The new Pleasanton PTA Council Special Needs Committee is preparing for next year and would like your opinion. Whether you are a parent of a special needs student, or not, help us figure out what parent education night topics we should consider for next year. Take our three minute online survey and make your voice heard. Click below:
CAPTA Releases List of Available Grant Opportunites
Click here for a list of grant opportunities. It would be fantastic for a Pleasanton PTA to get one! Application information and due dates are included.
CSS's Life-Saving Mission is to reach out and offer support to people of all ages and backgrounds during times of crisis, to work to prevent the suicide of those who are actively suicidal, and to offer hope and caring during times of hopelessness.
Founded in 1966, Crisis Support Services offers a broad range of counseling, education and prevention services in a safe environment.
California State PTA Endorses Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act
Million-member organization mobilizes to qualify initiative for November ballot
Sacramento - Feb. 4, 2010 - The California State PTA announced that it is mobilizing its nearly 1 million members to support Californians for Improved School Funding's ballot initiative, the Local Control of Local Classrooms Funding Act (www.improvedschoolfunding.com).
What is it? A constitutional amendment to lower the threshold to 55% from 66.7% for school district pass a parcel tax. Several restrictions are imposed. If you would like more information, contact
Stefani Katz
Race To The Top (RTTT)
Looking for information about Race To The Top (RTTT)? California State PTA has created this list of Key Points (pdf) that you may find helpful as California heads into the second phase of the competitive application process.
SCHOOL FINANCE HIGHLIGHTS 2009–10
EdSource Reports The Impact Of The Fiscal Crisis On California Public Schools
In fall 2008, the nation faced a historic economic crisis. No state government in the country was as severely shaken as California, where years of budget troubles preceded the national crisis. The situation
worsened throughout 2009, and state leaders repeatedly acted to balance the state budget. And because K–12 education represents the single largest state expenditure here, California’s public schools were greatly affected.
As the single largest expenditure in California's budget, K-12 education funding (and consequently the very ability of school districts and schools to operate) has been mired in the chaos that has characterized California's budget process in recent years.
School districts have endured deep cuts in state funding with little recourse, since California law severely limits their revenue-raising authority, leaving the K-12 education system vulnerable to economic volatility and Sacramento politics.
Concise and easy to read, Local Revenues for Schools: Limits and Options in California paints a comprehensive picture of how school funding got to be the way it is and the challenges and opportunities for changing it. Best of all, you can download it free from the EdSource website.
California State PTA has launched a public service announcement (PSA) campaign called "Parents Know the Answer" to engage families and promote PTA.
These video announcements feature real PTA members speaking straight from the heart about the benefits and rewards of getting involved in their children's public schools. They were made possible through the generous support of the Pearson Foundation. These videos will be rotated on this site as time permits.
State Budget Crisis and Education Finance Reform
See our Advocacy Section for information about local campaign issues.
Want to understand more about how education finance works (or doesn't work ??!) in California? Check out PTA in California's Special Edition "Getting to Work on School Finance and Education Reform". This document puts all the jargon and complicated budget processes in terms we all can understand.
