Advocacy



Our Children, Our Future: Local Schools and Early Education Investment Initiative

 

The California State PTA strongly supports this education funding measure that would raise approximately $10 billion a year in new revenue for local public schools and early childhood programs. Funding will be allocated to all students in K-12 public schools, including those in basic-aid districts and in charter schools.
Our Children, Our Future will:
 *  Provide an average of approximately $1100 per year, per student for the first four years and then $1700 for the following eight years.
*  Provide local control of these new education dollars by giving school boards decision-making authority based on school site input.
*  Help restore programs, such as art, music, physical education, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); reduce class sizes; and add more counselors, librarians, and nurses.
*  Support low income students with additional dollars
*  Require funds to be spent at local school sites, not district offices (no more than 1% maybe spent on administrative costs)
*  Not allow schools to use these new funds to increase salaries and benefits.
*  Establish accountability and transparency for how the money is used.
*  Place the money in a separate trust fund outside the state legislature’s control.
No PTA funds will be spent to promote this measure

Find Our Children, Our Future fact sheet here.  PTAs  Dos & Don’ts Guidelines here.  Initiatives Info Sheet (comparison with Governor’s initiative) here.

Community Schools Program

Have you heard of the Community Schools or Court School program?  These students need our support:

Community Schools is an alternative education program for students who are expelled from the school or are on probation.  The Community Schools may also serve homeless students and students referred by their local school district with parent consent.

There are four Community School locations in San Mateo County: North – SSF Boys and Girls Club; Gateway – Tower Road in San Mateo serving middle through high school; Central – Redwood City Boys and Girls Club; South – EPA Boys and Girls Club.

Each school has a teacher, an aide, a group supervisor from the County Probation Dept. and Special Education services.  There are about 20-30 students per class.  The program utilizes best practices for alternative education that promote positive stunt engagement and investment in their education in a culture of caring and respect.  Strong relationships and rapport with staff and peers leads to changes in student attitudes.  Most of the students attend for 1-2 semesters and then return to their districts.

How many of the 441 students who attended the Community Schools program in 2011-2012 were from your school district?

  • Jefferson High School District – 21
  • Menlo Park – 1
  • Millbrae – 1
  • Ravenswood – 9
  • Redwood City Elementary – 9
  • San Bruno Park – 1
  • San Mateo-Foster City – 4
  • San Mateo Union High School District – 188
  • Sequoia Union High School District – 192
  • SSF Unified – 12

17th District PTA officers have spent time touring and getting to know more about Community Schools and Court Schools.  Hillcrest Court School at the San Mateo Youth Services Center is a lock down residential facility for students who are either waiting for a court hearing or have been placed there by the court as a result of their hearing.  

About 1300 children go through Hillcrest in a year, and up to 120 can be there at any one time.  Those who are at Camp Glenwood have drug or alcohol abuse problems and those at Canyon Oaks have therapeutic needs.

WHAT DO THESE SCHOOLS NEED?

It has been requested that the 17th District PTAs/PTSAs provide funding for sets of novel for their English classes and paperback books for the libraries.  They specifically would like: 

  1. Sets of the novel Left for Dead: A Young Man’s Search for Justice to the USS Indianapolis
  2. Art Instruction
  3. Restorative Justice Training

HOW YOU AND YOUR PTA CAN HELP THESE STUDENTS

These students do not have a PTA/PTSA to support them.   Your or your PTA can help support these students in two ways: 

  1. Make a financial donation via your PTA Council or 17th District PTA remittance form.  The 17th District PTA has set a goal of $3000 to assist the Community Schools/Court Schools children.
  2. Donate to the Follett-Titlewish online book fair where teachers can order these novels with your online donations.

 

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to help provide books for these students?  If you have any questions, you can contact Lori McBride, Community Schools liaison at communityschools@17thdistrictpta.org.

To see more about Community Schools programs, please view our page on Community Schools’ activities.

 

 

 

 

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Newsletter

Download the Spring 2012 issue of the Seventeena newsletter for the latest news from 17th District.

Our MIssion Statement

The mission of the 17th District PTA is to empower local PTA/PTSA associations to support the school community by providing training, resources, education and communication to promote the value of PTA membership, programs, advocacy and networking opportunities.

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