20th District PTSA 2007-2008 Happenings

20th District Annual Dinner - Rescheduled

2008-05-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

You Are Invited!

Please, plan to attend our annual District Dinner, held this year at Jose's Mexican Bar & Grill.

Details are below and please RSVP by June 5th to:
Tami Baloy - beijingchows@yahoo.com

Date: Tuesday, June 10th
Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Jose's Mexican Bar & Grill
638 Wave St., Monterey, Ca

Cost: $15.00 per person (adult or child)

Please send your checks to:

Michael Silver
3040 Sunset #9
Marina CA, 93933
(email: michael-silver@sbcglobal.net)

Phone: 831-277-3317

If you have already sent a check for the first dinner that was postponed and there are no changes, no action is required. If you have a change of numbers, please contact Michael to correct it.

Menu includes: Beef Tacos, Cheese enchilladas, Chicken Fajitas, Cheese Quesadillas, Spanish rice and beans, chips and salsa, beverage. Dessert will be provided by the 20th District.

Day of Education Rally Salinas

2008-04-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

California's schools are facing the largest round of education cuts ever proposed in the state -- a staggering $4.8 billion, equal to nearly $800 per student and $24,000 per classroom.

On May 14th, education groups around the state including parents, teachers, support personnel, school administrators, and school board members will be joining forces to demand adequate funding for California Schools.

This is your chance to make your voice heard.

Flunk the Budget! Rally

2008-04-11T10:10:00.001-07:00

District Dinner, Friday April 25

2008-03-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

You Are Invited!

Please, plan to attend our annual District Dinner, held this year at Jose's Mexican Bar & Grill. Details are below and please RSVP by April 20th to:

Tami Baloy - beijingchows@yahoo.com

Date: Friday, April 25th

Time: 6:30 PM

Location: Jose's Mexican Bar & Grill

638 Wave St., Monterey, Ca

Cost: $15.00 per person (adult or child)

Please send your checks to:

Stephanie Bloom

139 Peppertree Place

Marina CA, 93933

(email: stephbloom@comcast.net)

Menu includes: Beef Tacos, Cheese enchilladas, Chicken Fajitas, Cheese Quesadillas, Spanish rice and beans, chips and salsa, beverage. Dessert will be provided by the 20th District.

2008-03-31T08:20:00.000-07:00

TAKE ACTION NOW!
Join us in protecting our children and California’s future.
The Governor’s proposed 2008-2009 budget contains disastrous cuts to education and children’s programs.
We urge you to take three actions to "Flunk-the-Budget."

1. Starting today and continuing each and every Friday; email, call or visit your local legislators in their district office to express how harmful these budget cuts will be to our children. A sample letter and phone script are available here:
http://www.capta.org/sections/advocacy/downloads/FTBLetterSamples.pdf
To find your legislator go to: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

2. Participate in "Flunk-the-Budget Friday" activities, including a SUPER "Flunk-the-Budget Friday" activity on April 25th. Contact your local PTA council or district to see what may already be planned in your area. Send the message loud and clear to your local legislators that this budget hurts our children! For more ideas go to:
http://www.capta.org/sections/advocacy/downloads/FTBTakeAction.pdf.

3. Join us in Sacramento on Thursday, April 24 at 11:00 am for a rally at the capitol. This event will include PTA members from all over the state. (If your PTA is planning to join us, please let Lindsay Shoemaker, Communications Specialist (lshoemaker@capta.org) know.

Please visit the "Flunk-the-Budget" section at http://www.capta.org/ to obtain more information on "Flunk-the-Budget Fridays" activities, fact sheets, sample letters and the "Flunk the Budget" logo.

New Changes in the 20th District Board

2008-03-17T18:54:00.000-07:00

At the last executive board meeting, the 20th District Board made some important changes to its members.

We are very sorry to lose Robin Martinez as our Treasurer and Katia Stornetta as our membership chair. They will be greatly missed as they both did excellent jobs in their positions.

We would like to welcome Kevin Singley to the board as our Auditor, a postion that has been sorely needed. Thank you, Kevin!

To accommodate the loss of our Treasurer and Membership Chair, other changes were made on the board. Following is a new and updated list of the 20th District Board.

Thank you very much to Stephanie Bloom, our new Treasurer, Melanie Gibson, our new Secretary, Mark Baloy, our new Historian and Tami Baloy, our new Membership Chair for taking on new positions and challenges to help keep our district successful!

In other announcements, our annual District Dinner will be held on April 25th. Please, mark your calendars now and plan to attend!

20th District Officers:
President Tom Jennings
VP Santa Cruz Mary Marasco
VP Mtry Penin Michael Silver
VP South District Karen Gibbs
Secretary Melanie Gibson
Treasurer Stephanie Bloom
Auditor Kevin Singley
Parliamentarian Michael Silver
VP Membership Tami Baloy
Historian Mark Baloy II
VP of Salinas Sherrie Payne
Convention Chair Rene Keehn
Dir. of Comm. Jenny Wood
Hospitality Chair Tami Baloy
Consultant Jane Mitchel
Reflections Chair Bettina McBee
High School Rep Marylyn Silver
Middle School Rep Theresa (Tess) Bloom

Congrats to our Reflections Winner!

2008-03-05T09:35:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Theresa (Tess) Bloom for being honored as the only Reflections artist to be sent on to the State PTA! Below are Tess' photographs which answer the 2007 - 2008 Reflections theme - "I can make a difference by ..."

Thank you Tess and good luck at the State competition. Winners at the state level have their pieces shown at the Convention in May.

"Saving the Planet, One Can at a Time"

"Bags are a Drag""CRV for Me"

"Cash for Trash"

Flunk the Budget!

2008-02-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA
LEGISLATION ACTION ALERT
February 29, 2008
____________________________________________________

FLUNK THE BUDGET!
Sample Letters and Phone Script
(Please email this to your ALL your PTA unit, council and district members.)

Dear PTA members:

The need for PTA has never been greater. The Governor’s proposed 2008-2009 budget contains disastrous cuts to education and children’s program. For the next several months (or however long it takes), we will be pursuing a statewide effort to make sure every legislator and the Governor hear PTA's message loudly, clearly and often:

FLUNK THE BUDGET!

The proposed budget would make across-the-board cuts to education, health care and other programs that have a direct impact on the safety and well being of California’s children. (Please see the attached fact sheet for details.)

The Governor has recommended a $4.8 billion cut for K-14 education, on top of a $400-plus million reduction for education in the current year.

During the next week, we are asking all PTA members to do TWO things to Flunk the Budget:

1. Call your legislator
2. Write your legislator

Hint: Do both

You can do this at home or as an activity at your PTA Meeting

Suggested PTA Activity:

Bring the information below to your PTA meeting and have all your members make phone calls to their elected officials at the meeting.

Then ask them to follow-up by going home and sending an email.

Make sure you provide your members with the telephone numbers
of their elected officials at the meeting.

Find Your Legislator:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html

SAMPLE TELEPHONE SCRIPT
My name is ___________ and I reside in ______________. As a volunteer member of the California State PTA I ask that ___(Your elected official)___
strongly OPPOSE Governor’s proposed budget.

• The California State PTA opposes any cuts to education and children’s programs in the state budget.

• This budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children.

• Our children did not create this financial crisis and they should not have to pay for it.

Please do the right thing for California's children. OPPOSE the any cuts education and children’s programs in the budget.

SAMPLE EMAIL OR FAX OR LETTER
(You can find your elected official’s email address by clicking on to their home page from the search page Find Your Legislator above.)

