By Laura Ann Hawk-Loya, California State PTA Treasurer Your bylaws currently state that you should be conducting twice yearly reviews of your financial records. This may change soon based on an amendm...
Mental Health is part of the California Health Curriculum
March 14, 2023
by California State PTA Health and Community Concerns Commission More middle and high schools throughout California should be receiving mental health information in their health curriculum. Thanks to ...
Learn more about the Resolutions at the 2023 Convention
March 14, 2023
Convention delegates will have the opportunity to vote on four resolutions at this year’s 2023 California State PTA Convention in Sacramento! One of these is an update to one of our oldest resolutions...
Donated Items and Giving Donations to Those in Need
March 14, 2023
by Leadership Services Commission Donations, Fundraising, Disasters and Taxes–what’s a PTA to do? Knowing how to handle donations your PTA receives and perhaps some they want to make can be confusing...
Applications for the 2023-25 California State PTA Board of Managers Now Open!
March 7, 2023
by California State PTA Would you like to serve on the 2023-25 California State PTA Board of Managers? Be part of the nation’s largest volunteer child advocacy association working to improve the...
Celebrate Arts in Education Month in March – An Education without the ARTS is Incomplete!
March 6, 2023
by Arts Education Committee In PTA we believe that arts education is a student right! It is our responsibility to continue to advocate for comprehensive, accessible arts education in your schools and ...
National PTA Introduces New Standards for Family-School Partnerships
February 22, 2023
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission PTA believes families are essential partners with schools in the shared mission to help every child reach their full potential. For more than 20 ye...
by California State PTA Education Commission During the pandemic, many parents gained a new understanding of the challenges and successes their children experienced in school. But a two-year hiatus in...
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission As we head into spring, do you and your PTA board need some energy to finish the year strong? If the answer is yes, it’s a good time to applaud y...
MEMBERSHIP TIP: World Day of Social Justice – Make DEI a PTA Membership Topic February 20th is the United Nations World Day of Social Justice. This year’s theme is “Overcoming Barriers & Unl...
Saying Welcome to All Families Comes First for Effective Family Engagement
February 16, 2023
by Kathleen Fay, California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Consultant Before families are willing to partner with the school and the PTA, they need to feel that they are welcome and belong. Th...
by California State PTA Legislation Team In January PTA leaders from throughout California attended an online briefing about Governor Gavin Newsom’s recently released proposal for the 2023-24 State Bu...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission MEMBERSHIP TIP: You are Our Valentine! Share the Love through PTA Membership We’re celebrating 126 Years of PTA this week! Join PTA members throu...
Help Wanted: Student Board Members for the California State PTA
February 10, 2023
by California State PTA It happens whenever an articulate, well-informed student steps forward to describe their experiences to the California State PTA Board of Managers. State PTA leaders listen. A...
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission February 13-17th is Take Your Family to School Week. This annual event, created by the National PTA In 2006, gives families a chance to see what ha...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission MEMBERSHIP TIP: Celebrating Selena Sloan Butler, One of Our Founding Mothers, Tells the PTA Story Starting Black History Month Off with Our Very ...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission MEMBERSHIP TIP: Plan Your Spring Membership Drive to Help You Qualify for California State PTA Challenges & Incentives Membership is year rou...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission MEMBERSHIP TIP: Plan Ahead to Make Founders Day Part of Your Membership Campaign Founders’ Day is Coming! Start Planning for What You Can Do in F...
Celebrate Black History Month by Celebrating Selena Sloan Butler
January 18, 2023
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission The power of PTA is our proud history and dedication to “every child with one voice” that we have continued to demonstrate over the years. We hon...
California State PTA Supports Climate Resilient Schools
January 18, 2023
by California State PTA Health and Community Concerns Commission Recently, California State PTA joined the statewide Climate-Ready Schools Coalition. What is that, you ask? Well, it is a coalition fo...
Job #1 for the New Year: Getting Ready for PTA Elections
January 17, 2023
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission January may seem early for thinking about your PTA officers for next year, but it’s time! Keep on schedule with these three vital tasks and ensur...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission Today, January 16th, is MLK Jr. Day, A Day of Service. We’re Grateful for Your Service. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is now often observed as a Day...
by California State PTA Membership Services Commission2023 is a New Year and That’s an Opportunity for New Members This new year, California State PTA is setting a New Year’s Resolution to start all o...
California State PTA Communications Commission and You
December 16, 2022
The state Communications Commission’s job is to help ensure that all our members and leaders are connected and can find the information they need to do their work well. We also raise the ...
California State PTA Convention Commission and You
December 16, 2022
Each year, PTA members and leaders from every corner of California gather for our association’s annual convention. It’s an important opportunity to meet and learn from each other, come together...
Quality public education is crucially important to individual families and the future of our society as a whole. California State PTA is committed to connecting families and schools by providin...
The Family Engagement Commission helps build strong family-school partnerships
December 16, 2022
Healthy family–school partnerships benefit students, parents, teachers, schools, and the community. Developing these partnerships is essential for student success and crucial to PTA’s work to positive...
California State PTAs Health and Community Concerns Commission addresses issues related to the support of the whole child within the home, school, and community through relevant programs and through a...
The California State PTA Leadership Services Commission strengthens and extends the work of PTA in all arenas, and enhances the influence and public understanding of PTA, its purpose, and work. Commi...
PTA began, in 1897, as an advocacy organization with a nationwide campaign to eliminate threats that endangered children. Today, one of the important roles of the California State PTA is to advocate f...
