Archives: Resources

The Arts are a Student Right! Simple Steps You Can Take to Make Schools More Creative 

This is a critical moment in the movement for every student’s right to creative expression. Arts programs provide outlets for expression, build resiliency and improve academic performance. Students in your school district should have access to these opportunities.

Join this informative webinar and discover how you can take action as an arts education advocate for students!

  • Learn about the role of parents, students and community members to serve as advocates and to convince decision makers about the value of arts education.
  • Walk away with ready-to-use tools from Create CA, CA PTA, Arts for LA and Arts Education Alliance of the Bay Area that will support you in advocating for a creative education for all students in your district.

Happening on February 3rd at 6:00pm, REGISTER HERE. 

Click here for more information and resources on arts education.

Programs and Grants Assistant

General Description:The Programs and Grants Assistant performs administrative work in support of various programs, services, commissions and committees of the association, as well as supporting general operations. This position reports to the Program Manager. This position interacts with committee and commission chairs and members, members of the board and various staff departments, as well as school and district staff, clients, consultants/service providers, and partners.

Classification: This position is classified on the non-exempt salary schedule as Administrative II.

Salary Range:$19.50 to $23.37/hour

Essential Functions:

  • Works closely with the Program Manager and other staff and volunteer leaders to support the School Smarts Parent Engagement program, including:
    • Developing timelines and implementing activities for the successful preparation, ordering and delivery of various program materials and deliverables;
    • Assisting with logistics and follow-up;
    • Compiling, inputting, and maintaining a range of data and information to facilitate smooth functioning and reporting out on the program;
    • Maintaining School Smarts records including updating program evaluation components, contact lists, and program information as needed;
    • Preparing agreements, facilitating appropriate reviews/approvals and maintaining all relevant agreements and fiscal records;
    • Facilitating/ensuring that requests for payments are submitted and processed;
    • Recommending ways to improve service and/or refine processes;
    • Providing other general administrative and clerical support to the School Smarts team, committee, client sites/districts, facilitators, coordinators and others, as requested.
  • Provides administrative support to the Director of Legislation, including consulting with the Chair and assisting with meeting preparation, including the annual Legislation Conference in consultation with the Meetings & Facilities Manager.
  • Provides administrative support for the legislative advocacy operations of the association by preparing reports, filing, bill pickup and mailing through the bill service; maintaining and updating the online bill tracking service; preparing the monthly, semi-annual and annual Legislation Report; handling incoming calls from outside sources such as legislative staff and other organizations; coordinating the signing and sending of certain legislative letters and documents; and tracking legislative bill files and updating them as requested.
  • Provides administrative support to the Reflections Committee, Scholarships & Grants Committee, and Arts Education Committee. Some duties can include assisting volunteer chairs and managerial staff with planning and logistics for meetings, implementation, follow-up, record-keeping and data management, copying, collating, and filing.
  • Performs administrative and clerical work in support of other programs (including potential future programs pursued by the organization), services, commissions, and committees, as assigned.
  • Serves as the primary backup to the administrative assistant by performing general administrative support and receptionist duties.
  • Assists with special projects, as assigned.
  • Follows all established procedures.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Attends meetings, as requested

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Highly organized and detail-oriented
  • Proficient using Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
  • Experience with Asana, Alchemer, and Smartsheet tools a plus
  • Team player who thrives in a busy environment
  • Bilingual with fluency in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog or Vietnamese highly preferred

Working Conditions/Physical Demands:

  • Typically may sit for extended periods of time
  • Operates a computer keyboard
  • May be required to travel
  • Lift up to 25 lbs

 

PTA insurance Premiums are due now. Check with your PTA Council or District for your insurance due date.

PTA insurance Premiums are due now. Check with your PTA Council or District for your insurance due date. Your regular PTA insurance premium of $282 for local PTA units is due no later than December 20! Insurance received by AIM after December 20, is subject to a $25.00 late fee. DO NOT SEND INSURANCE PREMIUMS THROUGH CHANNELS!  

