California State PTA Legislation Platform
(Adopted by convention delegates April 2018)
The legislation program of the California Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students, Inc., is derived from the work of the PTA in home, school, and community. PTA efforts “to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth’’ are based on recognition of the home as the foundation of our society, the responsibility of the PTA for parent education, the appreciation of our national heritage, the observance and understanding of the rights and obligations of responsible citizenship, and the realization that maintaining a free and public education system is the cornerstone of democracy.
The Carmel Valley Middle School PTSA urges you to become a part of the decision-making process. The items and links on this page are intended to help you make an unbiased and informed decision. IT’S EASY! Become informed on current bills and issues that effect our children and community. Then, take action….write, e-mail, phone or visit your assembly member or senator in his/her local office. Share your information with friends and relatives and encourage them to take action! Questions or comments are always welcome.
Brief History of Education Funding in California:
Through a series of laws, court decisions and ballot initiatives (including Proposition 13) in the 1970’s, California moved from a public education system that was funded primarily by local property taxes to one that is primarily funded out of the California state budget, with efforts being made to somewhat equalize funding amongst school districts. In the 1980’s several laws and initiatives were passed to increase and stabilize the amount of funding for schools, including Proposition 98, which guarantees a minimum level of funding to K-12 schools each year, through a series of complicated formulas. In the 1990’s the focus was on funding class size reductions. In the November ’05 special election, the Governor, with Proposition 76 (which was defeated) was attempting to change the rules of Prop. 98 to give him more flexibility in how much funding to give education, as part of his effort to balance California’s budget.
How You Can Help:
The best way to draw attention to any issue that concerns you with regard to education is to make your voice heard by contacting our government representatives. Use the link below to find your elected representatives and how to contact them. A personal message from you (as opposed to a form email) can be extremely effective. They assume that for every constituent they hear from, there are lots more with similar views:
- Find your elected representatives (State & Federal):
https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials
Other Useful Resources:
- California State PTA Advocacy page
- National PTA Issues page
- EdSource (EdSource is an independent, nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization whose mission is to clarify complex education issues and to promote thoughtful policy decisions about public school improvement in California.)
- California Budget Project (A non-profit, nonpartisan organization that does fiscal and policy analysis on state issues – click on “education” for their analysis of Proposition 98)
- California League of Women Voters (A great source of general voting information, especially during elections).