Author: Ray Kinyon

15 Tips For New Leaders

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

The first months as a new PTA leader may seem overwhelming, but California State PTA is  here to help! A lot needs to be done to get things up and running. This list will help you figure out when and how to schedule meetings, create calendars, and perform other tasks that will ensure that your PTA gets off to a good start!

  1. The president should set up a meeting with the school principal and call meetings of the board as soon as possible. 
  2. At the first board meeting, ratify appointed officers, fill any vacant positions, ratify committees and chairs, and make plans for the coming year. Strive for a balance of experienced and new leaders, keeping in mind that all areas of the community should be represented.
  3. Consider conducting a survey of needs that would go out to the entire school community. Have it returned prior to your PTA’s first budget meeting, where past unit activities are reviewed and suggestions for new activities are solicited.
  4. Use input from the survey for brainstorming session(s) with the board to establish your goals. Set realistic goals and prioritize programs.
  5. Set a calendar for the upcoming year and provide membership campaign materials to the school for any summer or start-of-school mailings they may be planning.
  6. Meet with outgoing officers to understand your job and to collect materials belonging to your PTA.
  7. Become familiar with the duties of each chair by reviewing the California State PTA Toolkit. Share job descriptions and materials as noted with the chairpersons and help them to secure historical materials from their predecessors. 
  8. Consider reviewing your PTA bylaws with the entire board (even if the bylaws are not due for renewal.). The bylaws contain many job responsibilities and timelines/due dates. Reviewing them together gets everyone on the same page with the same expectations.
  9. Encourage every board member to attend training. The Training Center on the CA State PTA Leaders Website is a great resource for this.
  10. Prepare a preliminary budget and present it for adoption at your next association meeting.
  11. Verify with the outgoing financial officers that the books have been closed and that the following documents were prepared:  Annual Financial Report, Year-end Financial Review, documents organized for preparing tax filings.  
  12. Update signature cards for bank accounts.
  13. Make sure that your board roster is uploaded into MyPTEZ. Provide names and contact information for board members. If you do not have access to the roster system, contact your council or district to assist you. 
  14. Make sure each of your board members knows how to contact their counterpart at district (or council) to get questions answered.
  15. Don’t forget to breathe! There is no such thing as a PTA emergency.

National Standards for Family-School Partnerships Standard 4- Speaking Up For Every Child

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

June 2023 Family Engagement Friday Bannerby Colleen Hervey, Family Engagement Commissioner

 “Every Child, One Voice.” That is the foundation for the work of PTA. Parents want what’s best for their children but may not always have the knowledge, means, or opportunity to provide that. This is why National PTA developed its National Standards for Family-School Partnerships, which were recently updated.  

National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships

A previous blog post provided a full rundown of the Standards and links to comprehensive information from National PTA. Standard #4 provides guidance for how parents, educators, and community members all play a role in making sure every child receives the nurturing and support they need.

Standard 4: Speak up for every child. The school affirms family and student expertise and advocacy so that all students are treated fairly and have access to relationships and opportunities that will support their success.

This standard for family-school partnerships recognizes the importance of helping families navigate the school system in order to communicate effectively with educators without fear of bias and thu

s provide every child with the very best educational experience possible.

The standards include two goals that will help school and PTA leaders focus on what’s most important to ensure all students and families feel confident in communicating and receiving help to address their child’s needs.

The first goal is to Navigate the school system: Are families knowledgeable and able to raise questions or concerns about their child’s educational experience? The ability of families to communicate concerns about their child’s education within their school system is vital to the success of every student.

The second goal is to Address inequitable outcomes and access: Does the school remove barriers for families to be advocates for and with students—particularly those who are most marginalized? Reviewing data and other indicators to dig deep into determining what groups are being underserved or underrepresented will help remove barriers and bias, providing better support for all students.

The updated standards also provide indicators developed to help guide school and PTA leaders in achieving each targeted goal.

