By California State PTA Legislative Advocacy Team
A decade ago, California State PTA passed a resolution proclaiming that “Climate Change is a Children’s Issue.” Since then, our organization has taken a variety of steps to educate our members and support local action on this issue.
This term, the California State PTA Board of Directors has stepped up its attention to this issue by adding a climate advocate to the Legislation Team. The goal is to help raise state leaders’ awareness of the ways that their actions on climate affect children, families, and schools.
California State PTA is not alone in this effort. For example, we have been a member of the Climate Ready Schools Coalition (CRSC) for several years, which includes organizations like the California Federation of Teachers, Green Schoolyards, Ten Strands, and Children Now – to name a few. CRSC began its work by publishing a Call to Action that explained the importance of supporting climate resilience in local schools in California. The Coalition was active in the 2024 effort to put Proposition 2 on the ballot and pass it, successfully providing public school facility funding that will directly benefit California students and families.
Making climate a specific advocacy area will help PTA raise our visibility with other climate organizations. It is surprising how many of those organizations don’t necessarily see what schools and young people have to do with their climate advocacy.
We also hope to more consistently educate and support every PTA leader and member regarding actions they can take locally. On capta.org, you will find that our Health and Community Concerns Commission has a section devoted to Climate Change.
This article from Ed100 provides a summary of both the challenges schools face and places where those local efforts can start.
We’re also interested in hearing about what you all, as local PTA leaders, have done or are doing to work with your local schools on issues of climate, environmental health, and building resilience. Have you urged your school district to install solar panels or invest in electric instead of diesel buses? Do you know if teachers include environmental literacy in their curriculum, as recommended by the state? Have you worked with your school food service to reduce waste?
Please email Mary Perry, California State PTA climate advocate, at mperry@capta.org to help us learn more about your efforts and share them with other PTAs throughout California.