L E G I S L A T I O N
LOCAL LEGISLATION
http://www.smmusd.org/21stcenturyschools/
WHERE WE STAND: POSITION STATEMENTS
Accountability Systems: Statewide, Federal, and Local
Arts in Education
Assessment and Testing (Statewide)
Assistance to Families in Need
Basic Education
Before- and After-School Options for Children and Youth
Behavioral Health and Social Emotional Development
Character Education
Charter Schools
Child Abuse
Child Care
Child Victims/Witnesses Rights
Chronic Illness Care in California Schools
Commercialism in Schools
Comprehensive Community Schools with Integrated Services (Community Schools)
Credentialed School Personnel
Education of English Language Learners
Education: Higher Education
Education: Opposing Vouchers, Tuition Tax Credits and Deductions as Systems of Education Aid
Education: Parental Choice In Public Schools
Education: Support of Public Education
Education: The Early Years, Ages 3 to 6
Education: The Elementary Years, Ages 6 to 10
Education: The Middle Years, Ages 10 to 14
Education: The High School Years Ages 14 to 18
Energy Conservation
Energy Drink and Coffee Beverage Awareness
Environmental Health and Environmental Education
Equal Rights
Evaluation of Teachers
Fair Housing
Family Engagement in Credentialing Programs
Family Planning
Family Responsibility and Accountability
Family Services
Firearms and Assault Weapons
Freedom to Learn
Funding of Mandated Programs: Effect on Public Education
Health Care Access for Children, Youth, Pregnant Women, and Their Families
Health Education
Homeless Children and Families
Inclusiveness and Diversity
Instructional Materials
Interpersonal Relations
Juvenile Offenders in the Justice System
Lead Poisoning
Library Services
Lottery Revenue and Public School Funding
Mass Media and the Family
Minor Consent for Health Care
Missing and Exploited Children
Parent Involvement: Building Bridges and Eliminating Barriers
Parenting Education and Skills Development
Physical Education (K-12)
Positive Youth Development
Prevention and Intervention Programs
Prevention of Teen Pregnancy
Public Involvement in School Governance
Public School Employer-Employee Negotiations
Reduced Class Size in Grades TK-3
Regulation of Medical Marijuana Providers Near Schools
Rights and Services for Undocumented Children and Children of Undocumented Immigrants
Rights of Foster Children and Foster Families
Safe Drinking Water in Schools
Safe School Environments
School Attendance
School Based Decision Making
School-Based/Linked Health Centers
School Bus Safety
School Closure
School Desegregation/Integration
School-To-Career Technical Education
Social Emotional Learning: Essential to a Well-rounded Education
Special Education
State Tax Reform
Status Offenders
Student Participation in Public Demonstrations
Student Records
Sugary-Sweetened Beverages
Teen Dating Violence Prevention
Television Programming
Toy Look-Alike Guns
Year-Round Education
Youth Involvement
Zero to Three Years: A critical Period in Child’s Development
STATE BALLOT MEASURES
California State PTA supports California Schools and Local Communities Funding Act and encourages PTA members to get involved in the campaign. This initiative will change how commercial and industrial property is taxed and raise between $6 billion and 10 billion to support our schools (40 percent) and other local governments (60 percent).
LEGISLATIVE ALERTS
Legislative Alerts are calls to action on key advocacy issues.
2019
- Stay tuned!
PTA SPONSORS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT LEGISLATION
California State PTA Sponsors AB 2878 to Strengthen Family Engagement in Schools
Family engagement is a key predictor of student success. That’s why California State PTA is sponsoring Assembly Bill 2878 by Assemblymember Rocky Chávez (San Diego).
Research shows authentic family engagement leads to reduced absenteeism, decreased dropout rates, increased student achievement and increased graduation rates which lead to young adults who are college and career ready.
This bill demonstrates a commitment to connecting families, schools and communities and to improving student outcomes. AB 2878 seeks to use research-based guidelines to define what authentic family engagement could look like in the Education Code to help guide schools. The suggested activities have been developed using research-based family engagement practices and standards, including, but not limited to, the PTA National Standards for Family-School Partnerships. It could also include:
- Outreach in multiple languages
- Outreach to parents and families that are underrepresented in the school, school district or county office of education
- Outreach strategies that are diverse and innovative.
Adding Family Engagement to LCFF Priority #3 would better reflect the true engagement local education agencies could implement, based on their local needs. It’s time to engage all parents and families for the success of our students, our schools and our state.
Learn more:
Be on the lookout for upcoming information so you can help keep family engagement moving forward, and be sure to share your family-engagement success stories with us so we can spread the word in the Capitol and in our communities and across California! Thank you for all that you do for our kids – it makes a difference.
For questions, please reach out to Director of Legislation Lea Darrah at ldarrah@capta.org or Executive Director Sherry Skelly Griffith at sgriffith@capta.org.
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A D V O C A C Y
ADVOCACY GOALS
- Support adequate funding for public education by educating our members and policy makers and advocating for legislation to bring California within the top 10 states in per pupil funding
- Promote schools as a safe and welcoming environment for all students, families and communities and support children’s health and welfare in all aspects of their lives
- Support and protect high-quality public education from efforts that would weaken this vital foundation of our democracy
- Advocate for authentic and measurable family-engagement standards in education policy.
ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOU
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!
VOLUNTEERS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
“Volunteers are at the heart of PTA advocacy. We speak up for all children and families to make a difference at the local, regional, state and national level.” — Lea Darrah, 2017-2019 Director of Legislation
PTA volunteer legislative advocates representing the broad scope of the organization closely monitor pending legislation and testify at public hearings to ensure our voice is heard. The advocates include the director of legislation, state advocates, a federal advocate and consultants with specialized skills. They meet with elected officials and policy-makers, speak at meetings of the California Legislature and carefully monitor both state and federal legislation. Advocacy focus areas include education funding and policy, community and school safety, juvenile justice, child care and early education, children’s health and other issues affecting kids and youth.
Volunteer advocates also analyze statewide ballot measures and determine California State PTA’s position, based upon convention resolutions and other PTA authority. For questions or more information about our legislative advocacy program, please contact the Director of Legislation at legislation@capta.org.
GET INVOLVED
There are several ways you can get involved in our advocacy efforts and help make a difference:
- Get informed and engaged with our Sacramento Update e-newsletter and Legislative Alerts
- Attend our annual Legislation Conference
- Contact your legislators
- Research current legislation
- Learn more about California’s state budget
- See California laws by subject area
- Check out federal legislation and policy information from National PTA
- Review PTA position statements and resolutions
- Read how PTA volunteers are giving the gift of civic engagement.
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