Date
Your Address

My Legislator
State Capital
Sacramento, CA

Dear Senator or Assembly member _________:

As one of the nearly one million volunteer members of the California State PTA,
I ask that you strongly OPPOSE Governor’s proposed budget.

• The California State PTA opposes any cuts to education and children’s programs in the state budget.

• This budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children.

• Our children did not create this financial crisis and they should not have to pay for it.

Please do the right thing for California's children. OPPOSE the any cuts education and children’s programs in the budget.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Your Name
Your Phone number

Find Out More About the California State PTA Campaign
to Flunk the Budget
http://www.capta.org/

Here is the Flunk the Budget Fact Sheet: http://www.geocities.com/jennywo/Flunkthebudgetfactsheet.pdf

PTA and Taxes

2008-02-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

From Tom Jennings, 20th District PTA President

As April 15th looms in the near future, I began to think about filing my personal tax return and the responsibilities that I, as an individual, am required to do. I have to gather up supporting documentation in order to complete and file my tax return correctly and on time. You may be thinking, “What does that have to do with PTA?” Well, it may be a stretch, but documentation is the key word.

Under Internal Revenue Service code, PTA is recognized as a public charity and, as such, is required to keep books and records (documentation) to prove that it is complying with tax rules. Due to recent changes in the tax code, every PTA will now be required to file an informational tax return annually. Your PTA must be able to document the sources of receipts and expenditures reported on your 990, 990-EZ or 990-N (also known as the e-postcard.) Which return your PTA files depends on your gross receipts. As a PTA board member, you have a fiduciary responsibility to ensure the prudent management of the organizations’ funds, this includes filing your PTA’s tax return. As an elected or appointed officer, the PTA bylaws require regular attendance at board and association meetings. It is every officer’s responsibility to review financial statements, i.e. treasurer reports, budgets and audit reports, presented at those meetings. What can you do to help ensure that sound financial practices are being followed? The following documents can assist you and your board in maintaining the documentation necessary to complete an audit and to assist you in completing your PTAs tax return.

Budget – an estimate of gross receipts and expenditures for the fiscal year.

Audit Report – an audit must be conducted twice a year: year-end and mid-year. Audits must be presented to the board and the membership for adoption.

Cash Verification Form - completed and signed by two people not related by blood, marriage, or residing in the same household. This form must be completed each time money is counted.

Payment Authorization Form - completed by the secretary or the financial secretary. Bills and/or receipts should be attached to the form as documentation. After the bill has been approved by the association, it is given to the secretary and president to sign. After signatures are collected on the form the treasurer can then write the check.

Treasurer’s Report - must be presented at every meeting of the board and the association. A beginning and ending balance along with a listing of funds received and disbursements must be included in the report. The ending balance
should match the checkbook register, the ledger, and the bank statement (adjusted for outstanding checks and deposits).

Expense Report - this is for officer reimbursement for expenses incurred completing their duties of office. Expenses must be approved by the association.

Request for Advance – a binding contract. Funds must be returned or receipts provided within two weeks of the advance. The advance must be approved by the association.

Annual Financial Report – basically, a treasurer’s report covering an entire year.

Ledger - treasurer-maintained document that lists income and disbursements. Note when bank account is reconciled and when a treasurer’s report has been made.

Check Book Register - just like your own, list deposits as you deposit funds and write down all checks at the time written. Must keep a running balance. Note when bank account is reconciled in the register and when a treasurer’s report has been made.

Bank Statements - must be reviewed immediately upon receipt by the treasurer and the auditor. Statements must be reconciled upon receipt.

For additional financial information and instruction check out your PTA Toolkit, www.capta.org, or talk to your 20th District Treasurer and attend district workshops when offered, and attend the California State PTA Convention.
PTA offers you the support you need!

Reasons to attend convention, from 4th District neighbors

2008-02-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

As I visit PTA’s I sometimes witness a tug-of-war about convention attendance. Some PTA leaders see convention as a worthwhile training and networking experience. Others think that sending a delegate to convention is too costly and without value.

Sending a delegate to California State PTA convention is one of the most important uses of PTA funds. PTA is a grassroots organization that takes direction from unit, council and district PTA members. Where are the voices of the grassroots heard? At PTA convention, of course.

Voting on PTA resolutions is the most important thing you will do at the convention. State PTA leaders must show that they have been given the authority by YOU before they can take positions on advocacy issues. Let your voice be heard! Your unit or council should vote to elect your convention delegates. The number of voting delegates you may send to convention depends upon the number of PTA members you have. (Check the California State PTA Toolkit, Section 2.8.1b.)

Final drafts of this year’s proposed resolutions will be available in mid-March. Your PTA should study the proposed resolutions and vote on a position. At the convention, delegates should attend all general meetings and vote as dictated by their PTA association. Sometimes, this will mean voting contrary to their own feelings about a resolution. Delegates should represent the majority of their PTA members, rather than their own interests.

In addition to voting on resolutions, delegates will attend some amazing training conferences, network with other delegates, share experiences, exchange solutions to problems, and grow to their full PTA leadership potential.

Building PTA leaders is essential to a thriving PTA. Anyway you look at it, attendance at PTA convention is a must and well worth the few hundred dollars that are spent. It is an investment in the future leadership of your PTA. Don’t miss the opportunity! See you in Long Beach May 1-4.

Scholarship Contest

2008-02-20T08:38:00.000-08:00

The Campaign for College Opportunity would like to invite your PTA to join us as a partner in promoting our Save Me a Spot in College scholarship contest with your local youth.

The Save Me a Spot in College scholarship contest will award more than $100,000 in scholarships to over 100 students across California ! The contest provides all California 6th – 12th grade students an opportunity to share why college is important to them by answering the question, “Why should California leaders save you and your peers a spot in college?” Students may submit a written word, poster, and/or a 30-second TV ad that answers this question. Help us ensure that youth in your community are informed about this contest by becoming a Partner. All students who participate in the contest will receive recognition for participating and information preparing them for college, along with their chance to win a $500 to $2,500 scholarship.
As a formal partner in this scholarship contest we will be able to formally recognize you for (1) distributing materials to your students, (2) helping your students register and enter the contest, and (3) coordinating a presentation by a Campaign representative at your local PTA meeting or school who can give your students information about the contest and the importance of going to college. There is no fee or long-term commitment of any sort.

Additionally, we are pleased to offer you access to a new resource recently featured in La Opinion newspaper titled, "Road to College: Know How to Go." This 16-page bilingual (English and Spanish) supplement includes important information that we hope will inspire and inform readers to understand the steps necessary to prepare for college and that college is possible!
We are excited that this publication includes information about California 's community college and university system, steps on how to prepare for college and access financial aid, and inspiring profiles of students and professionals. We hope that this material will serve as an excellent resource for students, parents, and future college goers and are happy to provide copies for distribution.

Your PTA Council, District or Chapter can help us by promoting the scholarship contest in your community. To become a partner and find out more information about this scholarship contest, please visit us online at www.collegecampaign.org/contest. Additionally, if you have any questions or would like to schedule a presentation you may contact Stephanie Romero-Crockett at 800-459-9586 or http://us.f522.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=stephanie@collegecampaign.org. Thank you for your time and consideration. Respectfully,
Michele Siqueiros and Stephanie Romero-Crockett
Associate Director Program Associate
******************************************************************************
REMINDER: The deadline for scholarship contest entries is March 15, 2008!
******************************************************************************

Web-Wise Kids

2008-02-12T10:03:00.000-08:00

WEB WISE KIDS, ESA FOUNDATION AND CALIFORNIA STATE PTA
HELP MAKE TECHNOLOGY SAFER FOR CALIFORNIA’S CHILDREN
Organizations Partner to Provide Parents with the Resources to Keep Kids Safe Online

SANTA ANA, CA - February 12, 2008—Web Wise Kids and the ESA Foundation today announced a joint effort with the California State PTA designed to make California’s children safer online. The initiative, funded by a grant from the ESA foundation will provide WIRED WITH WISDOM, a one-of-a-kind Internet safety education program to the parent members of the California State PTA.

