Outstanding Advocacy Award

As a result of its efforts to encourage advocacy, the San Ramon Valley Council of PTAs received the Outstanding Advocacy Award for 2008 from the National PTA. San Ramon Council is part of the Thirty-Second District PTA located in Contra Costa County.

“The work of the council is built on a foundation of years of efforts by many dedicated volunteers,” said Denise Jennison, council president. “We are able to take this work to new levels and bring new ideas forward because of the work from those who came before.”

A representative from the council traveled as the National PTA’s guest to the National PTA Legislative Conference, held February 26-28 in Washington, D.C., to accept the award and a $500 check on behalf of her council.

Legislative Advocacy Committee

A key reason for the award was the work of the Council Legislative Advocacy Committee, which is composed of the Council Vice President of Legislation, the Superintendent of Schools, the Council President, a core committee of experienced PTA advocates and a Vice President of Legislative Advocacy from each of the council’s 33 PTA units.

The core committee and the full committee each meet monthly to plan, direct and communicate priorities and issues to members through council-wide email notes (to 41,000 parents, staff and community members), the council website, unit and council newsletters and PTA meetings.

Trips to Sacramento

The committee regularly visits legislators, supports local school district facilities bond and parcel tax campaigns and partners with three nearby councils to organize an annual Advocacy Day trip to Sacramento (busing more than 200 people to meet with legislators and education experts). They also organize letter-writing campaigns on urgent legislative issues. For example, in January of 2008, they delivered approximately 21,000 letters on the budget crisis to the Governor and six key legislators during the California State PTA Legislation Conference.

Special Needs

Another advocacy focus has been in the area of special education. A Special Needs Committee organized in 2002 provides an annual daylong conference, monthly evening programs, and a variety of activities and resources to help parents and school staff work collaboratively to support children with special needs. In 2007, representatives from this committee played a key role in school district special education problem resolution activities, resulting in a more parent-friendly Individualized Education Program (IEP) process, the creation of a Special Needs Liaison position (which provides neutral support to parents and staff), new placement options, and training of resource parents.

Advocacy Makes a Difference

“The key to our advocacy efforts is the wonderful teamwork of our entire council board, our units and the collaboration with the school district,” said Nancy Vandell, a past council president and founding special needs committee chairman, who served as council vice-president for legislative advocacy in 2007-09. “Advocacy takes many forms, from legislative work, to providing or attending parent education programs, to being involved in your child’s classroom – it all makes a difference in a child’s life.”