To access all of the information and resources available, including a webinar that dives deeper into ways to speak up for every child, click on this link: Standard 4: Speak Up for Every Child

Steps Towards Meeting These Goals

A great tool included in the updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships is a School Leader’s Rubric to help measure progress in improving communication between families and school partners, removing barriers that prevent a fair and equitable educational experience for all children. This includes:

  • Facilitating connections between families and school/district personnel so that families have access to relationships and networks within the school and district. 
  • Asking members of the various groups and subgroups what barriers need to be removed and what supports they need to be successful in leadership roles.
  • Ensuring that members from underrepresented groups take the lead in informing, designing, and implementing school improvement efforts so they develop trust and confidence in staff and PTA leaders.

As your PTA works to help uplift family voices to speak up for every child, the following self-reflection questions may guide your efforts and provide a stepping-off point from which to plan programs: 

  • How does our PTA engage students in assessing the needs and setting priorities for our PTA and school community?
  • Does our PTA know how our school’s students are doing academically, socially, and emotionally across different demographic groups? Do we dedicate resources to support these needs? Do we advocate for the school district to meet these needs?
  • How does our PTA share information and prepare families so that they can advocate for their child and all children?
  • How does our PTA help connect families to school and district decision-makers so that their voices can be heard?
  • How is PTA discussing bias in family engagement practices in our PTA and school community? What efforts are we taking to confront and eliminate bias?

The updated National Standards for Family-School Partnerships reflect a broadened vision of student success that recognizes the important ways that families and schools collaborate around student achievement and well-being with a more intentional emphasis on equity and inclusion, including guidance to help schools and PTAs partner with our increasingly diverse families. For more information, visit the California State PTA website.

Ideas For Filling Out Your Executive Board

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission

Your local PTA elections are over, your new board is ready to take up their roles, but wait…  Despite your best efforts, and those of your nominating committee, you still have some board positions left unfilled. Your association will run better and you’ll have more potential leaders joining your ranks if you can change that.

There are two proven approaches for doing so, broadening your pool of volunteers and removing obstacles that might be standing in the way of people’s willingness to help.

Ways to Broaden Your Pool of Potential Volunteers

  • Review meeting attendance and membership lists

Is there an individual who attends all of your meetings? They may be waiting to be invited to serve. Does someone volunteer for a small job consistently? Is there an individual who often comments on your meetings’ business? These engaged members exhibit basic leader skills already: attendance, reliability, engagement.  

  • Let people know your needs

Put out the word on social media or use flyers or your school newsletter. A specific message from the principal will show support for PTA. (Be careful to not imply the individual expressing an interest in a position will for sure get the position.)

  • Speak with the principal and school staff

Often a principal, supportive teachers and staff will know parents who are active on campus but who might not be a part of PTA. An introduction from them can go a long way in building relationships with individuals that are not currently a part of the PTA.

  • Use an interest form

An interest form not only gives people an opportunity to express interest in a position for themselves, it also lets members suggest others they believe might be right for a position. 

Ways to Remove Obstacles that Might be Discouraging Participation

  • Identify obstacles to leadership

Examine what discourages people from stepping into leader roles. Are the dates and times of the meetings difficult for your potential leaders? Are the duties clear and understood? Is there misinformation about the positions? Can the duties of positions be divided through the appointment of a chair or assistant? Are there restrictions in your bylaws that prevent people from serving in leadership roles?

  • Scale back commitments

Do the number of events and programs your PTA hosts each year discourage potential leaders? Scale back the number of hosted activities to those that are most valued by your school community and that are achievable.  

  •  Be honest about the role

Explain the duties and expectations of the vacant positions. Remind prospects the executive board is a team which supports one another. Don’t forget to remind them of the PTA resources online and experienced leaders at the council, district and state levels.

  • Look for patterns

If your PTA struggles to find leaders year after year then ask for help and attend Council and District trainings. Attend PTA trainings as a team and invite individuals with potential to join you at the trainings. Council and district leaders can support you as you develop a pipeline for leaders, and if needed, will coordinate help from state PTA leaders.