If you pay for additional insurance above and beyond the standard rate, you need to contact AIM insurance directly to receive an invoice for the additional premiums. Once your payment is processed, you will receive an insurance certificate specific to your PTA. Many school districts require a new copy of the insurance certificate each year showing your coverage.

Find more insurance information and resources here and download the 2023 AIM Insurance Guide in English and Spanish.

Look for Your Workers’ Compensation Insurance Survey

On December 15th, the window for reporting your Workers’ Compensation status opens. Your president will receive an email with the link for filling out the Workers’ Compensation survey. You have until January 31st, 2022 to report any employees/independent contractors/sole proprietors who have provided services for your PTA for the time period between January 5th, 2021 and January 4th, 2022.

In order to fill out the survey, you will need information about any individual you paid directly for services during that time period. Do not include companies with more than one employee or board members you have reimbursed for purchases they made on your PTA’s behalf. Most PTAs do not owe an additional premium because they don’t have any qualifying workers that they need to cover.

If an individual has their own Workers’ Compensation insurance, they should provide you with proof.

If an individual does not have their own Workers’ Compensation insurance (liability insurance is not the same), you must cover them. The state of California does not require sole proprietors to carry their own, but our insurance company does in order to keep the costs of your general insurance down. You will need to report the total amount of money paid to the individual. The additional premium is 5% of the total of all paid individuals, minus the first $1,000.00.

The Workers’ Compensation insurance premium, if required, is paid directly to AIM. You will receive an invoice after you submit the paperwork to them.

 For further information check out: https://capta.org/pta-leaders/services/insurance/

Zoom Presentation: Assess Your Child’s Academic Progress After a Difficult Year

We often think of student test scores as the ending point of a student’s learning, a “final score.” But test results can actually be the start of learning.

In fact, test results can help you understand how much academic progress your child has made during the ups and downs of the last 18 months of school.

Join California State PTA and experts from ETS and Metametrics on Thursday, September 2, 2021 at 4:00 p.m. for an interactive Zoom presentation where you’ll learn how to use the results of state testing to gauge your child’s academic progress after a difficult year.

During the presentation, which will be facilitated by California State PTA president Carol Green, we will share newly available, free tools designed to help you find the right level of reading and math resources based on your child’s test scores. You’ll also learn about family-friendly tools called Find-A-Book and Math@Home that will make it easy to jumpstart your child’s success this school year.

Click here to register.

California State PTA Applauds the Education Package Signed by the Governor July 2021

SACRAMENTO, JULY 12, 2021 – California State PTA has released the following statement in response to the education package signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, July 9, 2021:

“This education package is great news for students and families in California,” said Carol Green, President of California State PTA. “There is a lot to celebrate in the $123.9 billion PreK-TK–K-12 education package. It includes funding for top PTA priorities including early childhood education, community schools and wrap-around services, universal school nutrition, and mental health services. PTA also supports the return to in-person instruction that includes a robust option for students who may need distance learning for health or other reasons.”

The safe return to in-person instruction is a priority for PTA members, and this budget prioritizes the safe return to in-person learning. As an organization that advocates for all children, including our most vulnerable, PTA wants to ensure that an option for quality distance learning also exists. We are pleased the Independent Study program is vastly improved under this plan and includes some of our recommendations, including standards aligned instruction, synchronous learning, access to college and career readiness courses, and stronger communication with students and families.

“We are also thrilled with the investment in universal transitional kindergarten for all four-year-olds by 2025.” Green added. “California State PTA has been advocating for this for years. We know this will go a long way toward closing opportunity and achievement gaps for future generations.”

The trauma of the pandemic highlighted inequities across our society. PTA continues to advocate for all children and families across California, and we are proud to be part of a process to bring a historic budget into reality.