“We believe ‘Wisdom Begins With You’ and we know that it is critical that parents play an active role in their kids’ safety while online,” said Judi Westberg Warren, president of Web Wise Kids. “We are grateful to the ESA Foundation to be able to provide this important educational tool to California parents empowering them to keep their children secure.”

Today’s culture bombards families with new parenting challenges in the field of technology. Making even basic decisions about the family’s computer and Internet usage can be quite a hurdle for parents whose kids are often more Internet-savvy than they are. The need to educate parents is critical and WIRED WITH WISDOM helps to do just that.

WIRED WITH WISDOM is an online, interactive safety program designed for busy parents. The program is comprised of five independent learning segments each of which can be completed in less than 20 minutes. WIRED WITH WISDOM addresses a variety of online issues including: social networking, personal Websites, the World Wide Web, chat rooms, instant messaging, email, cell phone dangers, cyber bullying and emerging technology. The program is being made available to parent members of the California PTA online so they can access it anytime and anywhere.

“The California State PTA works to prevent, control, or eliminate hazards to the health, safety and well-being of all children and youth. We are grateful to Web Wise Kids, and their sponsor for this project, the Entertainment Software Association Foundation, for providing California PTA members cost-free access to WIRED WITH WISDOM to help them protect and guide their children in the careful and proper use of the Internet”, said Kathy Moffat, Vice President for Community Concerns for the California State PTA.

WIRED WITH WISDOM has been uniquely designed to provide parents, teachers, law enforcement officers and youth leaders with useful information and solutions related to the problems faced by today’s e-generation. The program is comprehensive without being complex and the format is attractive and easy to navigate so that even the least Internet-savvy adult can enjoy learning.

“The ESA Foundation is proud to partner with Web Wise Kids and the California State PTA to make the Internet safer for youngsters,” said _________ ESA. “The entertainment software industry is committed to keeping kids safe while using today’s technology through educating parents about resources such as WIRED WITH WISDOM and the ESRB Ratings.”

About Web Wise Kids
Web Wise Kids (WWK), established in 2000 is a 501©(3) nonprofit organization that receives partial funding from the U.S. Congress through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs. WWK is dedicated to empowering today’s youth to make wise choices online and specializes in providing easy to use, school-approved Internet safety education for youth ages 11 to 16. Today’s e-generation is taught valuable lessons in their own medium using computer games with high tech simulations based on real life criminal cases. For more information about Web Wise Kids please visit www.webwisekids.org.

Contact:
Mary Davis Dan Hewitt
Web Wise Kids ESA Foundation
714.435.2885 ext. 204 202.223.2400
maryd@webwisekids.org dhewitt@theESA.com

Insurance and Loss Prevention Guides

2008-01-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

In case you did not receive your copy of the Insurance and Loss Prevention Guides, here are soft copies of both the English and Spanish versions.

These guides give you all the information you need on insurance questions and activities that you can and can't do at your PTA events. Please, read through this if you haven't already.

If you have any questions or need an insurance certificate, the last page gives you contact information for Unionbanc Insurance Services, Inc. and a way to print a certificate from online.

PTA 109th Annual Convention 2008, Long Beach - Update

2008-01-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Hello All Ye PTA Pirates (can you guess this years theme?:-)),

Well I can't believe it.....Another year has passed and convention is just around the corner. Please forward this message on to all respective PTA units in the event you see I have missed anyone.

Update: Convention Dates: May 1st - 4th 2008 Registration for Convention classes and exhibits will be done on line: Link is due to be released Feb 2, 2008 and open until April 15th. I will forward to all once received.

Registration books have been delayed at the printers but should be sent next week hard copy and email so you may view all information before registering at the link below. Details of Convention available through this link:http://www.capta.org/sections/convention-2008/

Students planning to attend will need release waiver and be accompanied by an adult(Form to be sent once received via email): Flight reservations and transportation to and from convention are the responsibility of each attendee to organize Hotel reservations: A form is required to be sent to reserve your room. I will email the required form to all above as soon as it comes available.

It is critical all persons planning to attend contact me via email to confirm number attending and names from all schools. Attendees should allocate at least $1000 per person to cover cost of hotel(approx $150 per night, plus tax), Airfare (approx $300, may be less if booked 21 days in advance), Food and Transportation ($40 a day, with exception of PTA event on the first night of convention($35 for event at Aquarium)).

Last but not least please note for those schools requesting assistance, the district is awarded a small amount of money each year to help those in need should they need assistance. This is not guaranteed and will be distributed based on convention committee approval. All schools requesting assistance, need to submit requests by 2/25, each will be contacted to advise if money is available. Look forward to seeing many of you at convention.

It will be a great event!!!!

Sincerely, Rene Keehn
PTA 20th District Convention Chair

Time for some advocacy action - State budget alert

2008-01-16T10:17:00.000-08:00

CALIFORNIA STATE PTA LEGISLATION ACTION ALERT
_________________________________________
DATE: January 11, 2008

Governor Proposes Drastic Budget Cuts for Students –
The Children of California Need Your Help

IMMEDIATE Action Needed:
Voice PTA’s strong opposition to the Governor’s K-12 education budget proposal.

· Email or call your State Assembly member or Senator right away!

Message: PTA urges legislators not to cut Proposition 98, the minimum public education funding guarantee for our students. The impact of the unprecedented cuts proposed in the Governor’s budget would severely harm each and every school.

Find Your Legislators
Or paste this into your browser:
http://www.capwebworks.com/addresslookup/lookup.aspx

· Forward this alert to others to generate the largest response possible.

· Advise the PTA Legislation Team about your contacts and responses received at legislation@capta.org

· Be ready for additional information from California State PTA. This is the first action in what we expect to be a multi-pronged effort to protect funding for our students.

BACKGROUND

On Thursday, January 10, Governor Schwarzenegger released his state budget proposal. The proposal seeks to address the state’s estimated $14 billion deficit by making the largest reduction to education funding in California history. For 2008-09, the Governor proposes that the Legislature suspend Proposition 98 (the minimum funding guarantee for schools) and cut $4.4 billion (more than 9%) in education funds. The Governor also proposes $400 million in education funding reductions in the current 2007-08 budget year.

While we are still analyzing the details, the proposal calls for:

· $2.6 billion in cuts by eliminating the statutory 4.94% Cost-of-Living-Increase (COLA) for schools, and reducing the revenue limit allocation by an additional 2%. This would create a combined “deficit factor” (money that is statutorily owed to schools as part of Proposition 98) by a total of $2.6 billion, or nearly 7%.
· $1.1 billion in cuts by reducing categorical programs funding, including reductions to the Class Size Reduction program, Instructional Materials, Transportation, Supplemental School Counselors, and many others.
· $360 million in cuts by eliminating the COLA and “growth” funding for special education, as well as additional cuts to special education, which is already chronically underfunded.
· $200 million in cuts by eliminating COLA and growth funding for child development programs (nearly $200 million), which would eliminate nearly 8,000 existing child care slots.
· Reductions in funding for community colleges, as well as University of California and California State University .

