17th District PTA » Convention

State PTA Elects 2011-13 Board of Directors at Convention

Webmaster — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:11:20 +0000

During the First General Meeting of the 112th California State PTA Convention in Long Beach, the candidates for the 2011-13 Board of Directors (listed below) were elected. 2009-11 President-elect Carol Kocivar will begin her term as president on July 1, 2011.

Congratulations to former 17th District President Colleen You on her election as 2011-13 President-elect! Colleen will automatically accede to the position of State PTA President for the 2013-15 term. Congratulations also to former DP Kathryn Cross on her election to be State PTA’s Vice President of Communications.

President: Carol Kocivar (automatically assumes office)
President-Elect: Colleen You
Vice President for Leadership Services: Sue King
Vice President for Programs & Member Services: Maggie Steele
Vice President for Communications: Kathryn Cross
Vice President for Convention: Justine Fischer
Vice President for Community Concerns: Kathy Rabun
Vice President for Education: Debbie Look
Vice President for Parent Involvement: Brian Bonner
Vice President for Health: Linda Mayo
Vice President for Membership: Patty Christiansen
Secretary: Laurie Koch
Treasurer: Kathy Stevenson
Parliamentarian: Shirley Gold (appointed)
Director of Legislation: Patty Scripter (appointed)

The 2011-13 Board of Directors will be installed at the Convention’s Fifth General Meeting on Sunday, May 1.

Governor Brown Speaks at the State PTA Convention

Webmaster — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 03:00:09 +0000

Listen to Governor Jerry Brown’s Address to the State PTA Convention:

Cross-posted from the State PTA Press Release:

Governor Brown joins thousands to connect for kids at kickoff for annual PTA convention

Governor Jerry Brown today joined thousands of parents and PTA members from across the state on Thursday, April 28, for the start of the 112th Annual California State PTA Convention at the Long Beach Convention Center.

“Schools are the future, and you are the voice of those schools, so we’ve got to hear from you. You have the credibility,” Brown told the delegates. “It’s going to have to be the voice of parents and teachers and, yes, even the school students themselves, to awaken the conscience of California to our true path forward, which is to invest in the future, not steal from it.”

Jo A.S. Loss, president of the California State PTA, said the association’s members clearly support protecting education funding.

“Our nearly 1 million members have said loudly and clearly that adequate school funding is their top priority,” Loss said. “They are deeply concerned about the massive budget cuts that education and children’s programs have already absorbed in the past few years. We will continue speaking up for a balanced budget solution that will prevent deeper cuts that would affect children.”

The PTA has been focused on raising awareness about the devastating impact of state budget cuts on children. The association recently launched a “Cut$ Hurt Kids” campaign, supported by a Facebook page. Thousands of PTA members have already contacted legislators urging them to reject an all-cuts budget and to protect funding for education and other crucial children’s services.

The annual convention, attended by about 3,000 PTA members and delegates, runs through Sunday morning. It is the premier training event for the association, which is the largest and oldest children’s advocacy group in the state. Delegates here will map out the path ahead for the association, from electing officers to adopting resolutions that guide advocacy and public education efforts.

“California State PTA leaders and volunteers make a difference in the lives of children every day. Our mission is to educate our members to empower them to become advocates for California’s children and families,” President Loss told attendees during the opening meeting. “It takes a daily effort of our passionate and committed volunteers to ensure the sustainability of such a valuable and powerful ally for every child that speaks with one voice.”

During the opening meeting of the convention, attendees were also greeted by Charles “Chuck” Saylors, president of the National PTA.

“When one child lands in prison and poverty because our education system has failed them, it is a tragedy,” Saylors said. “When a million children a year fall into despair because we are not providing them the high-quality education they deserve, it is an embarrassment for our nation and ourselves. If we continue to deny our children the resources they need, we are condemning ourselves to futures of despair.”

Saylors then spoke about the way PTA can remedy this bleak reality.

“Our children need effective advocates for their wellness and academic success,” he said. “They need caring adults skilled at building alliances that support improving public education. Most of all, they need an army of passionate defenders working tireless on their behalf in schools, communities, statehouses and Capitol Hill. Our children need PTA. What we do is transformative. When PTA engages more parents in education, our kids will succeed in school and in life.”

