2022, children suffered from heat exposure when the air conditioning in the cafeteria broke down, and they spent their lunch hour outside during a 116-degree heatwave. On a day with 90-degree temperatures, children at an elementary school in Watts could not use the playground because the unshaded equipment and play surfaces were so hot they could cause third-degree burns. Extreme heat is already disrupting learning in California—and PTAs can help lead solutions.

These school experiences are a good reminder that our weather is becoming more extreme, and it’s happening because the surface atmosphere of the planet is getting warmer. Those temperature increases threaten children, their health and their learning, in ways that are getting more attention. Those impacts have prompted stronger climate advocacy on the part of the California State PTA, including joining the Climate Ready Schools Coalition and assigning a dedicated climate advocate to consider state legislation and coordinate our advocacy. 

It’s about kids’ health and learning

“Children are more vulnerable to the effects of heat than adults,” the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation concluded in a 2023 policy brief entitled Protecting Californians with Heat-Resilient Schools. “…they can get dehydrated more quickly in extreme temperatures. Children also face a heightened risk of some health conditions, including asthma, when they experience extremely high temperatures.”

These issues often arise at school, where the risks of heat exposure are heightened in outdoor play areas without shade. In school buildings without working air conditioning, indoor temperatures can soar well above recommended maximums of about 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Research shows that students’ ability to learn, measured in part by performance on assessments, suffers when schools cannot maintain comfortable indoor temperatures.

PTAs can take action

At our Legislation Conference on February 2 and 3 in Sacramento, attendees will learn more about California State PTA’s expanded climate advocacy efforts from an expert panel who will address Environmental Impacts on Student Success. The panel will feature Stanford pediatrician Lisa Patel, who will discuss the health and learning impacts of extreme heat on children. To explore school-specific concerns and actions PTA members can take in response, the other speakers will include Mitch Steiger, Legislative Representative for the California Federation of Teachers, plus a representative from Green Schoolyards. 

Join us at LegCon26 (Feb 2–3, Sacramento) to learn practical steps your PTA can take—then advocate together at the Capitol. Visit our website to register now and learn more about LegCon26.

PTA Winter Spotlight: Capistrano Council of PTSAs

Posted on by Lydia Vi

By the California State PTA Education Commission and Legislative Advocacy Team

Every PTA should have advocacy on the agenda of their meetings—because when families know more, students receive more. That’s why the Capistrano Council of PTSAs represents 50 school communities. Each PTA unit is asked to appoint an advocacy representative who attends monthly Council Advocacy meetings and brings critical information back to their site. 

Every year, our presidents and advocates travel to Sacramento with a single purpose: advocate for all children. At home, Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD) staff join our monthly meetings to explain the issues that shape our schools—budget, facilities, safety, special education, and Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). In order to keep our community fully informed, California State PTA and National PTA “Take Action”… Alerts are shared through email and our dedicated WhatsApp channel.

For more than two decades, CUCPTSA has built a strong, productive working partnership with CUSD leadership. The council president and council advocacy chair meet monthly with the superintendent to raise concerns early, solve problems collaboratively, and keep the focus where it belongs: students first.

During COVID, this partnership delivered real results. CUCPTSA led the push to use COVID relief funds to reduce class sizes at a time when elementary classes averaged 30:1 and secondary classes averaged 35:1. Working with the superintendent, the teachers’ union, and the classified employees’ union, we secured smaller class sizes through 2025 and added PE teachers at every elementary school, positions which did not exist previously. The outcome was unmistakable: Capistrano students avoided the deep learning loss seen across the nation and were able to catch up academically.

Each April, our Council Advocacy meeting becomes an Educational panel, bringing elected leaders directly to families. Last year we welcomed Congressman Mike Levin, former Senator Josh Newman, and Assemblywoman Laurie Davies’s Chief of Staff, Donna Cleary.

Beyond the panel, we equip our advocates with monthly local actionable items—practical questions to strengthen communication and accountability at every school site:
 • How are Prop 28 funds being used at your school?
 • How can students earn a Civic Engagement seal—and is that information reaching them?
 • Does your school have School Site Council meetings?

To expand access to information, the Advocacy team also maintains an Instagram account, @CAPO_A_Team, where updates, resources, and action items are shared regularly.