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About California State PTA: California State PTA connects families, schools and communities. We are part of the foundation of our public education system and a trusted messenger to millions of members, parents, families, educators and allied agencies throughout the state. PTA is the nation’s largest volunteer-led child-advocacy association working to drive improvements in the education, health and well-being of all children and families. For more information, visit www.capta.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Robin Klau
Vice President for Communications
communications@capta.org
925.380.1591

Sherry Skelly Griffith
Executive Director
sgriffith@capta.org
916.955.1699

Watch the June 17 Webinar: Bridging the Digital Divide

On June 17, 2021 we held an important and informative webinar about bridging the digital divide, where we discussed the impact of integrating technology into learning, and revealed highlights from the CETF-USC statewide survey on distance learning.

Featured speakers included California State PTA President Celia Jaffe, representatives from the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF) and Dr. Pedro Noguera, Dean of the Rossier School of Education at USC.

Click here to watch a recording of the webinar.

School Reopening Briefing and Listening Session

Click here to watch a recording of this event.

On April 14 from 5:00-6:30 p.m. California State PTA and leaders of Governor Newsom’s “Safe Schools For All” team held an online briefing and listening session where we addressed safe school reopening.

During the briefing portion, we discussed statewide safe opening plans, and social-emotional and learning supports for students and families. Information and resources were provided to assist and empower parents and families to advocate on behalf of their child and school.

We also listened to the thoughts and opinions of our attendees. We heard what you need, what questions you had, and your ideas about how schools can safely reopen, stay open and help students thrive.

This briefing and listening session was facilitated by:

  • Dr. Naomi Bardach – Pediatrician and State Lead for the Safe Schools for All Team
  • Brooks Allen – Education Policy Advisor to the Governor
  • California State PTA leaders, led by Celia Jaffe, President

10 Things California State PTA Recommends for the Safe Reopening of Schools

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.

Ten Recommendations

We urge the Legislature and the Governor to adopt 10 recommendations for the timely and safe reopening of schools.

  1. Coordinate Efforts The Legislature and the Governor must agree on a coordinated approach to reopening schools as quickly as safely possible.
  2. Equitable Sufficient Funding There must be sufficient funding to cover the additional costs related to opening schools in person. And it must be equitable. All students should generate the same base funding grant with an LCFF adjustment that recognizes the impacts of the pandemic on disadvantaged students. Opening schools will require social emotional support for students and staff, and services to meet students’ and families’ needs including safe transportation for students.
  3. Extra Funding for Health-Related Costs Funding to pay for testing, vaccines, contact tracing, and other COVID-related health costs should not be from Proposition 98 funds. Every Proposition 98 dollar spent on non-instructional costs is one less dollar to educate our children.
  4. Protect the Health and Wellbeing of Students, Staff and Families The Governor, the Legislature and local governments must prioritize vaccinations for school staff, early childhood educators and childcare staff, especially those who are already working in-person.
  5. Parent Communication and Input School districts must provide opportunities for robust input and feedback as they prepare and execute reopening plans. They must ensure parents representing the diversity of the community are included in decision-making.
  6. In-Person Attendance Parents and families should be able to choose whether a child returns to school in-person depending on the health of the child and their family situation.
  7. Mental Health Matters Support the mental health and wellbeing of our students and staff by providing adequate resources to support their individual needs. To protect student health and well-being, middle schools should not start before 8:00 am and high schools before 8:30 am.
  8. Expanded Learning and Learning Loss Afterschool, summer school and childcare programs need to be available, fully funded and coordinated with the school day. All schools should develop programs to address learning loss and meet the needs of the whole child.
  9. Follow Health Guidelines Schools should not open in person unless it is safe for students and staff. School districts should adhere to the requirements set forth by the California Department of Public Health and county health departments regarding the reopening of schools.
  10. Realistic Timeline Any timeline for the reopening of schools should consider the needs of parents and teachers and respect the most accurate health guidelines. This includes making sure the school facility is safe for re-opening.

Schools need to open as soon as practically possible while protecting the health and well-being of students, staff and families. California’s students are counting on the Legislature and the Governor to come up with a realistic school reopening plan that meets the needs of all our school communities.

This statement was adopted by the Board of Managers on Feb. 20, 2021.

To download a PDF version of this statement, click here.