* * *

On behalf of California State PTA, President Pam Brady issued the following statement this morning:

Statement on the Proposed 2008-2009 Budget

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE— Sacramento , California , January 11, 2008

Pam Brady, President of the California State PTA, issued the following statement in response to the Governor's budget proposal:

"The proposed California State budget flunks the basic test of good government: It hurts our children. A budget is a reflection of our community values. This budget does not value the education, health, or welfare of our children and the future of California .

"Members of the California State PTA are offended by the failure of the proposed budget to meet the needs of children. The Legislature and the Governor have a responsibility to support the children of California . Any mid-year cuts or suspension of Proposition 98, which provides minimum funding for our schools, is unacceptable.

"We don't move toward Twenty-First Century education by going backwards. It is ironic that the highly touted 'Year of Education' is starting out as the year they tried to take billions of dollars away from our children."

The California State PTA is a branch of the 110-year old National PTA, with over a million members statewide. The PTA is the nation's oldest, largest and highest-profile volunteer organization working on behalf of public schools, children and families, with the motto "Every child, one voice." PTA volunteers work in their schools and communities to improve the education, health and welfare of all California children and youth. The PTA also advocates at national, state and local levels for education and family issues. The PTA is non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-commercial. For more information, go to www.capta.org.
###

CALIFORNIA EDUCATION COALITION
STATE BUDGET TALKING POINTS

California State PTA will be working with the Education Coalition to inform legislators and the public about the severity of the proposed budget cuts. Below are some initial Talking Points that you may utilize in addition to the points emphasized in California State PTA’s statement.

While it is clear there are extraordinary challenges in balancing the state’s budget, the Education Coalition strongly opposes the Governor’s 2008-09 budget proposal and his plans to eviscerate Proposition 98. Our students and schools did not create this budget problem, and their progress shouldn’t be undermined because of it.

The governor’s budget reductions would be disastrous to public schools and they are fundamentally inconsistent with the state’s goal of improving student achievement. A $4.4 billion cut to Prop. 98 would mean laying off tens of thousands of teachers and would also result in increases in class size throughout the state, not to mention a further erosion of the support system for students provided by classified and paraprofessional staff.

Voters passed Prop. 98 almost 20 years ago to ensure our students and schools receive minimum funding. They strongly reaffirmed their support for the minimum funding law in 2005. Proposals to suspend Prop. 98 conflict with the will of the voters and jeopardize the minimum education funding levels Prop. 98 provides for students and schools.

According to a report released this week from Education Week, California spends $2,000 less per student than the national average. Other recent studies have shown that California seriously underfunds its public schools, with New York spending 75 percent more than California . The “Getting Down to Facts” studies show that billions more would be necessary to ensure the opportunity for all students to meet the state’s rigorous academic standards. In addition, California has some of the most overcrowded classrooms as well as the greatest shortage of librarians, counselors and other critical support staff in the nation.

Experts including the Fordham Foundation (one of the nation's leading proponents of rigorous academic standards), the Public Policy Institute of California, EdSource and researchers at Stanford University all confirm that California 's K-12 academic and performance standards are among the most challenging in the nation. With hard work, modest investments in teacher training and the adoption of standards-aligned textbooks, our students and schools have been making progress. Reading scores are up 25 percent and math scores have increased 17 percent in the last four years. This progress cannot continue with these proposed cuts to our public schools.

A state budget proposal that looks at cuts alone is not a real solution, because it doesn’t address California ’s underlying problem of inadequate and unstable revenue sources. We cannot talk about spending cuts without also talking about increasing revenues.

The most pressing challenge is to enact a balanced budget that continues the momentum of educational improvement that has been built since the late 1990s. This budget does not do that and anything less is unacceptable

PTA January Membership Campaign!

2008-01-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

Did you make any New Year's resolutions for 2008? In addition to helping yourself by "getting fit" or "getting organized," you have a chance to make a powerful difference for children: Resolve to help parents be more involved through PTA. The January Membership Campaign, "New Year… New Opportunities" can assist you.

Unlike dieting rigorously or trying to quit a bad habit, PTA membership is easy to sustain and results are immediate—PTA membership can assist many Americans' in keeping their top resolutions. In a November 2007 survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation:
Thirty-three percent of respondents chose making the world a better place as their top resolution for 2008.Thirty-two percent of those surveyed said spending more time with family would be their top resolution.

Membership in PTA achieves both of these goals.
PTA members spend quality time with family through family involvement activities at home and at school.
PTA members make the world a better place by improving education opportunities for all children.

The bottom line is that the resolutions of 65 percent of respondents can be easily fulfilled through PTA membership, an activity that is not difficult to sustain.

The "New Year… New Opportunities" campaign capitalizes on people's desire to be more productive and proactive in a new year. If you've made use of the online resources and campaign packet delivered in November and implemented a January recruitment plan, you should be experiencing the benefits of strengthening your PTA.
If you have not yet started, don't despair. As with many resolutions, it matters less when you begin and more how you follow through. Act now and you can still run a successful "New Year… New Opportunities" campaign.

Tools are available online, including:
Attention-getting handout cards designed to make parents think about the resolutions they've made for 2008.
Customizable fliers to alert families and community members about PTA's benefits—and that it's not too late to join!
Door hangs to invite your entire community to join PTA.
Fun stickers to start conversations about involvement and PTA.

Go to pta.org/newyear for these and other great resources.

Happy New Year - January Happenings in PTA

2008-01-03T12:00:00.000-08:00

From the 20th District Executive Board, we would like to wish you all a great New Year! It's a fabulous time to renew your commitments and start fresh on all those PTA projects! Don't forget that this is also a great time for another membership drive - keep sending in those membership dues every month and help the California PTA reach 1 Million members!

We want to let you know about 2 very important events this month.

1. The 20th District General Meeting will be held on Thursday, January 17th at 7:00 pm - place TBD. We need at least one member of your board to attend. Look for details on the location.

2. The 20th District Annual Training will be held on Saturday, January 26th from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm at Marina High in Marina, CA. We will have classes on the subjects, below and encourage as many from your board to attend as possible. This training will be extremely valuable and worth your time. We'll even give you lunch so please, come! Communicate this date to your board ASAP and let me (Jenny Wood) know who from your board can attend. Here's a map to Marina High: http://www.mpusd.k12.ca.us/MarinaHS/Directions%20to%20campus.pdf. NOTE: The street address has changed to 298 Patton Parkway.

Classes will be:

President Basics
Parliamentarian and Bylaws basics
Financial/Treasurer Basics
Secretary Basics
Ways and Means
Membership Basics
Advocacy
OMDR
Communications

Also, don't forget upcoming deadlines:
Insurance premiums and Workers Comp forms are due by Jan 17. Bring them to the meeting with you to save on postage! See the earlier blog entry for details.

Reflections entries are due by January 9th. See earlier blog entry for details.

From Tom Jennings, New District President

2007-12-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

As you all know Amy Gibson the 20th District President had to resign for personal reasons. As of December 6, 2007 I have had the pleasure of being elected as your new 20th District President. I welcome the challenge with the utmost respect for those that I follow and hope to meet all of your and their expectations.

Please remember that I and the other officers of the 20th District are here to help your PTA’s succeed in all of your endeavors so anything you need or questions you have please don’t hesitate to ask. Training for units will be held soon so plan on attending and watch you’re E-mail for updates.

