Presented to convention delegates for adoption in even-numbered years.
Adopted May 2024
Preamble
The California Congress of Parents, Teachers, and Students, Inc. legislation platform reflects the priorities that guide our efforts to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children, youth and families.
General Principles
General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation
- Equity in every aspect of life for all children and youth, while recognizing that each child is unique with individual needs and talents.
- High standards for those who work in all areas concerned with children and youth.
- Effective governance systems and practices that are rooted in social justice to effectively serve the needs of children, youth and families.
- Coordination and planning by all agencies with clear definition of responsibility at each level of government.
- Establishment of and adherence to fiscal responsibility in government, with concern for fair taxation, but keeping priorities for the needs of all children and youth foremost.
- Adherence to strict ethical practices in political campaigns and at all levels of government.
- Strong and broadly based tax structures at state and local levels.
- Budgets and financial support to provide needed public services for all children and youth with the continued constitutional guarantee of financial support for public schools as the first claim on all state revenues in the general fund.
- Local control when it serves the best interest of all children and youth.
- Equal justice for all.
Legislation Planks
California State PTA will support legislation that:
- Provides the most comprehensive and diversified education possible for all children, youth, and adults: education that will achieve quality and excellence, encourage maximum individual development, and provide equitable educational opportunities for each student, with a particular focus on eliminating the achievement gap.
- Advocates for a full and culturally responsive curriculum to meet the diverse needs of our student population.
- Elevates the student voice to create an inclusive, positive, and supportive school climate.
- Ensures access to affordable, reliable, and adequate broadband internet service for children, youth, and families.
- Secures financing for public education that will be sufficient to provide optimum educational opportunities for all students, including state aid to school districts for building purposes as well as state funds to cover excess costs of all programs mandated by the Legislature.
- Supports all students with quality counseling and guidance services, school health services both mental and physical, and library services, provided by credentialed personnel.
- Ensures pre-service and in-service teacher preparation programs, remuneration, supportive services and professional development designed to attract and retain qualified teaching professionals.
- Provides guidelines for assessing competencies in the teaching profession, and provides for due process in dismissal procedures.
- Includes parents/guardians in decisions that affect the education and well-being of their children, and promotes their involvement in their children’s education and schools.
- Gives students the skills they need to become effective citizens in a democracy.
- Protects and improves the health of all families through the prevention, treatment, and control of disease.
- Extends and improves physical and mental health services and facilities, including rehabilitation.
- Protects families from unsafe, impure, or ineffective drugs, foods, medical devices, and cosmetics.
- Prevents, controls, or eliminates hazards to the health, safety, and well-being of all children and youth.
- Requires state and local governments to publicize and disseminate information regarding issues affecting the public’s well-being in the language(s) of the community it serves.
- Provides effective community services and facilities for all children, youth, and adults, directed toward the well-being of the family.
- Promotes public policy that contributes to the stability of families and to the adequate physical, emotional, and financial support of children and youth.
- Provides services and facilities for the care, protection, and treatment of abused, dependent, neglected, or abandoned children and youth.
- Secures specialized programs for the prevention of crimes committed by juveniles.
- Provides adequate facilities and services for the treatment, education, and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders.
- Promotes public policies that protect and conserve natural resources and provide a quality environment for present and future generations.
- Improves governance systems and practices to effectively serve the needs of children and youth.
- Supports the needs of vulnerable children in all aspects of their lives.