California State PTA is a membership-based, nonprofit impact organization. Membership is the foundation upon which the entire organization rests. Members are vital to the advocacy work PTA does on beh...
Communication Tips for PTA Leaders Over the Holidays and Beyond
December 14, 2022
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission PTA Communications keep your members, school and community informed and engaged. The California State PTA Leadership Services Commission has work...
by Family Engagement Commission Consultant, Kelly Mattinson Volunteering in your local community can be fulfilling. Think about all the things we do to make our community, ours. How can PTAs and PTSA...
by Colleen Hervey, CA State PTA Family Engagement Commissioner, Derby Pattengill, CA State PTA Health and Community Concerns Vice-President, and Justine Fischer, Community Director for CalHope Schools...
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission PTAs learned a few things during the pandemic. Teleconferencing and video-conference meetings are now utilized by PTAs frequently. Three years a...
by California State PTA Legislation Advocates Anita Avrick, Melanie Lucas and Beth Meyerhoff California State PTA supported nine education bills that were signed into law this year. These laws range...
Support For Mental Health: The CalHOPE Schools Initiative
November 4, 2022
Adults who care for kids want what’s best for them, whether they’re in the role of parent, caregiver, teacher, or something else. What’s best includes providing young people with care that helps them ...
California Department of Education Releases CAASPP Data
October 28, 2022
by California State PTA Education Commission Earlier this week, the California Department of Education (CDE) released the results of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAAS...
Learn, Share, Grow: Strategies that Work at Secondary Schools
October 21, 2022
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Connecting with secondary-school students and their families is just as important as when they were in elementary school. But sometimes the progra...
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Consultant, Kelly Mattinson For students hoping to attend highly competitive colleges and universities, the application process can be daunting. Th...
By Mary Perry, California State PTA Communications Commission How do we help families use technology responsibly for learning, creating, and participating in the larger community? That is the central ...
California State PTA Supports Prop 31: Keep Kids and Tobacco Apart
October 12, 2022
by California State PTA Legislative Action Committee Flavored tobacco products like blue raspberry, root beer, and minty menthol target and hook kids. Tobacco companies use these flavors to make our ...
California State PTA Urges Support of Prop 28: Art and Music in Public Schools
October 12, 2022
by California State PTA Legislation Team California State PTA supports Proposition 28 on the November ballot which funds art and music in public schools. California State PTA has strongly and actively...
Reflections – Another Way to Celebrate the A in STEAM
October 9, 2022
by California State PTA Arts Education Committee An A in the classroom is still the best grade. And we know putting the A in STEM, making it STEAM, is the right decision for all students. When schools...
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Consultant, Kathleen Fay Families want to be heard by their school community. PTA leaders can help make that happen by hosting listening sessions t...
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission Your PTA’s efforts to provide programs for students and to support your schools often require that you contract with individuals or companies to ...
How Your PTA Can Easily and Safely Collect Payments
October 3, 2022
In our personal lives everyone is using apps to make payments, and folks are asking “Can PTAs use Venmo?” “What about Cash App?” The answer is no. These types of apps are peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms...
by California State PTA Vice President for Family Engagement, Heather Ippolito As many families with high school students know, fall is not just the beginning of the school year. For a high school sen...
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commissioner, Shannon Jaeger As we start off another school year, we know that local PTA leaders are excited to see students returning and eager to welcome pa...
Knowing your family’s rights: Students have rights, too
September 16, 2022
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Consultant, Kathleen Fay As events and programs for the new school year get underway, your PTA will be more successful and your plans will go more ...
California State PTA Supports Prop 28: Art & Music in Public Schools
September 14, 2022
by California State PTA Legislation Team For almost thirty five years, California State PTA has strongly and actively advocated for a full curriculum that includes the arts. Arts education supports al...
California State PTA Supports Prop 31: Prohibit Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products
September 14, 2022
by California State PTA Legislative Action Committee With flavors like “cotton candy,” “mango slushy,” and “chocolate,” vaping tobacco products have become increasingly popular among youth as young as...
by California State PTA Leadership Services Commission Are you wondering how your executive board can possibly plan, promote, and implement all the activities you hope to have? Are you looking for way...
PTAs Throughout State Receive Grants to Support Their Programs
September 13, 2022
by California State PTA Scholarships and Grants Committee A dozen local PTAs have received the extra resources they need to turn great program ideas into reality in 2022. Thanks to our California Stat...
Learn, Share Grow: Ideas for Family/Caregiver Elementary School Events
September 9, 2022
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Elementary school is many families’ first interaction with the school system. When your PTA finds ways to engage families early in the year i...
Local PTAs Successfully Advocate For School Facilities Improvements
September 9, 2022
by California State PTA Legislative Advocate Beth Graves-Meyerhoff Many PTAs coordinate programs and opportunities for their members to advocate directly with their local elected officials. Palos Verd...
by California State PTA Get Out the Vote! Many PTAs coordinate voter registration campaigns as part of their advocacy programs to engage PTA families and students. Along with the adult advocacy Califo...
Mock Elections Generate Real Election Excitement For Students
September 5, 2022
by California State PTA While many middle and high school students may not yet be able to vote officially, they can participate in mock elections. Many PTAs offer mock elections as a student program t...
Knowing your family’s rights helps to protect them
September 2, 2022
by California State PTA Family Engagement Commission Consultant, Kathleen Fay Decades of research back up what we know and value: Family involvement is the real key to our kids’ success. California St...