PTA in California June 2009

Webmaster — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 01:49:38 +0000

State PTA’s last issue of PTA in California came out last week, and is a paperless electronic-only distribution. The issue includes numerous scenes, remarks, and photos from Convention, and stories from student and parent volunteers alike. Don’t miss this great issue highlighting so much of what makes California PTA special.

Photo from 17th District Convention Dinner

Webmaster — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:06:42 +0000

17th District and 2nd District (San Francisco) combined for our district dinner at Convention on the evening of Friday, May 1st. During the dinner, we were visited by the State PTA traveling “rock star” group as pictured below.

Left to right, front row: Ed Loss (Jo’s husband); Carol Kocivar (VP Communications, incoming President-Elect); Paul Richman, Executive Director; Jo Loss (President-Elect); Betsy Landers (National PTA Secretary-Treasurer); Pam Brady (President)
Back row: Doug Pickford (Treasurer); Byron Garrett (National PTA CEO); David Brady (Pam’s husband)

Click on the photo to view full size.

Videos from Convention are Being Posted!

Webmaster — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:05:34 +0000

For the first time ever, the California State PTA is beginning to upload videos from Convention onto YouTube and the State PTA website. So far, the only video that has been uploaded has been the President’s Report by Pam Brady, California State PTA President, as delivered at the Convention’s Second General Meeting on Friday, May 1st in San Jose. The video of this speech was requested by popular demand from the Convention delegates.

Check out the video now at the State PTA website, and we’re hoping that more Convention videos will soon follow.

CBS5 Reports on State PTA’s Positions on May 19th Ballot Measures

Webmaster — Wed, 06 May 2009 22:57:03 +0000

Local station KPIX/CBS5 was in San Jose last Friday at the California State PTA Convention at a State PTA Press Event on the state budget and the May 19th election. Watch the video which was broadcast last Friday evening and includes an interview with California State PTA President Pam Brady.

(And, if you look carefully, you can spot 17th District PTA President Deborah Kemper in the background right before the Pam Brady clip!)

2009 State PTA Convention Summary & Highlights

Webmaster — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:14:08 +0000

The 110th California State PTA Convention was held in San Jose, April 30-May 3, 2009. The Convention was attended by 3,242 total participants, 1,346 of which were voting delegates. This post provides a summary of the highlights at Convention and the actions taken by the delegate body; much more detailed information, photos, and videos will be posted over the upcoming days and weeks at the State PTA website.

Business of the State PTA Organization

Election of State PTA Board of Directors, 2009-11
The following were elected to the State PTA Board of Directors for the 2009-11 term at the First General Meeting on Thursday, April 30 and installed at the Sixth General Meeting on Sunday, May 3. An asterisk (*) indicates an appointment or automatic succession to the position, not an election.
President: Jo Loss* (outgoing President-Elect)
President-Elect: Carol Kocivar (outgoing Vice President for Communications)
Vice President for Leadership Services: Barbara Ledterman (outgoing Vice President for Education)
Vice President for Member Services: Mary Galuska (outgoing Secretary)
Vice President for Communications: Linda Mayo (outgoing Federal Advocate for State PTA Legislation Team)
Vice President for Convention: Kathy Stevenson (outgoing Convention Exhibits Chairman)
Vice President for Community Concerns: Brian Bonner (outgoing Education Advocate for State PTA Legislation Team)
Vice President for Education: Suzan Solomon (outgoing Legislative Advocate for Education)
Vice President for Health: Colleen You (outgoing Vice President for Parent Involvement AND past 17th District President!)
Vice President for Parent Involvement: Becky Reece (outgoing Finance Commission Vice Chair, Student Involvement Chairman)
Vice President for Membership: Carol-Ann Koch-Weser (outgoing Leadership Services Advisor, past Membership Chairman) Secretary: Anna Thompson (outgoing Convention Workshops Chairman)
Treasurer: Diane Foote (outgoing Leadership Services Advisor)
Director of Legislation: Debbie Look* (outgoing Community Concerns Advocate for State PTA Legislation Team)
Parliamentarian: Sue King* (outgoing Leadership Services Advisor)

Legislation Policies
All proposed legislation policy amendments were adopted at the Second General Meeting on Friday, May 1 as presented on page 5 of the Convention Chronicle.

