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Adopted May 2021 — Education Commission

California State PTA believes that all students should have access to an equitable learning environment that promotes student success. In today’s world, there is an increasing likelihood that many students will experience distance learning for a variety of reasons. Distance learning is defined as an alternative to face-to-face instruction — whether out of necessity or by choice. Distance learning should meet standards for instructional quality and student learning that is comparable to classroom based instruction.

California State PTA believes that every local school and school district needs to have a current plan to provide distance learning in place that can be rolled out rapidly.  The plan should be reviewed annually with stakeholder input.

California State PTA believes that a high quality distance learning program should:

• Provide all children and youth an equitable learning environment that fosters opportunities to develop their abilities to their fullest potential;
• Ensure that students feel respected and know that the learning community cares about their individual needs and expects them to succeed;
• Provide and sustain a safe and healthy learning environment for distance learning students that includes regular, ongoing assessments of students’ social-emotional, mental, and physical health, supported by additional resources and counselors as needed;
• Incorporate social-emotional learning;
• Ensure that every student has an equal chance for success by evaluating and addressing the unique challenges and barriers faced by individual students or by populations of students;
• Provide the additional support needed to ensure that every child receives an equitable education whether in person or in distance learning; and
• Identify students facing additional learning challenges due to distance learning. Recognize that distance learning students may require additional high-quality interventions such as individual tutoring, face-to-face instruction, social and emotional supports, extended school days and/or extended school years, and other supports as needed.

California State PTA believes that it is the responsibility of local education leaders to adjust operations, allocate resources, and actively engage families to ensure the quality and effectiveness of distance learning programs through such actions as:

• Committing to provide educational support that works to close the achievement and opportunity gap for all students;
• Investing in increased resources to support distance learning including access to devices, distance learning platforms and reliable, consistent and free internet connectivity and training to utilize this technology;
• Meeting instructional quality and student learning standards, and provide curriculum and resources that are comparable to traditional classrooms;
• Supporting a student’s awareness of racism, classism, discrimination and other issues in the world. Teaching students how to openly address these situations by ensuring that curriculum, teaching, and learning includes contributions from individuals of protected classes and reflects the story of all student populations.
• Providing minimum amounts of interactive, live online instructional time based on developmentally appropriate pedagogy.
• Ensuring active student engagement on a daily basis.
• Encouraging and tracking student attendance on a daily basis.
• Maintaining rigor and quality and ensuring proficient performance levels as assessed by accurate measurements;
• Providing appropriate and ongoing professional development for teachers and staff;
• Welcoming and encouraging families and community members to share ideas, talents and resources for supporting distance learning;
• Providing families with resources to support their students in distance learning including but not limited to: tutorials on different education platforms, strategies to support and motivate students, and resources to support students with different learning needs; and
• Including distance learning students in on-campus participation in athletics, on-campus student events and programs or other activities outside of the instructional day.

Parents are a child’s first teachers and the home is a child’s first classroom. As key resources for learning and growth, parents help to shape a child’s social, emotional and physical development so that he/she can thrive in school and beyond.

Supporting student success starts with a shared agreement among families, schools and the community to work together and it involves committed actions to make it happen.

10 Tips for Parents

As a parent, you can do your part at home to reinforce this important family-school partnership. To help prepare your children for school readiness to stay on track and expand their learning opportunities:

• Set up a daily family routine, including healthy eating and sleeping habits
• Provide a place and time at home for homework
• Check on assignments, homework and projects
• Talk each day with your child about his/her activities
• Promote literacy by reading to your child and by reading yourself
• Limit and monitor TV watching, gaming, social media and computer time
• Express high expectations and standards for your child’s learning
• Attend parent-teacher conferences, Open House and Back-To-School events
• Participate in decisions that affect your child’s education
• Tap into community resources with visits to a library, museum, zoo or theater and encourage participation in after-school clubs, sports and art activities

Engaged parents are a key factor in helping students and schools succeed. With families, schools and communities working together as partners, student achievement is enhanced and children are better prepared to do well in school.

Keep in the Loop

With pre-teens and teens, staying connected with student learning remains critical. Yet, studies show that family engagement in school drops as students move from elementary to middle and high school.

With this transition to higher grades, parents often face new challenges including figuring out ways to best support student success at home.

Parent involvement at middle and high school takes many forms. Whether it’s checking homework, talking more about college and career choices, attending Open House or volunteering for PTA and booster clubs, your engagement makes a difference.

By knowing what’s happening in the classroom and on campus, you can help your student to focus on coursework and school activities to ensure college and career readiness.

Model Practices for Districts, Councils and Units

It is very important that certain records be retained. The current letter of determination, the current bylaws and standing rules approved by the state parliamentarian and the articles of incorporation (for incorporated PTAs) should be readily available at all times.

A policy was adopted by the State Board of Directors and Board of Managers November 2016 and meets all applicable state and federal statutes as it relates to document retention and non-profit organizations. This policy is intended as a guide for model practices at the local district, council and unit level.