There are four Vice Presidents on the District Board that cover the following geographical areas of our District. For Monterey, Michael Silver, michael-silver@sbcglobal.net. For Santa Cruz, Mary Marasco, marymarasco@yahoo.com. For Salinas, Sherrie Payne, sherripayne@sbcglobal.net. For South Monterey County, Karen Gibbs, kareng1971@yahool.com. Please use your VP as your first point of contact on the District Board.

District General Meetings will be January 17, 2008, and April 17, 2008. Each unit should have at least one representative at each of these meetings. Please add these dates to your calendar now and plan to attend or send a representative from your school’s PTA.

Please feel free to contact me via email (tjenni@sbcglobal.net) or by phone @ 831-241-8128 at anytime for questions or problems that you might have. I make every effort to answer e-mails daily in the evening, and I answer my phone as long as I’m not in a meeting if I don’t answer just leave a message and I will get back to you ASAP.

I look forward to working with all of you and remember you are among the elite citizens in our community that have cared enough to be involved and help when help is needed. Let this serve as a reminder that there can never be any better reward than to know you helped contribute to the education of a child.

Thanks for all you do
Tom Jennings
831-241-8128
tjenni@sbcglobal.net

Proposition 92 - PTA position

2007-12-05T12:12:00.000-08:00

Still on the advocacy topic, CAPTA recently sent out a Legislative Action Alert on Proposition 92. Check out the Ballot Measures page of the CAPTA.org website for more information on why the CAPTA voted NOT to take a position on this proposition. Interestingly, it is just as important as taking a position one way or another.

PTA: an Advocacy Organization and Legislation Conference

2007-12-05T11:14:00.003-08:00

Most people view PTA as a fundraising organization. Even many local PTAs themselves, feel this is their main purpose - it sure takes up most of the time, sometimes. But, actually PTA is an advocacy organization. The very first purpose listed on the California PTA website is "To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship."

So, today I'd like to get on my soapbox about advocacy. I started in PTA as the district Legislative Chair 4 years ago and learned a lot about what the PTA does for children, on the State level. It's a LOT! Many meetings are held to review policies, write resolutions and decide what propositions to support. Trust me, the state board puts in a lot of work for our children to guide our state government in the right direction.

And, it works. With the many members we have, we have a loud voice in Sacramento so when the PTA puts its weight behind something, it usually happens.

So, what does this mean to you on the local level? The district would like to encourage you to look at your focus and decide how you can do more in terms of advocating for our children. Some suggestions are:

1. Elect an Advocacy Chair. This would be someone to research and spearhead projects or activities around advocacy. They could also attend the Legislation Conference (info below) to learn what is happening on the state level. Having someone on your board dedicated to advocacy will take the weight off of you as the President.
2. Learn about CAPTA advocacy programs. Check out the Local PTA Advocacy page on CAPTA.org for lots of ideas of things your PTA can do.
3. Get involved on a local level. Find out local issues that you can be involved in. Do not endorse any candidates, but otherwise you can be for or against any local issues that your board approves in a general meeting. Then your Advocacy Chair can help take action!
4. Send someone (maybe your Advocacy Chair) to the Legislation Conference. Here's the latest info from CAPTA on the conference in January. I have been to these and they are fascinating!

The California State PTA Annual Legislation Conference, scheduled for January 27-29, 2008, will be held at the Embassy Suites Hotel-Riverfront Promenade, 100 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA. The conference will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 27, and will end at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 29. A proposed agenda, housing and registration materials are available online at www.capta.org.

Due to the popularity of the conference, the housing and registration forms must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on January 3, 2008.

Questions? Call the California State PTA office at 916-440-1985 ext. 104.

The California State PTA Legislation Team looks forward to seeing YOU in Sacramento!

I hope these ideas get you started toward increasing your focus on advocacy for our children. We can do the most good for them by doing this.

PTA Insurance and Worker's Comp

2007-12-03T13:42:00.000-08:00

Insurance will be $176 this year. Please submit this to the 20th District before Jan. 18th 2008 along with the Unit Remittance Form.

At the same time, the annual Worker's Comp reports need to be submitted with $14. This needs to be submitted even if you do NOT have any people employed by the PTA.

You can mail these items to:
Robin Martinez
3157 Lynscott Drive #9
Marina, CA 93933

Spanish Materials

2007-11-14T10:01:00.000-08:00

The California State PTA is trying more and more to provide materials in Spanish. You can download all or part of the PTA Toolkit in Spanish. It takes quite a bit of time to translate the toolkit, so the newest 2007 one is not in Spanish but you can get the 2005 Toolkit in Spanish.

Also, there is a list of publications that you can order from the CAPTA in Spanish.

And, just recently, the Membership Committee of the CAPTA has released popular articles in Spanish. Take a look at:
Beneficios de la pertenencia a una PTA (Benefits of PTA Membership)
Lo que puede hacer una carta constitutiva de PTA (What a PTA Charter Can Do)
¿POR QUÉ UNIRSE A LA PTA? (Why Join PTA?)
¿POR QUÉ LA P T A? (Why PTA?)

UCLA's Information Studies on California Schools

2007-11-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

The UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies has just released its state report which looks at the outcomes in California schools in light of the conditions we provide.

They have highlighted two sorts of gaps: a) the national gap whereby California schools on average provide less resources than almost all other states; and b) the racial opportunity gap whereby California schools serving the highest proportions of African American, Latino, and American Indian students experience far more opportunity problems than other schools in the state.

You can access this state report, as well as supplementary reports on Latino and African American students, at www.EdOpp.org.

Please share this valuable information with your districts, councils and units.

Grant Opportunities

2007-11-07T12:53:00.000-08:00

California State PTA offers grant opportunities for PTA Units in good standing. Most have a November 15 Deadline which is coming soon. If you're interested, go to: http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/grants.cfm, where you'll find information and applications.

Grants are available to assist unit, council, and district PTAs and California State PTA commissions and committees to develop and implement programs in parent education, cultural arts, and leadership development. Grants are also available to assist unit, council and district PTAs to translate PTA materials into other languages.

Applications may be obtained from the California State PTA office, on the website at www.capta.org, or from Fax-on-Demand at 877. 406.3680.

Another Grant Opportunity:

Deadline: March 5, 2008
American Academy of Dermatology Announces 2008 Shade Structure Grant Program
To assist organizations in creating sun-safe outdoor areas, the American Academy of Dermatology has announced the availability of grant applications for its Shade Structure Program.

The program is open to United States nonprofit organizations or educational institutions for permanent shade structures over outdoor locations which are not protected from the sun, such as playgrounds, pools, eating areas, and other locations.

The 2008 program will have a longer grant cycle in order to allow AAD members to work with local schools and organizations to develop sun-safety programs and initiatives, one of the criteria for application. Also please note, the 2008 program is only open to schools and organizations that serve children and teenagers, ages 18 and younger.

Visit the AAD Web site for complete program guidelines, an application form, and information on locating a member dermatologist in your area.

NOTE: Here’s a direct link to the 2008 Shade Structure Grant Program:
http://www.aad.org/public/News/2008+Shade+Structure+Program.htm

Let's go Shopping!

2007-10-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

I've been getting lots of opportunities to buy stuff for PTA lately so I thought I'd share.

PTA Store: http://www.captastore.com/
The PTA Store should always be your first stop when looking for items you PTA needs. From pins to Reflections awards to gifts, they are stocked up. In the meeting section, you can find signs to advertise your meetings as well as official Secretary and Treasurer's books and even a gavel. In the Pins section you can find all the official PTA officer pins and some fun ones, too. And, if you're looking for gifts to give your board at the end of the school year, check out the gift, mugs and wearables sections. All this and more at your PTA Store!

