Focus Areas

Advocacy for children and families

One of the most important roles of California State PTA is to create and support laws that improve the lives of all California children.

ADVOCACY GOALS

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.

Provide programs, expertise, and resources to support and expand PTA advocacy at the local level.

Meet the 2023-25 California State PTA Legislation Team

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A PTA ADVOCACY CHAIR

If you are the new advocacy chair or legislative officer for your PTA, thank you for taking this important position. PTA has a proud history of advocating for programs and legislation that help children be safe, healthy, and successful. Now, you are a part of that vital mission. You may wonder how to begin if you have never done this job before. The state legislative process is complex, and the issues can be confusing. There is a lot to learn. But California State PTA is here to make your job easy! See this section of the Toolkit to help you get started:  Legislative Advocacy Chair – job description.

An invaluable resource is Ed100.org, a free online course on California education broken into brief lessons. Encourage your members to access this course to become informed parents and to win possible prizes for your school.

Fourth District PTA has great resources for you and your members. Check out their advocacy newsletter, including a guide to being an advocacy chair, and use the information for your own PTA!

TAKE ACTION!

Click here to see all of California State PTA’s (and National PTA’s) Action Alerts on our Take Action page.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION

Take a look at the latest Federal legislative updates from the California State PTA, including updates from the National PTA.

LEARN MORE

FIND YOUR BALLOT

Where’sMyBallot? is available in every county. Tracking your vote-by-mail ballot—when it is mailed, received, and counted—has never been easier. The California Secretary of State is now offering Where’s My Ballot?—a new way for voters to track and receive notifications on the status of their vote-by-mail ballot. Powered by BallotTrax, Where’s My Ballot?  lets voters know where their ballot is and its status every step of the way.

Sign-up at WheresMyBallot.sos.ca.gov to receive automatic email, SMS (text), or voice call notifications about your ballot.

Questions? Read Where’s My Ballot? Troubleshooting – Frequently Asked Questions (PDF) or visit the California Secretary of State’s website.

ADVOCACY, THE MEDIA, SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOU

California State PTA believes that today’s families – including young people and adults – must develop media literacy skills to be effective citizens in a democracy. 
    • California State PTA’s Position Statement:Media Literacy for Students and Families provides suggestions and authority for PTAs to take action. 
    • Department of Homeland Security flier: Media Literacy & Critical Thinking Online provides tools, resources, and curriculum from government agencies, Standford University, and American University

Amplifying the PTA voice is easy with the new Social Media Advocacy Chart. Tweet, post, or share anything in the green column. Think twice before sharing items from the yellow sections and do not share anything from a PTA account if it came from the red column.

Use social media to lift up PTA – you are an advocate, and we need your voice!

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Get Involved

There are several ways you can get involved in our advocacy efforts and help make a difference: