Thank you for the tremendous work you have been doing this year!  Through your efforts, PTAs are making a difference for all children, even despite severe challenges such as state budget cuts.
 
As February begins, some of us might like to relax a bit or begin focusing on the transition to next year's PTA board. However, I have a very special request to ask each of you.  
 
This year we have a chance to do something powerfully important in California: achieve a statewide increase in our membership.  
 
It is essential that the media, public and our state policymakers see that PTAs in California are gaining strength in numbers. Thanks to your efforts so far this year, this goal is well within our reach.  If we all stay committed during the winter and spring to continuing our year-long membership campaigns, we can succeed in sending a message throughout the state that PTA's voice on behalf of children in California is stronger than ever!  This will be especially important given the work we must do to protect education and children's services from deeper budget cuts.
 
During the next few months you'll have a number of great opportunities to spread the word about the importance of joining PTA right now.  These include:
 
 ·    Founders Day celebrations provide  opportunities to encourage everyone in your community to join PTA and help us celebrate more than 100 years of PTA service on behalf of all children!  Don't forget to include your principal,  teachers, past award recipients, previous PTA officers and school staff in the celebration - and encourage any of them who have not yet joined to become a member of your PTA this month.  Ask your school leaders to send out a message reminding everyone there's still time to join. Remind everyone that the stronger PTA's voice is in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., the better for all children.
 
 ·    Open House nights, new class orientations and student performances and award nights. Make sure your PTA has a presence at all upcoming campus events. Share the value of PTA and ask everyone who hasn't had a chance yet to join.
 
 ·    New celebrity public service announcements - check your e-mail and the PTA Facebook site soon to find out who's encouraging people to join PTA.
 
 ·     One of our sponsors, Jamba Juice, plans to open up its doors during the week of Founders Day to help PTAs celebrate and to encourage everyone in the community to learn more about PTA.  Look for more information soon with details on this opportunity.
 

Be creative and earn recognition for your PTA's great work.  PTAs that achieve the 5 percent  membership growth goal will be recognized at the annual convention, April 28-May 1 in Long Beach.  We'll also continue highlighting other outstanding membership achievements on our website and in  regular "membership message" e-mails.
 
 
This is a critical and exciting time for us.  Together, we have a chance to accomplish something incredibly important by showing everyone that membership in our PTAs is on the rise.  I hope you will embrace this challenge right away and help keep our focus on bringing in new members in the next few months. If we reach our goal, I can promise you a big celebration at our annual convention, April 28-May 1 in Long Beach.  But more importantly - I promise that the greater our voice, the better we will advance our mission of making a positive impact in the lives of all children and families.
 
Please do not hesitate to contact me, our Vice-President for Membership at membership@capta.org or your local council or district leaders if we can help provide any additional support.  
 
Sincerely,

 

 

Jo A.S. Loss, President