Gavels: www.gavelstore.com
Want more choices for gavels, check this site out.

Auction time - just in time for Christmas! http://www.pta.cmarket.com/
National PTA is hosting a nation-wide auction, starting October 31st.
Check out the auction catalog for great items at bargain level prices.
Proceeds from the auction help PTA further its Mission of being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the education and well-being of every child. Auction categories may include the following and more:

Electronics
Toys
Jewelry
Trips & Vacation Getaways
Gift Cards
Books
Education Items
And much more!

Donate: If you have valuable merchandise, rare collectibles, business or personal services, or access to unique events, we need your contribution today.

Tell Your Friends: Do you know someone who would be interested in supporting our cause? Please share the news of the online auction with your friends so they can be part of the excitement. Refer a friend to the auction so they can get involved.
So tell you friends, family, and community to get ready to point, click and bid on quality items at bargain level prices. The auction begins October 31, 2007 at 6:00 a.m. EST.

Updated OMDR Batch Uploads

2007-10-18T12:17:00.000-07:00

I have great news from National. They have developed a new way to do a batch upload in OMDR that allows for uploads directly from an Excel spreadsheet...and the new feature is live today!

With this new way, users must use the formatted template or it can be found in the "Add Local Members Batch Upload" screen for users to download. Users can input their information into the template, save it to their computer, and then upload it into OMDR. Please note that the header row has to remain in this format and in the file.

Here are instructions on creating Excel files for upload. These instructions are additionally found on the "Add Local Members Batch Upload" screen.

Users who do not have Excel can continue to use the upload feature by changing the file into a csv and then txt file. Instructions for uploading ASCII/test files are also on the "Add Local Members Batch Upload" screen.

The live webinars do reflect the new upload feature and National will be archiving a new webinar soon. Please go to http://registration.intercall.com/go/nationalpta.
The following are the local unit OMDR webinars that are scheduled for the rest of the month and for November. Please encourage your local unit officers to attend a webinar if they are new to OMDR.

All times listed are Central time.
Oct. 22, 11:00 am
Oct. 30, 1:00 pm
Nov. 7, 3:00 pm
Nov. 16, 10:00 am
Thank you in advance for helping us to spread the good news about batch uploads!

Got Members? Have You Invited Everyone To Join?

2007-10-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

Here are some simple tips to help:
1. Make sure you have a PTA poster at the entrance to your school inviting everyone to join.
2. Invite every student, teacher, and administrator to become a member.
3. Solicit business sponsorships to show community involvement.
4. Take a look at areas of your community that are not represented and create a plan to welcome them to PTA. If dads are not represented, focus on getting more dads involved.
5. Plan an evening or weekend father/child activity and don’t forget to set up a membership enrollment table.

How are your PTA association meetings going? Does everyone feel free to participate in the discussions? Here are some tips to help you run effective and efficient meetings:
1. Prepare an agenda and make sure everyone gets a copy.
To help keep the meeting on track, list the approximate times for agenda items.
2. Help members understand and follow basic meeting rules.
This assures that everyone is treated with courtesy, all viewpoints are heard, and the majority makes decisions.
3. Ask chairmen to prepare written reports, in place of lengthy oral reports, unless action must be taken at the meeting.
Written reports may be sent to members via email prior to the meeting.
4. Be sure members stick to the agenda item.
Bring the discussion to a conclusion when it becomes too lengthy or repetitive. Details for events, fundraisers, or programs should be decided in committee, not at association meetings.
5. Make sure members understand what they are voting on by repeating the motion
before taking a vote.

Need help?
We’ve put together ideas and resources you need to get started:

OMDR Webinars
Learn how your unit can use the Online Membership Data Reporting system to maintain officer and membership lists, communicate with members, and more!
http://tinyurl.com/yt9xwq

Membership Ideas
http://tinyurl.com/2v89ye

Membership Brochures
http://tinyurl.com/2ddfe8

Sample Meeting Agenda
http://tinyurl.com/3dhky4

Be a Good President from the Start
http://tinyurl.com/3dxxf2

PTA Meetings
http://tinyurl.com/2jmvpu

Collaboration and Decision Making
http://tinyurl.com/2fs794

Looking for more ideas?
Visit the Great Idea Bank to learn what other PTAs are doing to help welcome parents to their PTA.
http://www.pta.org/local_leader/idea

Reflections Art Program

2007-10-09T16:23:00.000-07:00

From: Bettina McBee Hohmann
Reflections Chair -20th District
PTA President – Marina del Mar Elementary

I invite you to encourage your students and children to participate in a great art program!
It is called REFLECTIONS. Participation and appreciation of the arts is the goal of the Reflections Program. This program encourages ALL children across the nation to express themselves artistically and creatively. The Reflections Program also gives children the joy of receiving positive recognition for their original works of art inspired in 6 fantastic areas.

Students are asked to submit an entry in one of the following categories:

Visual arts
Photography
Literature
Dance Choreography
Film/video production
Musical composition

The theme of this year’s competition is “I can make a difference by….”. Please encourage your child or any child from preschool to grade 12 to submit an entry. Winners will have their art displayed at the national convention. Please support your child’s artistic expression. The excitement and enthusiasm that the program generates for children, parents, schools and communities is unmatched.

Deadline for entries to me on or before: January 9, 2008
Deadline for entries in the State PTA office on or before: January 18, 2008

*** Theme Search deadline for NEXT year is November 1st** http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/downloads/ReflectionsThemeSearch2009-2010.pdf

To learn more about the Reflections Program, please visit http://pta.browsermedia.com/cs/about_reflections
For more rules, marketing resources and entry forms, please visit
http://www.capta.org/sections/programs/reflections.cfm

Please feel free to contact me: mcbeebettina@comcast.net
3089 Lake Drive
Marina, CA 93933
**********************************************************
For general information about art advocacy resources feel free to visit
Americans for the Arts, http://www.amercansforthearts.org/
Support Music, http://www.supoortmusic.com/
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, http://www.nasaarts.org/
The Arts Education Partnership, http://www.aep-arts.org/

Fundraising ideas - share yours!

2007-10-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

This week, I thought we'd share fundraising ideas. Below are a few that we at the district have heard of and we encourage you to add comments to this post to share your PTA's fundraising ideas. Remember we are not endorsing any of the for-profit companies. These are simply ideas for you to explore.

Escrip - If your school is not using escrip, this is an easy way for your parents to earn funds for your PTA just by doing their normal grocery shopping. They spend no extra money, grocery stores will donate based on the groceries parents buy. Check it out at http://www.escrip.com/.

KidFit Connections - healthy cookbooks:

KidFIT Connections will give $4.00 to school/district fundraisers for each nutrition education based Cooking With MyPyramid cookbook ordered by your parents, school staff, or community members. The book can also be used with your staff wellness program or as an incentive for completing goals. Included in the book is a MyPyramid 25 Stars Challenge to encourage parents or staff to prepare meals, use healthy ingredients, and be active. The book is based on MyPyramid - the USDA food guidance system that teachers use in the classroom to teach nutrition. All the recipes list food group amounts from MyPyramid and each recipe encourages the messages from MyPyramid.gov - increase whole grains, eat colored vegetables, sweeten with fruit, use healthy oils, make protein low-fat and get calcium with low-fat dairy. The cookbook is a nutrition education tool for teachers and parents that enhances the classroom nutrition education lesson.
Each book comes with a slide guide to help teachers, staff, parents, and students determine their daily food group recommendations from MyPyramid (based on their activity) and a Healthy Snack wheel that can be used by students, parents, staff and foodservice to select healthy snacks at the store and school that fit within the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Copy and paste http://www.cookingwithmypyramid.com/ in your web browser for more information, and look at the fundraising section. Also look at the IDEAS for fundraising that promote good nutrition and physical activity. Don't hesitate to email or call with any questions.