From 2020–2022, Capistrano PTSA—together with the school district, teachers, and classified staff—launched the statewide Raise the Base campaign. The mission was simple and urgent: increase Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) base funding so every California student receives more, without raising taxes. More than 200 superintendents joined this effort. The campaign name came from one honest insight: every roadblock heard in Sacramento pointed back to Proposition 98 and the LCFF base formula: If the base is the problem, raising the base is the solution.

While the campaign has not yet produced an increase to LCFF base funding, it has succeeded in changing the conversation; It has built awareness, bringing together stakeholders and elected leaders. And that momentum continues.

Capistrano PTSA remains committed to advocating for a stronger LCFF base by eliminating categorical programs and one-time dollars, shifting those funds into stable, ongoing base funding for every student.

Because when the base rises, every child rises.

The California Attorney General: Protecting Students and Schools

Posted on by Lydia Vi

By the California State PTA Education Commission and Legislative Advocacy Team

The California Attorney General (AG) serves as the state’s chief legal officer and top law enforcement official, with significant influence over issues affecting children, families, and schools throughout California. This elected position, chosen by voters statewide every four years, leads the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and shapes policies and enforcement actions that affect student rights and educational equity statewide.

The Attorney General directs the Department of Justice’s divisions, including Criminal Law, Civil Rights, and Consumer Protection, all of which address issues affecting children and schools. The Department of Justice’s work spans criminal prosecution, civil rights enforcement, data privacy protection, and legal guidance to educational institutions. Key areas impacting students, families, and schools include:

  • The AG defends students’ civil rights and educational access through the Bureau of Children’s Justice (BCJ), which investigates systemic discrimination in schools. DOJ investigators examine discrimination complaints, ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws, and take legal action when school districts fail to provide equal educational opportunities. These efforts protect vulnerable students and promote inclusive learning environments.
  • The Department of Justice enforces California’s student data privacy laws (KOPIPA and SOPIPA), requiring education-technology providers to protect student data. The AG has taken enforcement actions against companies that fail to implement proper data security, including securing a $3.25 million settlement against Illuminate Education for a 2021 data breach that exposed the sensitive information of over 434,000 California students.
  • The DOJ provides guidance to schools on how to respond to immigration enforcement activities on campus. The Attorney General issued model policies to help schools protect immigrant students’ rights while maintaining safe learning environments, including a requirement that schools provide the AG’s “Know Your Educational Rights” guidance to families.
  • The DOJ’s consumer protection role extends to educational services, investigating fraudulent educational programs, predatory student loan practices, and deceptive marketing targeting families.
  • The Bureau of Children’s Justice issues guidance on discrimination in school discipline. They highlight that research shows students subject to out-of-school suspensions suffer significant adverse impacts and encourage research-based alternatives.
  • In California, PTAs are organized as 501(c)(3) nonprofits and as such are subject to charitable oversight by the California Attorney General through the Registry of Charitable Trusts, requiring annual reporting and ensuring compliance with charitable solicitation laws.

Parents, guardians, and PTAs can engage with the Department of Justice by filing civil rights complaints through the Bureau of Children’s Justice, reporting suspected fraud, student data privacy breaches, and immigration enforcement activities at schools. Understanding how the Attorney General and the Department of Justice function helps families determine when state-level legal intervention may be appropriate to support their needs.

The California Attorney General serves as a crucial guardian of student rights and data privacy, ensuring that legal protections translate into real-world benefits for children and families throughout the state.

This article is part of a series on California’s state elected officials, offices, agencies, and how they impact the education of children and the lives of families throughout California. PTA/PTSAs in California are encouraged to share/reprint this information with all members as we head into the June 2026 California primary and November 2026 election. 
– Read “The California State Superintendent: Shaping Education for Millions,” first published in the October 2025 PTA Connects
– Read “The California State Board of Education: Setting the Course for Student Success,” first published in the November 2025 PTA Connects
– Read “The California Department of Education: Where Policy Meets Practice,” first published in the December 2025 PTA Connects

Your Voice Matters

Posted on by Lydia Vi

By the California State PTA Membership Services Commission

When you join PTA, you do more than support your local school community – you add your voice to the oldest and largest child advocacy volunteer organization in the country. Every membership strengthens PTA’s ability to speak up on the issues that matter most to all families. 

California State PTA is dedicated to positively impact the lives of all children and families. Advocacy is one of the most powerful ways we realize that mission. Membership provides the collective strength needed to advance policies, programs, and initiatives that benefit all children and families. This is the perfect time of year to invite others to stand with us and become PTA members.