Bylaws Amendments
All proposed bylaws amendments were adopted at the Second General Meeting on Friday, May 1 (with the exception of proposed amendment #1, adopted at the First General Meeting on Thursday, April 30), as presented on pages 10-13 of the Convention Chronicle. Here is a summary of the implications of these amendments:

State PTA now has nine (9) vice presidents instead of the previous eight (8); the ninth will be designated as a Vice President for Membership.

Although unit, council, and district bylaws should still be reviewed annually, they may now be updated (and resubmitted) every three years instead of biennially.

To be eligible to the office of president-elect, a person now must have served at least one term on the Board of Directors, though not limited to the term immediately preceding the election. This goes along with existing requirements for any person wishing to serve on the Board of Directors.

Other minor amendments that primarily clarify sections of the state PTA bylaws.

Resolutions
Proposed resolutions were published in the Convention Chronicle on pages 6-9.

The May 1988 Convention resolution, “AIDS Prevention Education in the Curriculum,” was rescinded at the Third General Meeting on Friday, May 1 due to its outdated and inaccurate information, and the fact that it has been substantially replaced by the May 2008 Convention resolution, “HIV/AIDS Prevention Education in Our Schools.”

Resolution A: Teen Driving Safety was amended in Resolved 3 by striking the words “standards for quality” and inserting “consistent, high quality standards for” in their place. Resolved 3 then reads: “That the California State PTA encourage the development of consistent, high quality standards for driver education and training programs, and support policy and/or legislation to make such programs accessible to all students; and be it further”.
Resolution A was adopted as amended at the Third General Meeting on Friday, May 1.

Resolution B: Achievement: Eliminating the Gap was amended by adding a new Resolved 4 that reads: “That among their advocacy efforts, the California State PTA and its units, councils, and districts urge legislators and local school districts to address all issues that contribute to the existence of the achievement gap, and avoid focusing exclusively on a standardized testing-based approach in their efforts.”
Resolution B was adopted as amended at the Fourth General Meeting on Saturday, May 2.

Resolution C: Lowering the Vote Requirement in the California State Budget Process had no amendments. In a count of the house, it was adopted as presented with 441 votes in favor and 375 votes against at the Fourth General Meeting on Saturday, May 2.

Resolution D: Social Host Accountability and Underage Drinking was amended in Resolved 1 by adding “defined as adults who furnish alcohol to minors under the age of 21 who are not their own, and/or knowingly allow underage drinking parties in private settings” after “social hosting”. Resolved 1 then reads: “That the California State PTA, its units, councils, and districts provide factual information to students, parents, and community members regarding the detrimental effects and significant dangers of underage drinking and social hosting defined as adults who furnish alcohol to minors under the age of 21 who are not their own, and/or knowingly allow underage drinking parties in private settings; and be it further”.
Resolution D was adopted as amended at the Fifth General Meeting on Saturday, May 2.

Convention Highlights

17th District In the Spotlight

The Borel Middle School Jazz Band from San Mateo performed at the opening of the First General Meeting on Thursday, April 30, the only school group to perform live at Convention this year. They were spectacular!

Scott Bell, 7th grader from Borel Middle School in San Mateo, was recognized and awarded for his Reflections Award of Excellence-winning Musical Composition piece, “Fanfare for Three.” He performed the piece along with father Stephen Bell and friend Ben Villa during the Third General Meeting on Friday, May 1.

17th District Board Member and State PTA Student Board Member Douglas Bell was recognized on stage along with the other student board members for their participation and involvement with State PTA during the Fourth General Meeting on Saturday, May 2. The five student board members ran all but the business portion of the Fourth General Meeting.

17th District was one of the host districts at this year’s Convention, and we had a number of district PTA members volunteering! Other host districts were 6th, 33rd, and Peralta Districts.

Convention Speakers and Presentations

4/30 First General Meeting: Jack O’Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, delivered a keynote address discussing the state of education and the achievement gap in California.

4/30 First General Meeting: Dr. Charles Weis, Superintendent of the Santa Clara County Office of Education welcomed delegates to San Jose and was presented with an Honorary Service Award.

4/30 First General Meeting: Betsy Landers, PTA National Secretary-Treasurer, offered greetings from National PTA.