Purposes of the Policy include (a) retention and maintenance of documents necessary for the proper functioning of local PTA as well as to comply with applicable legal requirements; (b) destruction of documents which no longer need to be retained; and (c) guidance for the Board of Directors (the “Board”), officers, and other constituencies with respect to their responsibilities concerning document retention and destruction.

Please refer to the Toolkit online at toolkit.capta.org for the complete policy recommended for all districts, councils and units.

RETENTION SCHEDULE

PERMANENT STORAGE

Accounting & Finance

• Annual Financial Statements & Financial Review Reports
• Cancelled Checks – special, such as loan repayment
• General Ledger

Contributions/Gifts/Grants

• Contribution Records
• Documents Evidencing Terms of Gifts

Governance

• Articles of Incorporation & Amendments
• Bylaws & Amendments
• Minute Books, including Association, Board & Committee Minutes
• Annual Reports & Returns to State & Federal Agencies
  • IRS 990N, 990EZ or 990
  • Franchise Tax Board 199N or Form 199
  • Attorney General –
    • RRF-1
    • CT-TR-1 (if applicable)
    • Raffle Reports (if applicable)
• Secretary of State SI-100 (if incorporated, filed biennially)
• IRS Rulings
• Licenses and Permits
• Employer Identification Number (EIN) Designation
• Any other correspondence with State or Federal Agencies

Electronic Mail (Email)

• Emails considered important or of lasting significance

Retirement & Pension Records

Insurance

• Property, D&O, Workers’ Compensation & General Liability Insurance Policies
• Insurance Claims Records

Legal Correspondence

10 YEAR STORAGE

• Personnel Records
• Employee Contracts
• Personal Property Leases

7 YEAR STORAGE

• Accounts Payable
• Accounts Receivable
• Bank Statements, Reconciliations & Deposit Slips
• Cancelled Checks – routine
• Credit Card receipts
• Employee/Business Expense Reports/Documents
• Interim Financial Statements
• Grant Records

3 YEAR STORAGE

• Conflict/Whistleblower forms

2 YEAR STORAGE

• Hard copy correspondence and internal memoranda – routine matters
• Electronically stored documents – routine matters

12 MONTH STORAGE

• Emails – routine

(Year-round PTAs adapt accordingly)

UPON ELECTION/MARCH/APRIL

President-elect appoints the budget committee to develop the budget based on proposed PTA programs for the upcoming year.

Treasurer-elect chairs budget committee.

Board-elect adopts preliminary budget.

MAY/JUNE

Present proposed budget for adoption to the current executive board and the membership at the last PTA meeting of the year.

Association approves and releases any funds required prior to the next association meeting in the fall. This allows the board-elect the ability to cover routine summer expenses as outlined in the bylaws.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

Re-present budget to association for adoption at its first meeting. Release any funds required prior to the next association meeting.

Present financial review and year-end Annual Financial Report to association. Upload copies of all documents to the document retention system.

Send the first remittance of per capita dues through PTA channels. Send dues as received and at least monthly thereafter. No remittance for E-membership dues.

OCTOBER

Confirm tax forms for prior fiscal year are filed as required with copies forwarded to council or district as directed (Tax Requirements) and uploaded to MyPTEZ. (Contact District PTA for assistance if needed.)

Remit payment for insurance directly to AIM, the California State PTA insurance broker, via the online portal by December 20, or a late fee of $25 will be assessed by California State PTA.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

Send per capita dues through channels. Send dues as received and at least monthly thereafter. No remittance for E-membership dues.

Balance membership totals with council and district membership reports.

Prepare books and financial records for the midyear audit.

JANUARY

Submit books and financial records for mid-year financial review, as specified in the bylaws.

Present budget versus actual report to the executive board and association and revise budget if necessary.

Ensure that Workers’ Compensation form and additional premium, if required, have been submitted to AIM by the appropriate due dates.

FEBRUARY

Send Founders Day freewill offering through channels to district PTA, when collected. The event may be held during a month other than February.

MARCH

Ensure all per capita dues have been forwarded through channels. No remittance for E-membership dues.

Register for convention.

APRIL

Issue convention checks for authorized expenditures for elected delegates, if necessary.

Begin transitioning with newly elected financial officers.

MAY/JUNE

Attend workshops for financial officers, when offered.

Submit books and financial records to outgoing financial reviewer for end-of-term financial review, as stipulated in the bylaws (after close of fiscal year).

Give financial records and materials to the incoming financial officer (except those in financial review).

Assist incoming officers with changing authorized signers at the bank as needed. The treasurer-elect should contact the bank to determine the requirements for changing authorized signers.

Prepare Annual Financial Report that reflects the fiscal year. Prepare and file tax returns (end of fiscal year) and upload to MyPTEZ. The fiscal year is listed in the bylaws and on previous tax returns. The recommended fiscal year is July 1 to June 30.