We encourage you to invite those who have not yet joined PTA to become part of this important work. Together, we can make a difference. Ask friends, neighbors, family members, and community partners to join PTA today. Many people care deeply about issues affecting children but may not realize that PTA membership is one of the easiest and most effective ways to make a tangible impact. A simple invitation can bring new advocates into the fold and broaden the network of voices working on behalf of all children and families.

Be A PTA Advocate and Use Your Voice

Posted on by Lydia Vi

A Message from President Heather Ippolito

Welcome to a new calendar year! I hope that you had a wonderful holiday season full of family, friends, fun and hopefully a little rest. The new year finds us focusing on advocacy, as both California State PTA and National PTA hold our Legislative conferences and the legislative season begins. 

When I first joined PTA and the agenda would turn to advocacy, I would get so nervous. In my head were pictures of the entire PTA making signs and marching down to City Hall to yell at people – that was so far out of my comfort zone! When they would ask for volunteers to attend State PTA’s Legislation Conference, I would never raise my hand because I had never had a conversation with an elected official and that sounded terrifying to me. 

It wasn’t until Shereen Walter, 2019-2021 Director of Legislation for California State PTA, visited my district as a featured speaker, that my viewpoint changed on advocacy. In her talk, Shereen helped to demystify advocacy for me by telling us that advocacy was simply asking. As parents we ask for things for our students all the time – whether that is new programs at the school to make learning come to life or getting assistance for a new issue that has arisen on campus. 

As you think about your advocacy efforts in the new year, remember that students’ voice should be a part of all we do. Ask the students at your school what their needs are, what issues are most impacting them, and listen to their stories. We use the phrase “Nothing about us without us” in our DEI and exceptional learner work, and if the mission of PTA is to positively impact the lives of all CHILDREN and families, we can only do that work well if we listen to our students. 

I encourage you to not be intimidated by the term “advocacy”- you are doing it every day! Keep asking for what your students need, and keep sharing your stories with your administrators, school board members and elected officials. All students benefit from caring adults who continue to work alongside them in education advocacy efforts. Our schools and communities benefit when we advocate on behalf of all children and families. 

Today Tomorrow Together

Heather Ippolito
California State PTA President

Advocacy is a Connection Sport

A Message from President-Elect Will Sanford

For many of us, the word advocacy describes what others do to make the world a better place. However, everyone, including our youngest baby, is an advocate. Babies advocate well. They do what advocates do: they make their needs known to the individuals charged with meeting those needs, their parents/caregivers. How do they do it? In the only way they know, which is to cry and hope that those watching out for them will figure out if it is a dirty diaper, that they are hungry, or have to burp. As we gain the ability to express ourselves with words, our advocacy can become clearer or more muddled, depending on how well we have learned to advocate, propose solutions, seek appropriate help and clearly outline the case for getting a need/want met.

The California State PTA advocates to positively impact the lives of all children and their families, which is a huge and complex effort. At the end of the day we need to understand how we can extend our advocacy to influence decision makers to truly support children and families. We advocate every day, whether that is letting people know our preferences (decaf or regular coffee), encouraging people to join our PTA, or ensuring that our state and federal governments make sure that no children go hungry. Some are individual acts of advocacy, such as decaf or regular, and others involve partnering with others to amplify our voices. It all starts with the simple question of “What is the issue/need/challenge?” Look for resources, information, people, and groups that address that issue/need/challenge. Figure out how you can add your voice or get others to add their voices.

 Advocacy is a connection sport, in that we all can make a difference by building connections, starting within your school community and then expanding to include your whole community, including school boards, city councils, county supervisors, and legislative office holders. When you have a personal connection with someone, they are more likely to listen, reflect on your opinion, and potentially ask you for ideas. 

No one was born into the office they hold; they were your neighbor, friend, or community member and then chose to be a public servant. Building connections creates a network that can be used to advocate for a wide variety of issues. It is easier to ask for support from someone who knows you, than if you make a “cold call.” 

As our California Secretary of State, Dr. Shirley Weber, has mentioned in many of her presentations to us over the years, voting is how your voice counts. If you choose to not participate in elections, you are choosing to not be the voice for our children. Your voice matters and voting directly expresses that voice.

Will Sanford
California State PTA President-Elect