4/30 First General Meeting: Other awards were presented to Marry Perry, Deputy Director of EdSource, who received a Golden Oak Award; State Senator Joe Simitian, who received an Honorary Service Award; Dr. Herbert Fischer, who received an Honorary Service Award; and Dale Carlsen, President of Sleep Train, who received an Honorary Service Award.
5/1 Second General Meeting: Dr. Glen Thomas, California State Secretary of Education, addressed the convention and discussed the state of education and funding in California and the need for PTA’s voice.

5/1 Second General Meeting: In her President’s Report, Pam Brady, California State PTA President, delivered an inspiring speech on how the need for PTA has never been greater. (It is anticipated that text and video of the speech will be available soon.)

5/1 Third General Meeting: Jake Steinfeld, Chairman of the Governor’s Fitness Council, delivered a keynote address on the importance of fitness and encouraging children to keep fit. He also shared his interesting life story and experience as a “macho-man,” and coerced State PTA’s Executive Director, Paul Richman, into doing ten “perfect push-ups” on stage.

5/2 Fourth General Meeting: Alex Kajitani, California’s Teacher of the Year (better known as the “Rappin’ Mathematician”), shared how he used rap to make math skills interesting and improve performance at his low-achieving school. He was presented with an Honorary Service Award.

5/2 Fourth General Meeting: Ray Culberson, Director of Youth Services in the San Bernardino Unified School District, shared experiences he learned from his chaotic youth and shared how he helps out “kids in chaos” to better themselves and lead successful lives.
5/2 Fifth General Meeting: Carol Channing, along with her husband Harry Kullijian, presented on the importance of the arts in education and previewed two public service announcements that they and other celebrities have produced through their Foundation for the Arts on the importance of supporting the arts. Carol Channing also participated in helping present that day’s portion of Reflections awards.

5/3 Sixth General Meeting: Byron Garrett, Chief Executive Officer of the National PTA, discussed how PTA needs to keep up and evolve with our rapidly changing world, with an eye towards the future, and shared quotes from his book, “ABC’s of Life.”

5/3 Sixth General Meeting: Jo Loss, State PTA President-Elect, inaugurated her new term by sharing what State PTA’s goals will be during the next term.

17th District was very excited to have nearly 20 delegates this year! Thanks to all those who took time out of their schedules to attend Convention, even if only part-time. Start planning now for next year’s Convention in Sacramento! April 29-May 2, 2010…

Last Day to Pre-Register for Convention!

Webmaster — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:58:16 +0000

Are you planning to attend Convention (now only ten days away!), but haven’t gotten around to registering yet? Today is the last day that you can pre-register for Convention! After today (April 20), you will have to register on-site. Please don’t wait and register online today! If you do not register today, registration will be open Wednesday, April 29 (5-8 PM) and throughout Convention.

If you registered early (before March 31), you should have received your Convention badge and workshop/event tickets by now. Please don’t forget to bring them, along with your barcoded registration receipt, to Convention as these will help to speed up the registration process. If the lines are long when you arrive, you may use your workshop tickets to go straight into your workshops, however you should try to get to the registration area at your earliest convenience in order to pick up your voting card (if you’re a voting delegate), ribbons, tote bag, and other essentials. There will be a special express lane for early registrants who have their materials. If you forget to bring your badge and tickets, there will be a $10 fee to reprint them.

If you registered advance registration (April 1-20), bring your barcoded registration receipt. You will need to pick up all of your registration materials before you can attend any workshops, meetings, or events.

All on-site registrants and any early/advance registrants who did not verify their membership online must bring their PTA membership card to Convention! If you are unable to present a membership card, you will be assessed the non-PTA member rate of $400 and forfeit your voting rights at meetings. If you do not have a membership card, please contact your PTA unit NOW and ask for one. If your unit is unwilling to distribute membership cards, you should contact Kathryn Cross, Vice President for Programs and Convention for assistance.