Ensure all per capita dues have been forwarded through channels so that there are no financial review exceptions. No remittance for E-membership dues.

Other pertinent dates should be added (or adjusted) to the calendar to meet time frames specific to each PTA and fiscal year.

A financially healthy PTA

• Ensures that only authorized check signers (as specified in the bylaws) are on the bank signature card. Removes previously authorized signers from the signature card whenever a resignation occurs or a new term begins.
• Prepares and presents monthly treasurer reports, budget-to-actual comparative reports, financial secretary reports, committee reports and financial review reports at board and association meetings.
• Ensures budget is approved by association, funds are released and expenditures are authorized prior to spending funds.
• Only pays bills which have been authorized by the executive board or association.
• Has the bank statements and reconciliations reviewed and signed monthly by a non-check signer; may be the financial reviewer.
• Conducts at least two financial reviews per year, in accordance with the bylaws. Financial reviews not conducted by a qualified accountant are reviewed by a financial review committee.
• Files the appropriate IRS Form 990 annually and all state forms required by due date.
• Conducts a membership campaign throughout the year and remits membership funds not belonging to the association monthly. No remittance is made for memberships received through the California State PTA E-membership program.
• Remits California State PTA insurance premium before December 20^th. Remits Workers’ Compensation Annual Payroll Report Form and any additional premium no later than January 31^st.
• Ensures all monies are counted by two PTA members, one of whom must be an officer or chairman. Cash verification forms are signed by everyone who counts monies. A signed copy of the verification form is kept by each person who participates in the count.
• Issues a receipt for donations (see Providing Documentation to Donors and Donation Receipt).
• Ensures checks, bill payments/electronic funds transfer authorizations and transfers between bank accounts are signed by two authorized check signers.
• Ensures officers receive training at convention, state, district, and/or council PTA workshops.

When purchasing goods and material over the Internet, PTA members must take care when choosing the method of payment. Placing an Internet order constitutes entering into a contract and obligating the PTA. PTAs should only use online vendors who provide the option of billing the unit directly for the goods. Since PTA units are not allowed to have credit cards, individual members who choose to use their personal credit card should use extreme caution, as they may be held liable for any purchase not appropriately authorized.

These guidelines must be followed for any purchases over the Internet using vendor optional billing; (Where the vendor bills the PTA directly.)

1.  The item(s) must be for the purpose of an approved activity, and/or the item(s) have been individually approved by the membership. Approval must be obtained prior to purchase.
2. Before committing to the purchase, a copy of the order must be printed and attached to the Authorization to Purchase on the Internet form signed (authorized) by the president and one other executive board member. The shipping and handling costs and any taxes should be included on this form. If shipping and handling and taxes are not indicated, a note should explain their absence and to expect additional cost upon final confirmation of the order.
3. Upon verification that the purchase has been properly authorized, the individual requesting the Internet purchase may then complete the Internet order. (By today’s standards most online vendors have the capability for users to shop over a period of time before committing to the purchase. This will allow for the printing of the order before the order is filled.)
4. After the order has been committed to the vendor, a final copy of the order shall be given to the committee chairman and treasurer. This final copy should be compared to the original order submitted for accuracy, and should include any final shipping and handling and taxes for which the unit may be liable. All final documents shall be submitted to the treasurer for payment when the invoice arrives.
5. NOTE: Individuals committing to Internet purchases may be held liable for any Internet purchases not appropriately authorized, or in excess of the budgeted amount.

These guidelines must be followed when making any purchase over the Internet when using a personal credit card:

1. The item(s) must be for the purpose of an approved activity, or the items(s) have been individually approved by the membership.
2. A Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement Form with receipt or credit card statement attached shall be submitted for processing.

This procedure is for reimbursement only. Unit and council PTA credit cards are NOT allowed for any reason.

Website: capta.org
Provides up-to-date information on PTA programs and policies with how-tos for running your PTA.

PTA in California
Official magazine of California State PTA with a wealth of news and information for PTA members.

PTA Connects
Monthly e-newsletter sent by email to PTA members and leaders.

Membership Monday
Each Monday from mid-July through October, be on the lookout for “Membership Monday.” This special newsletter will be sent to all unit, council and district membership chairs, communications officers and presidents.

Leadership Made Easy Mailing
Contains ideas for running your PTA with tips and how-tos to boost membership, leadership, programs and family engagement. Provides updated resources for PTA finance, bylaws, scholarships, grants and awards, children’s issues, communications and more.

Financial (Insurance) Mailing
Annual mailing sent to PTA leaders containing the Insurance and Loss Prevention Guide, annual insurance premium notice and other California State PTA resources and materials.

Convention Mailing
Annual California State PTA Convention e-publications sent by email to PTA leaders and members. Contain convention registration and workshop information with attendance requirements, forms and directions. Provide overviews of convention activities, speakers and the agenda for handling the organization’s business at convention.

Running Your PTA Made Easy
Brief 24-page guide with tips and encouragement for PTA leaders. Available in English and Spanish.