Follow PTA Procedures for Completing the Team

The bylaws indicate which officer positions are filled by the president’s appointment, typically the parliamentarian or corresponding secretary. When the required quorum for your executive board meeting can be met, elected officer vacancies are filled by an election at the executive board meeting. The election results are then shared with the association. If the executive board meeting quorum cannot be met, elected officer vacancies are filled by an election at the association meeting. The president’s appointment of committee chair positions (which are not elected) are approved by the executive board and announced at association meetings. 

As the PTA term gets underway,  the president and the executive board can effectively work as a team to identify leaders and distribute the workload equitably. This teamwork has the potential to exponentially increase the achievements of the PTA in the coming year and future years. 

Tips for Making Sure Family Engagement Includes the Whole Family

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

June 2023 Family Engagement Friday Banner

by Kathleen Fay, Family Engagement Commission Consultant

Research shows that students succeed better when the entire family plays an active role at school. That includes joining and being active in PTA. Today’s PTA leaders know that more and more men want to get involved.  Making the effort to bring in dads, male adult caregivers and other father figures is not just crucial for full family engagement in your school community, it’s consistent with the PTA definition of family as all those who care for a child. If engaging more men in your organization is a goal you’re working on, it makes sense to consider some new activities that are more inclusive for every family member.  

A great way to get ideas is to find out what other PTAs have done. More than 100 PTA leaders from across the state shared their best family engagement tips, tricks, and ideas at the 2022 California State PTA Convention during a workshop called, “Learn, Share, Grow.”  Below are some of their best suggestions for activities and projects likely to be welcoming and interesting to PTA dads, grandpas, uncles, male caregivers and other father figures who want to support student success.

(Reminder: approve all events with your membership and check with your school and the PTA insurance guide before you start planning.)

Engage Men in your PTA! – Don’t overlook men when asking for new PTA members; invite them to join and encourage them to take on leadership positions, serve as campus volunteers, or head up an advocacy effort.

Hold a “Lucky to Have You” Dance – Kick up your heels and let students show appreciation for all the adults in their life! Include light refreshments, a fun dance competition, and a photo booth to capture the wonderful memories.

Enjoy a “Math Games” Night – Whether it’s playing Rummikub, Bingo, Yahtzee, competing with estimation jars, running a math scavenger hunt, or making string art or fraction quilts, you can build enthusiasm and support learning by holding a Math Games night! Children’s skills improve when families use math games to build their children’s essential math skills instead of just doing homework as usual. Teachers can provide families with useful, take-home tips for helping their kids with math; with guidance, all parents can support learning at home.

Tackle a new kind of PTA project  – Let kids and families work together on a group project towards a common goal, such as setting up and planting a school or community garden, creating a new lost-and-found bin adequate to the task, running a science experiment, or building a classroom library. Remember that everyone brings some sort of special talent or skill to the table, and modeling good  project planning and management will ensure that the finished project brings pride in contributing to a job well done.

Play Sportsball – Get kids together to play baseball/basketball/kickball with their mentors and families! Make the event grade-specific. Hold an all-purpose sporting event. Invite families to play games at recess. Conduct a sports clinic.

Create a Dedicated Group – The roles of fathers, male adult caregivers and other father figures have changed and diversified. PTA can facilitate formation of male-led groups to offer mutual support, provide a forum for interaction concerning parenting issues, identify and build strengths, and recognize their value and contributions as caregivers. If successful, these groups often continue to meet throughout the school years as kids grow up.

Holding a broader set of events that are attuned to the interests and skills of everyone in a family, including men and other male caregivers and father figures, sends a clear signal that your PTA is an inclusive organization. This approach to family engagement encourages all adults in kids’ lives to build connections with other families, interact with teachers, and connect with community and school resources. As relationships are established, trust grows, which helps to build a stronger school community in true collaboration to support student learning and development.