State PTA Convention Resolutions Have Been Published

Webmaster — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 13:27:54 +0000

The California State PTA has published the proposed resolutions [PDF] that will come before the delegates at the 2009 Convention in San Jose. Resolutions adopted by the delegates provide the State PTA with the authority to take positions on critical issues affecting children and families. This year, the following four resolutions are proposed:

Resolution A: Teen Driving Safety
Resolution B: Achievement: Eliminating the Gap
Resolution C: Lowering the Vote Requirement in the California State Budget Process
Resolution D: Social Host Accountability and Underage Drinking

It is also recommended that the 1988 resolution “Aids Prevention Education in the Curriculum” be rescinded by the delegates because it is in conflict with current codes, requirements, recommended practices, and a newer resolution “HIV/STD Prevention Education in our Schools” that was adopted in 2008.

Voting delegates to Convention are encouraged to share these proposed resolutions with their units/councils and obtain some direction on whether or not their unit supports or opposes these resolutions, or whether they recommend making any amendments to them. Delegates to Convention are also encouraged to attend Resolutions Hearings at Convention for more in-depth discussion on these resolutions with their makers, where amendments can also be submitted. Hearings will take place at Convention on Thursday at 1-3 PM, Friday-Sunday at 7-8 AM, as well as at a Resolutions workshop on Friday at 11 AM-12:30 PM and Resolutions Table Talks on Friday and Saturday at 1-2 PM.

Discover the Power of Student Involvement at Convention 2009!

Webmaster — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:49:52 +0000

Cross-posted from this State PTA article.

The California State PTA Student Involvement Committee invites all students to come to the 2009 Convention in San Jose! Convention is an exciting opportunity for students to discover how the California State PTA advocates for them and how they can get involved. At Convention, you can:

Network with the five student members of the State Board of Managers and with other students from across the state.

Share your thoughts and opinions as delegates debate resolutions that guide the future advocacy work of PTA.

Gain a greater sense of the statewide issues that affect you and your education.

Learn how you can become more involved in PTA, your school, and your community.

Being a student delegate at Convention is a thrilling experience that will leave you inspired and energized. Here is a rundown of the activities sure to be of interest to students at Convention this year.

Student Orientation: 1 – 3 p.m., Thursday, April 30.
Come kick off your Convention experience at this orientation presented by students for students. The orientation will prepare you for your Convention experience and give you a chance to get to know other student delegates from across the state. Following the orientation, students will walk as a group to the first general meeting. Students will have the opportunity to sit together in a specially designated student section during all six general meetings, where student State Board members will be on hand to answer questions about the proceedings.

Fourth General Meeting –The Power for ALL Students! 8:30 – 10:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2.
Student involvement will take center stage during the Fourth General Meeting at Convention. The majority of this general meeting will be run by the student State Board members themselves. Speakers during this general meeting will include the California Teacher of the Year, as well as a keynote presentation by Ray Culberson, director of Youth Services at San Bernardino Unified School District. He is an educator who will discuss his method for dealing with “Kids in Chaos,” and how to recognize hidden assets in students to inspire them to succeed. Students, teachers, and administrators are invited to attend this general meeting for free.

Convention Workshops
Students are invited to attend any of the more than 85 workshops presented Thursday through Saturday, and a number of workshops are labeled in the Convention registration book with “Track S,” identifying workshops that may be of particular interest to students. The Student Involvement Committee will present two workshops on Saturday demonstrating the power of students who got involved with a common goal to make a difference.
Workshop #410 will feature a presentation by the California Youth Council, which successfully raised awareness about “alcopops” and alcoholic energy drinks and helped pass a bill to label and tax them as alcoholic beverages.
Workshop #510 will discuss how youth can build leadership skills and overcome obstacles to make a difference.

We invite you to join us at Convention! For the full Convention experience, ask your PTA unit (school), council, or district to elect you as their full-time voting delegate to Convention. Being a voting delegate will grant you the exciting privilege of making motions, speaking at the microphone, and voting during general meetings. You should also inquire with your PTA about having Convention expenses covered (travel, hotel, meals, registration).

Can’t make it for the entire four days? We recommend that you register for a one-day registration on Saturday, which will allow you to attend the Fourth General Meeting, the two Saturday student involvement workshops (or any other workshops), as well as the Healthy Walk and San Jose Tech Museum events.

Attending Convention as a student delegate is a unique experience that will leave you with new skills, new friends, and the power to get involved and make a difference.

More info about registering for Convention is on the State PTA website.