Susan Patton MS RD LDDirector, KidFIT Connections CookingWithMyPyramid.com or KidFITConnections.com
http://us.f522.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=Susan@kidfitconnections.com
614-204-1663

MerMan Productions/Entertainment That Educates (fundraiser or assemblies)
James McCubbin - http://us.f522.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=mer-man@mindspring.com http://www.bebullyfree.com/ http://www.mermansmagic.com/
PO BOX 14121 Norfolk VA 23518 toll free 1-800-815-0364
Home of:
"The Bully In All of Us" (adult workshop)
"Bully You Bully Me Learn to be Bully Free" (assemblies)
"The YAM Show -You Are Magic" (character ed show)
"The Magic of Being Bully Free" ( Family night on character ed)
"MerMan's Comedy and Illusion Show" (fund-raiser, family night)
"MerMan's Magical Mania" (assemblies, special events)
"MerMan's Magical Pirate Adventure" (Dinner & Show)

We are running some specials until Oct 15th. We have one date left for Oct and two dates left for Jan. and will be offering great discounts. Please let us know if you are interested.

Why Join PTA?

2007-09-26T10:29:00.000-07:00

The number-one reason to join the Parent Teacher Association is to benefit your child. In doing so, you also help your school. But there are many more advantages. Here are just a few:

Get Connected. There’s no better way to know what’s happening in your school.

Discover Great Resources. The PTA offers a variety of programs designed for parents as well as students.

Tap into a Network. PTA functions provide opportunities to meet other parents and teachers, build rapport and discuss parenting issues that are on your mind.

Watch yourself Grow. By volunteering with your PTA, you gain valuable experiences and personal confidence. It’s an opportunity to put your skills and hobbies to good use for a good cause.

Speak Up. Because PTA is a forum for exchanging ideas, you are encouraged to make suggestions and more effectively suggest change at your child’s school.

Help Your Child Succeed. PTA fosters parent involvement. Parent involvement has been proven by three decades of research to be the greatest predictor of student success.

Witness Improvement. By getting involved at your child’s school you’ll be part of the solution, helping to make positive changes. Local PTAs play an important role in fundraising to provide building improvements, curriculum-based programs, social events – all vital to a school’s success.

Be a Role Model. By becoming a PTA member, you’ll be demonstrating to your child the importance you place on education.

JOIN US TODAY!

For approximately 3 cents a day, you can become a PTA member, joining nearly 6 million other people who share your interest in issues affecting children. Everyone – parents, educators, students and other citizens active in their schools and communities – are invited to join our not-for-profit organization.

Member Per Capita Dues and Deadlines

2007-09-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it's that time again to start turning in your membership per capita dues. You can start anytime using this Remittance form with the correct address for you to send those to.

Remember, you should be sending in dues every month. Below are the deadlines for the first remittance, as well as the remittances for the membership awards - Early Bird and Chairman's club.

It's not hard to get these awards, it's just a matter of getting those dues in on time and for the Chairman's club, you need 50 members.

Our District Treasurer is Robin Martinez. Her number is 831-884-9619. Give her a call or an email (therobinjm@netzero.net) if you have any questions.

Due dates to have those into Robin are:
Early Bird (15 members) October 17
Chairman’s Club (50 members due) November 1
First membership remittance November 16

If you don't have 15 members sent in by November 16th, you will be deemed "not in good standing" by the state PTA. After that, things get messy so don't miss this deadline!

Also, look for information coming in the next day or two about OMDR, the National PTA's new member database system.

OMDR - National PTA's Wave of the Future!

2007-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Introducing! National PTA's new Online Membership Data Reporting system (OMDR). You should have received information about this new system in your summer service mailing.

OMDR is required to comply with federal law and to provide members information in a timely manner. It gives PTA units certain functions, like sending email blasts to their members and making mailing labels from the database as well as the ability to print their PTA membership cards using the information that has been entered.

Below is important information for you and your membership chair to get started with OMDR. Please, read and digest this information soon so that you can begin inputting your members into OMDR as soon as possible.You will need the following 2 numbers to get started (sent to unit presidents by email)

National Unit ID
Your Membership #

An easy way to streamline your process is to use the excel spreadsheet in place of your current tracking system. Once you do this, you can easily upload your members in a batch, to minimize the time it takes.

I will also be providing training on OMDR at our upcoming district training. Please, ensure your membership chair attends to get that valuable training. Or, your membership chair can attend one of the online webinars, described below.Please, let me know if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer them.

Information from the National PTA:
PTA expects every PTA unit to be using the Online Membership Data Reporting system beginning this fall. Per capita (membership dues) will still be remitted in the same way as always, but when you enter your members into OMDR, they will be offered the chance to choose for themselves which information and offers they want to receive from National PTA.

You can learn about OMDR when you participate in the webinars (online training sessions) offered by PTA. The webinars last approximately one hour and will take you step by step through the main features of OMDR. The webinar schedule is available online and you can see the schedule and register at http://registration.intercall.com/go/nationalpta
Bulletin Board to ask questions and share information at http://www.pta.org/

An online "bulletin board" that can be used for questions about OMDR and to find information on the latest upgrades is now up and running. To get to the bulletin board, go to "Leadership Resources" on www.pta.org and then to "Leadership Bulletin Boards." You'll need the username and password on the back of your membership card to access the bulletin board.

There are two ways to enter member information into OMDR:
The first and easiest, although somewhat time consuming if you have a large membership, is to individually enter basic contact information for each person who has joined your PTA.

The other option is to "batch upload" using member data that you have entered into an Excel spread sheet. That spreadsheet must have the 22 specific required fields. Not all the fields must have information inserted into them but they must be present as part of the spreadsheet. A list of the required fields is attached.

Once members are entered into OMDR, they will receive a welcome email from PTA telling them how to opt in to get various resources, like e-newsletters, information on benefits available to PTA members and offers from PTA partners. Each member chooses the items desired.

Below you will find:
Accessing OMDR for the first time
Excel Fields for a Batch Upload to OMDR
Some Typical Questions and Answers
For assistance, please contact your PTA District, your PTA Council or National PTA at 800 / 307-4782 .

ACCESSING OMDR FOR THE FIRST TIME
Initial access to a local unit’s OMDR site is given to the local unit president (LUP).
To access OMDR the first time, the local unit president needs the National PTA identification number for the local PTA unit and his/her individual member identification number.
In California, these numbers can be provided to units by either their PTA district or their PTA council. The responsibility for entering the contact information for local unit presidents into OMDR belongs to the PTA district, so be sure that your PTA district knows of any changes in leadership. (If that information is in OMDR, the unit can also obtain access information from National PTA).
Go to https://www.pta.org/omdr.
Click “First Visit” in order to create your username and password.
Enter your first name, last name, member ID, and local unit ID in the appropriate boxes (be sure member and unit ID numbers are 8-digits and include the leading zeros). Choose your position (example: local unit president= LUP) from the drop-down menu. Enter your desired username. Click submit.
Enter your desired password, then retype this password in the appropriate boxes. Enter your e-mail address, choose a secret question from drop-down list, and answer the secret question in the appropriate boxes (this information is used to recover password, if necessary). Click submit.
You will receive a confirmation page indicating that your OMDR account was successfully added.
You can click from this page to go to the local unit sign-in page, or return to the OMDR main menu.
You can now sign in to OMDR using the username and password you just created by going to www.pta.org/omdr and signing on.
Note: As the local unit president (LUP), it is possible that you will not be the primary person within your unit in charge of using OMDR. In many cases, the membership chair, treasurer, or another board member is responsible for keeping track of membership and will need to use OMDR. In order for others to access the system you have two options (but the first option is the preferred method):
The Local Unit President (LUP) can enter into the system the person who needs access and provide them with their Member ID number so that they can go through the "first visit" process and create their own username and password for future use.
The Local Unit President (LUP) can provide his/her username and password to any other individuals within the unit who have been authorized to use OMDR. This option is not recommended because it means that there is no way to take away access should someone leave (without taking away access from all people using the same password).