Board Elect Planning for the New Term

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by Leadership Services Commission

The end of this school year is in sight. That makes it an ideal time for next year’s PTA officers to start planning in earnest. You may already have great ideas for the work and activities you want to undertake, but do you have a solid group of volunteers ready to make it all happen? 

Here are some tips for making sure you have the volunteers you need, getting people on board, and realizing your plans for the new term.

Make participation easy.

More members may be working from home, but don’t assume they have more time. After being home bound some remain hesitant to step out socially.

Look at ways to divide the work into smaller, less threatening tasks with shorter timeframes. For example, subdivide the hospitality chair role into the events: winter, spring, and summer association meetings, Founders Day, Staff Appreciation, etc. For fundraising, consider a chair for each activity.

Refer to the California State PTA Toolkit for more than 28 suggested Job Descriptions for PTA leaders. You can adjust these to suit your goals. 

Use the buddy system to get the work done.

Every PTA association officially needs to have a president, secretary, and treasurer. Those are big jobs but sharing the workload can be straightforward.

If your PTA doesn’t have an executive vice president, corresponding secretary or financial secretary, these three positions, already included in the standard bylaws, were created to provide support and divide the work. Updating your bylaws is easy using California State PTA’s electronic eBylaws program to add these positions permanently.

In the meantime, the president may appoint an assistant to any officer for support, with or without attendance and full voting rights at executive board meetings. Consider these guidelines when appointing committee chairs and assistants.

Expand your outreach through purposeful inclusion.

Does your PTA embrace and reflect the full diversity of the individuals included in your school community?

If families at your school speak many languages, seek volunteers who will help engage those families. Parents of students with special needs often feel left out when they cannot leave their children at home with a childcare provider. Ask your officers and school staff which tasks can be done at home by eager volunteers.

Don’t forget students have great talent and energy. Middle school and high school students can be PTA members, and they can be volunteers as well. They can get a lot out of that involvement, and you’ll get extra hands on deck.

PTAs can and should be creative.

More often than not, the new idea you have has been done before. Reach out and connect with nearby PTAs, your council, and PTA District to share ideas and success stories and pool your resources.

School Research Resources Online: California provides access for all

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by Guest Author: Mary Beth Barber, California State Library

Every parent has faced it: the research paper. The first report and bibliography are introduced in fourth or fifth grade, and the assignments get more sophisticated every year after. How can a parent help?

The California State Library makes over a dozen school-library resources available to every school in the state through the K-12 Online Resources program. These are available through the computer, so you can help your young researchers from the comfort of home.

Britannica School, with informational articles for children of all ages, is an ideal first stop for research. There’s Britannica Escolar too, para los estudiantes quieren información en español. Explore at school.eb.com and escolar.eb.com.

For science, National Geographic Kids online is a great way to look at the magazine for ideas. If the research involves environmental issues, Gale In Context: Environmental Studies has information on science and social-science topics of environmental issues. There’s also the Gale Interactive: Science resource with modules of complex science information too. Gale’s California page can connect you.

Children can learn about their favorite books and authors and hear the stories behind the books from TeachingBooks, as well as find other diverse books. Parents can explore too and find books to request from the local library for summer reading at teachingbooks.net.

There are multiple resources available from ProQuest. Ask your school or district librarian or educational technology lead for more information on how your child can access these resources (described below) through their school interface. Most of these resources are also available through local libraries under the “online resources” or “homework help” sections.

  • Students can explore the world with CultureGrams and learn about real people across the globe and their daily lives.
  • Beginning researchers can start with SIRS Discoverer to pick topics then search for articles.
  • As the students get older (middle and high school), the report assignments may tackle critical thinking skills where students are to look at topics with multiple viewpoints. SIRS Issues Researcher is the ideal resource for these reports.
  • As a student advances, the report writing becomes more sophisticated, so do the resources, like eLibrary with a massive repository of articles, but also with a guided interface.
  • If the process feels overwhelming to the students, they can utilize Research Companion, a guide of short videos that help students break down the research and report writing process.
  • For those juniors and seniors looking to be college and career ready, the academic database ProQuest Central Student provides a view of what research will be like in college. It has a huge repository of millions of items from multi-media to dissertations.
  • If video is of interest, all students can access the PBS Video Library from ProQuest, with over sixteen hundred educational-content videos.

All of this is available to your student 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This is an ongoing program, not temporary assistance, so students can rely on them. And all the resources have citation tools, so crafting bibliographies is as easy as click-copy-paste.

Find out more by going to the State Library at www.library.ca.gov under the “Student and Teacher Resources” tab and make library research easier for your child … and for you!

Mary Beth Barber is the manager of the K-12 Online Resources program, a partnership between the California State Library and the Riverside County Office of Education. She is also the mother of a middle school student, and has volunteered for LCAP, curriculum & standards, and school site councils for over a decade.

How to Tell Your PTA Story in Pictures

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by California State PTA Communications Commission

As a PTA leader, you know the importance of effective communication with your members, parents, and the broader school community. 

One powerful tool to make your communications more engaging and effective is using good pictures. Whether it’s in your newsletters, social media, website, or in your school yearbook, pictures help bring your message to life, and they can help capture the attention of your audience. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the value of good pictures for PTAs and provide some tips on how to take and use them effectively.

2023 Capital Photographer

Caption: A photographer from Adams Photography, a 2023 Convention Sponsor, taking a group shot on the capitol steps. In kind donations of photography services, or a dedicated volunteer photographer can help you capture the pictures your PTA needs!

The Value Of Good Pictures For PTAs

Pictures can tell the story of your PTA’s work and the events you organize. They can convey emotions, create a sense of community, and showcase your accomplishments. For example, pictures of happy students participating in PTA events can help encourage more participation from parents and students in future events.  Create a PTA photographer chair or committee role, or just ask your board to take pictures at every event. Pictures are also an easy way to expand your inclusion efforts – make sure you request pictures from everyone in various ways and languages in your school community.  

Tips On Deciding Where To Use The Photo

Before taking pictures, think about where they will be used. Different communication channels have different requirements for image size, format, and orientation. Consider the image aspect ratio, that is, whether your photo should be portrait orientation (taller than it is wide) or landscape orientation (wider than it is tall), depending on the platform you’re using. For example:

  • For Instagram, portrait orientation is best to use as it will fill the screen (landscaped pictures are reduced and have bars of color at the top and bottom).
  • For stories/reels/social media videos, portrait orientation works best
  • For Twitter or Facebook, landscape orientation works better. 

If you plan to use the photo in a printed newsletter, yearbook, or banner, make sure to take the picture at a high resolution (the minimum is 300dpi for a standard 4”x7” photo) to look good when printed. Talk to the vendor handling your printing to confirm their preferred resolution.  Also, consider a mix of close-ups and pulled-back shots to create variety. 

Web photos can have lower resolution. We recommend Canva Pro for Non-profits for PTAs for many reasons, but the resize ability is especially helpful for photos. Learn how your PTA can get this free tool in the Communications section of our Leaders’ Website. 

Tips On Framing The Shot

Framing is essential when it comes to taking good pictures. When taking pictures of people, make sure to focus on their faces and expressions. Use the rule of thirds to create a balanced and visually appealing composition. Avoid placing the subject at the center of the frame, as it can create a static and uninteresting image. Instead, place the subject off-center, either to the left or right of the frame, and leave some negative space around them. This creates a more dynamic and engaging image.

Image on framing a picture

Getting Permission To Post The Photo

Before printing or posting any pictures on your PTA’s communication channels, make sure to get permission from the subjects in the picture. This includes both adults and children. An easy way to do this is by including a photo release form in your registration or consent forms. We have sample forms for PTAs to use on the Leaders’ Website and California State PTA Toolkit in English and Spanish.  If you’re taking pictures at a PTA event, you can also announce that pictures will be taken and posted and offer an opt-out option for those who don’t want their picture taken. Respect people’s privacy and rights, and make sure to remove any picture if requested.

