News & Press Releases

California State PTA has released the following statement in response to the recent verdict in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin: “We are a nation traumatized by racial injustice. The murder verdict in the George Floyd case is one important signal that police who use excessive force and discriminatory practices are not above the law. Incidents of discriminatory practices and racial injustice happen not only on our public streets but in our public schools.

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California State PTA condemns the Georgia shootings and the recent violence against Asian Americans in our country. Our association stands firmly against racism in all forms and denounces all racial violence.

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Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond California State Board of Education 1430 N Street, Room 5111 Sacramento, CA 95814 Email – sbe@cde.ca.gov RE: Agenda Item 2 Dear Dr. Darling-Hammond and Members of the State Board of Education: California State PTA supports postponing the administration of the CAASPP tests until the start of the 2021-22 school year. Such a […]

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Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA, has issued a statement on behalf of California State PTA’s 700,000 members in response to legislation passed today regarding the spring reopening of schools. “California State PTA is strongly committed to the safe reopening of schools. We appreciate the cooperation between the Governor and Legislature in finalizing a spring agreement to incentivize in-person instruction.”

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California State PTA is writing on behalf of the children and families of California who want to see their children return to school as soon as it is safe to do so. It has been almost a year since California closed its school campuses and our children are falling behind academically and their mental health is suffering. We ask the Legislature and the Governor to work together on a coordinated plan that incorporates our recommendations for a safe reopening.

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Exciting news: our partners Create CA and ArtsEd411 are merging! Through the coming months, they will integrate and combine efforts as California’s largest organization working to ensure every student has access to a full and relevant arts education. The following statement was released by Create CA and CAAE on February 11, 2021.

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Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA, has issued an opinion piece on behalf of California State PTA’s 700,000 members in which she urges the Governor to adopt 10 key recommendations for the timely and safe reopening of schools. “Schools need to open as soon as practically possible while protecting the health and well-being of students, staff and families,” Jaffe says in the piece, which prioritizes equitable, sufficient funding to cover reopening costs, robust school-parent communication, and expanded learning programs to address learning loss over the last 10 months.

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The proposed California budget for next year targets significant funding to help children, youth and families recover from the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19. This includes more money for housing, health, small businesses, low income families and education. While the budget picture is unexpectedly rosy this year, projections are for lean years ahead. Because of this, the budget also socks away money for a rainy day to avoid deep cuts in future years.

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“This has been an unprecedented time for students and families,” said Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA. “The global pandemic and civil unrest has rocked the foundation of our public school system. The state and federal budget investments we make this year are critical to restoring the health, safety, social, emotional and academic support needed for all children and families.”

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California State PTA has released the following statement in response to the riots at the U.S. Capitol, which shook the nation. “We at California State PTA denounce last week’s attack on our Capitol,” said Celia Jaffe, President of California State PTA. “This assault on our government was shocking and intolerable. As a nonpartisan organization, PTA supports full participation in, and respect for, the democratic process, affirming that free and fair elections and an orderly transfer of power are cornerstones of our democracy that must not be compromised.” 

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