OMDR - REQUIRED EXCEL Spreadsheet Fields for Batch Upload
These are the 22 "fields" that are required in an Excel spread sheet to "batch upload" data into the OMDR database. Ten (10) of the fields must have an entry (indicated below by "REQUIRED"); the other fields must exist but can be empty.

A. "LU ID number" (local unit identification number) is the 8 digit National PTA identification number (include all the leading zeros to make it an 8 digit number). REQUIRED
Note: all entities in OMDR (both PTAs and individuals) have a unique 8 digit identification number.
B. Name prefix can be: none (default), Dr., Miss, Mr., Mrs., Ms., c/o.
C First Name - REQUIRED - 40 characters maximum.
D. Middle Initial or Name is optional (40 letters maximum)
E. Last name - REQUIRED - 40 characters maximum.
F. Name suffix, such as: Jr., Sr., I, II, III ("none" is the default)
G. Home address #1- REQUIRED - maximum length is 40 characters.
H. Home address #2 - If applicable, use for apartment number or suite number; maximum length is 40 characters.
I. Home Address #3.
J. Home city - REQUIRED - maximum length is 25 characters.
Use the postal service correct spelling/spacing of cities (Fort Wayne, not Ft. Wayne).
K. Home state - REQUIRED - must be two (2) characters only.
L. Home zip code - REQUIRED - Use 5 digits or 9 (zip + 4) but no hyphens. Maximum is 15 characters
M. Home Area Code
N. Home phone – Recommended - Use format xxxxxxx (no spaces). Required for unit presidents
O. Work Area Code
P. Work phone – Recommended - Use format xxxxxxx (no spaces).
Q. Fax Area Code
R. Fax Phone number - Optional. Use format xxxxxxx (no spaces).
S. E-mail is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED since this is the most efficient way for communication
to take place. Maximum length is 60 characters.
T. PTA Position - REQUIRED -
(LUP=Local Unit President, LUM= Local Unit Member).
Abbreviations for most other positions can be provided.
U. Begin Date of being in the position or the membership year - (07/01/2007) REQUIRED Format: MM/DD/YYYY
V. End Date for the position or end of the membership year. REQUIRED Format: MM/DD/YYYY (06/30/2008)

Questions and Answers:
Why do names and addresses of members need to be entered into the National Online PTA database?
In order to comply with federal and state laws requiring all corporations to be in touch with their members.
When will use of the database start?
Some PTAs in California are already participating and National PTA expects everyone to be using the system starting in the summer of 2007.
How do I access this database?
As the system moves from its pilot phase into full implementation, National PTA is getting ready to provide information on its website, www.pta.org. You can reach the database at www.pta.org/omdr
Do I need a password to access this database?
Each PTA president can access the system with their unit's National PTA identification number and the PTA president's individual identification number (which is assigned when the PTA district enters the PTA president's contact information).
Will other people be able to access the database for our units and see our confidential information?
Each level (unit/council/district) can only access its own information. The entire system is password protected.
What will this database be used for?
Record-keeping to comply with federal law and to provide members information in a timely manner. It gives PTA units certain functions, like sending email blasts to their members and making mailing labels from the database as well as the ability to print their PTA membership cards using the information that has been entered.
Can I print out this database so that I don't have to do a separate database on my own computer for our unit? Absolutely! Whatever information you enter will be accessible to you. Also OMDR allows you to send email blasts to your members. Additionally, no longer will membership information be lost when the membership person moves or when the membership records are misplaced.
What if people don't give information like addresses or phone numbers?
Enter the information you do have. If an email address is provided, the member will receive a welcome email that explains how they can opt in to receive various offers and information from PTA.
Does PTA have a "privacy policy" and how can I access it?
Yes, you can access the policy at www.pta.org/privacy_policy.html

2007-09-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

OMDR Membership Dates and Card Printing

The California PTA membership year is July 1 to June 30. Our membership card expiration date is October 31. This allows our members to renew their membership during those four months. During this grace period, members are entitled to their full membership rights, including approval of the PTA’s budget and program at the summer or fall association meeting.
Each PTA must keep a record of the actual date that a member has joined. Rights of membership are extended to those who have been members for 30 days.

OMDR includes a convenient membership card printing function found on the unit site. Unit name, unit ID number, member name and dates of membership are printed on the card. October 31 must be used in OMDR as the end of term date in order to be printed on the card. Keep in mind that any members added with a future begin date will not be seen in the system until that date.

When one enters a member individually, one has no option of providing dates for the member’s membership year. Therefore the dates printed on the membership card for that individual correspond to the unit’s membership year entered in the “Local Unit Update”. Set the Local Membership Year dates to begin July 1 and end October 31.

When one renews members from the previous year that were entered individually, there is also no option for dates. The membership years printed on the membership card will be the ones set in the “Local Unit Update”.

Members entered into the OMDR system will remain in the system for exactly one year past their member expiration date in order to allow for renewal of membership.

When members are entered via a batch upload, one has the option of entering begin and end dates for each member. Use the date each member joined in the “begin date” column and 10/31/08 in the “end date” column for the current year in order to print cards from the OMDR site.

Each member’s term date should begin with the date he/she joined and end with October 31 of the following year (or in the same year as the end of term, June 30).
There are two options to print membership cards.
To print with all of the information including names, click “Membership Card PDF”. To print all the information except the names, click “Membership Card PDF (Blank)”.

Welcome from Amy Gibson

2007-09-13T10:25:00.001-07:00

Welcome to a New School Year!

My name is Amy Gibson. I am the 20th District President for the 2007-2009 term.

I find myself with one child in his final year of high school and another in her second while I am in my first year as your District President. So much responsibility...whew!

I want to take this opportunity to welcome you all to your new term, as well. For some of you, welcome to PTA!

I look forward to working with you all to make the 20th District the best it can be.

The District General Meetings will be September 20, 2007, January 17, 2008, and April 17, 2008. Each unit should have at least one representative at each of these meetings. Please add these to your calendar now and plan to attend or send a representative from your school’s PTA.

Our first General Meeting on September 20th is at Foothill Elementary School, 1700 Via Casoli, Monterey. We will be finalizing the calendar, goals, training, etc. and we want to hear from you.

There are four Vice Presidents on the District Board that cover the four geographical areas of our District. Please use your VP as your first point of contact on the District Board.

For Monterey, Michael Silver, michael-silver@sbcglobal.net. For Santa Cruz, Mary Marasco, marymarasco@yahoo.com. For Salinas, Sherrie Payne, sherripayne@sbcglobal.net. For South Monterey County, Karen Gibbs, kareng1971@yahool.com.

Please feel free to contact me via email (ladylocksmith3051@sbcglobal.net at any time for questions, problems, etc. that you might have need of. I make every effort to answer emails within a day or two.

Again, welcome to the New School Year! I look forward to meeting you all on September 20th.