Good pictures are an essential tool for PTAs to communicate effectively with their members and the broader school community. They can help tell your story, create a sense of community, and showcase your accomplishments. When taking and using pictures, make sure to think about where they will be used, how to frame them effectively, and how to get permission from the subjects in the picture. By following these tips, you can create a strong visual identity for your PTA and engage your audience effectively.

Expert Tips For Raising and Educating Digital Citizens

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by California State PTA Communications Commission

Our children are growing up in a rapidly-changing digital world. How do we make sure they’re safe and at the same time give them the skills they need to thrive in the world that awaits them?

This topic was addressed in the “Raising and Educating Safe, Smart Digital Citizens” workshop led by Jennifer Howerter and Renee Ousley-Swank, from the California Department of Education (CDE), and Jamie Nunez, from Common Sense Education. 

Each of the speakers addressed important questions related to this important topic.

What do we mean by terms like digital and media literacy?

Howerter, who serves as an education program consultant for the CDE, provided these clear definitions:

  • DIGITAL LITERACY: The ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. — American Library Association
  • INFORMATION LITERACY: A set of abilities requiring individuals to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information. — American Library Association
  • MEDIA LITERACY EDUCATION: Provides a framework … [for] using messages in a variety of forms—from print to video to the internet. Media literacy builds an understanding of the role of media in society as well as essential skills … for citizens of a democracy. — Center for Media Literacy

Are California schools making digital citizenship and media literacy part of the curriculum?

Ousley-Swank, a school library tech for the CDE, underscored the importance of the Model School Library Standards that can and should guide curriculum content for local educators.

She also worked with local school district librarians to create two short videos for the workshop that illustrate what is possible and the role parent leaders can play in realizing those possibilities.

  • Dinuba Unified School District is located in Tulare County and serves about 6,500 K-12 students. The district adopted its Digital Learning Plan in 2022.  
  • Encinitas Union School District, in San Diego County, serves 5,400 K-6 students and provided this video that explains the district’s approach to media and information literacy.  

How can PTA help families and educators teach kids about digital citizenship and media literacy?

Nunez has an inside view of the multitude of free resources available from Common Sense Education, where he is Western regional director. For this workshop, he taught attendees a few easy tricks for identifying misinformation and tapping into the natural curiosity of children and adults to build digital literacy.  

Common Sense Education has created a free curriculum, used by many schools, that includes resources teachers can share with parents (in both English and Spanish). The curriculum is organized around six topics: 

  • Media Balance & Well-Being 
  • Privacy & Security
  • Digital Footprint & Identity
  • Relationships and Communication
  • Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech
  • News & Media Literacy

Their work also includes a powerful suite of materials PTA leaders can use to share information with families, support classroom instruction in digital and media literacy where it’s happening, and learn about how such instruction can be implemented in their schools. 

How can PTAs best advocate for digital and media literacy education?

This PTA Position Statement on Media Literacy was approved by the California State PTA Board of Managers in February, 2023. It provides your local PTA with the authority to take on this issue and will also give you some good talking points.

Want to dig deeper and also get ideas for how to work with your local school or district? Blogs published previously by the California State PTA explore the issues of Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy in depth.

Who is this adult in my child’s body?

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission

Parents work hard to create good humans.  We feed our children not only for them to survive but to make sure they get good nutrition so their brains and bodies thrive. We teach them to wash their hands, say please and thank you … and all the other things in between.  Then one day, parents have to acknowledge that their children are adults and see if they were paying attention to all those lessons. 

Kelly Mattinson, a consultant to the California State PTA Family Engagement Commission, described how that day went for her. It occurred the first time she visited her son at college.:

“It had only been two weeks. Although 14 days truly is not very long, apparently, a lot can change in that amount of time. “As I got out of the car at the University, I headed towards my son’s dorm.  I walked by a student and thought nothing of it…. then I hear ‘MOM, MOM…’ “What the heck????

“The boy I walked past had purple hair… half shaved on the left side…. Wearing a tight white T-shirt with crazy graphics… I had never met THIS person before.  Apparently, this purple shaved headed bearded MAN was the adorable baby boy I had given birth to 18 years ago. WOW!?!?

“After a momentary pause.. I grabbed him and held him tight.  Yes, his appearance was a bit shocking… but he was still MY boy.  Apparently it was not going to be his last colorful hair decision.  The next few visits included green hair, red hair, and a variety of shaved designs… always a fun surprise.  That said, four years later, we attended the college graduation of a clean-shaven, kind, and considerate Physicist. 

“I hope other parents can learn from my experience.  Know this is a moment in time..  My story includes hair, but many other choices and body parts may be altered during this time of passage in our adult children’s lives. We do our best to raise good people – conscientious citizens – but they are also unique individuals with minds of their own, opinions that may differ from ours, and some have more ‘style’ than others.” !

Young adulthood is a time when your kids spread their wings and become self-sufficient adults. Sometimes this is a challenge for parents, particularly when those kids make decisions that may not align with your goals and choices,  but it can also be enlightening and inspiring.  Sit back and watch the child that you reared grow into an independent adult. As Mattinson’s story illustrates,  it’s worth the discomfort you may have during the process,

Hoping to See You at Convention

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by California State PTA Membership Services Commission

Join us at the Convention! Celebrate PTA Membership & Programs

The members of the Membership Services Commission are the people who have been bringing you Membership Mondays. We have also done countless office hours, workshops, and trainings to help grow PTA membership statewide. We have loved getting to know so many of you and hope to be able to meet you in person at Convention. 

In PTA, we know we are all each other’s cheerleaders and we’ve been so impressed and grateful for your devotion to growing our membership this term. We have grown so strong together to build our KIND of PTA! 

Register Today!

Share Your Membership Story and get a Convention Ribbon!

We continue to grow towards our goal of being 1 million members again! If you join us at the Convention, come to the Reflections Gallery and share your PTA story. Give us a paragraph or record a short video! We want to share your passion for PTA Membership so we can continue to grow our membership to continue our 126-year legacy and stay strong for the next 126 years! Convention is a special time where we are able to show off our ribbons and share our legacy and leadership in this amazing organization!

Learn & Network with Membership Experts At Convention

Our Convention workshops will help you and the membership chairs-elect to hit the ground running in July for the new term!

  • ABCs & 123s of Membership.  This workshop will help you learn the basics, building a membership campaign, implementing a membership drive, and continuing to make your membership stronger and more inclusive! Those that attend will get special membership kits via QR code!
  • Advanced Membership.  Are you returning to your membership role? Then this is the class for you! Learn about analyzing your membership numbers, think about surveying your membership to see what more you can do. Think strategically about underrepresented communities that should be members of your PTA!
  • DEI & PTA.  Our entire community should be members of PTA! This workshop will be a joint presentation between Membership Services Commission & Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee to give you strategies and tips to be more inclusive with your membership. DEI should be a priority for everyone! Especially for Membership! 

Last Chance to Apply to Win Membership Incentives & Challenges

We are seeing your membership success all through the state! This is your reminder to make sure you are recognized for the great work you are doing and something you can show your members to keep them excited about PTA. 

All units, councils, and districts that qualify for the Best in 5 Award will receive a recognition ribbon at the 2023 California State PTA Convention. 

And to cap off the 2022-23 year, units that increase membership over their 2021-2022 membership total will earn the following award:

Bronze: 1-24% 

Silver: 25-49%

Gold: 50-74% 

Platinum: 75-100%

Each unit will receive a certificate of recognition. Units earning the silver, gold, or platinum award will receive a Membership Marvel pin for their unit’s membership chair. No application is required. Due Date: 4/30/23.

Learn more through the new leaders website.

e-Membership/Totem Tip!

Make your membership transition smooth! Invite new leaders to your Totem accounts. Teach them how to use it or encourage them to attend Convention or Fall membership trainings so they can plan and get ready for the next term! Learn how to invite new leaders.