These hour long information sessions were created to support our units and to connect leaders across the school district. Everyone is invited to attend, but pre-registration is required. The sessions are recorded so they can be viewed at a later date. Have ideas for 4-1-1 Wednesdays? Submit them here!
“SSCs and PTAs Part 2: What is a School Site Council and Why Should You Care?” (March 1)
We held Part 2 of the Second District PTA’s two-part 411 Wednesday series about School Site Councils and how PTAs can partner with them. If you missed it, we can view the video recording and review the slide deck.
“SSCs and PTAs Part 1: What is a School Site Council and Why Should You Care?” (February 22)
You’ve probably heard the term “School Site Council” aka SSC at your school, but what exactly is one and what are they supposed to do? How are parents supposed to be involved? What does the law say about how it should function? What are some examples of SSCs doing well (and how would we define “well”)? Also, what is a SPSA, or Single Plan for Student Achievement, who creates it, and how? Mary Elisalde from SFUSD’s state and federal program joined us to explain everything we’ve ever wanted to understand about SSCs, and maybe even some things we didn’t know we didn’t know! Here is the recording, the slide deck about SSCs from SFUSD, and the slide deck with best practices and resources.
“Nominating Committee & Elections Office Hours” (January 25)
Second Distirct PTA members have been encouraged to watch our recording of the training offered last year.
“How to Make your PTA meetings More Inclusive and Accessible” (December 7)
The Second District PTA celebrated Inclusive School Week on Wednesday December 7th. We hosted a special 411 Wednesday to share ideas about making your PTA meetings more inclusive and accessible. Julia Martin, our ombudsperson from the SFUSD Special Education Department joined us in the discussion. Watch the recording
“Learn about How You can Organize Advocacy Efforts in Your PTA” (November 16)
Do you want to build community and sense of purpose in your PTA? Activate PTA’s advocacy roots! In this 411 we discussed how to choose issues your PTA community can advocate on, as well as a structure to support it, including creating an Advocacy Chair position at your school and what that person might do. You can watch the video recording and follow along with the slide deck . Let us know if you have other questions!
“Staying on Track with PTA Financials” (October 19)
Join other PTA leaders across San Francisco as Second District PTA guides you through the various financial forms and requirements for the IRS, AG (attorney general), AIM (the PTA’s insurance company), and California PTA.
We reviewed those “must do’s” that keep your PTA in good standing. Topics included entering required officers to myPTez, forwarding membership dues to Second District, the new process for submitting insurance premiums, and uploading your annual budget, mid-year audit and year-end audit to myPTez. Watch the recording
“How Can PTAs Create Communities of Belonging”
As organizations whose purpose is to positively impact the lives of all children and families, and whose members include parents/caregivers, educators, administrators, students and the community, PTAs are uniquely positioned to help our school communities be places where everyone feels a sense of belonging. What does that mean, what does it look like, and how can we help this happen?
“How it Works: PTA Officer Nominations and Elections“
All PTAs must have their new officer elections meetings in either March or April (check your bylaws to see which month your school is scheduled for). This means that you should be electing a nominating committee in either January or February (2 months before the election). This group of PTA members is tasked with finding a representative group of people from the school community to submit as a potential slate of PTA officers for the 2022-2023 school year. This timeline sneaks up on PTAs all the time! Watch the recording to get an overview of how the process works, how to do it in an inclusive way that strengthens your PTA, and what milestones you want to reach to set the next school year up for success. Who should watch? Parliamentarians (who are in charge of launching the process for your PTA), other PTA officers, and anyone who is interested in learning more.
“Advocacy 101“
Lots of issues affect our children and families, schools, and communities every day. The PTA was founded in 1897 specifically to advocate for children and youth on issues of education, health and safety. We have a long legacy of success doing this, helping to establish school lunch programs, kindergarten–even the yellow crosswalks you see near schools in San Francisco. So where do you fit in? How can you be an effective advocate? How can PTAs consider and take positions on issues and organize their members? Come learn about this and more!
“An Intro to Implicit Bias”
Guest speaker, Lucas Elbaum from SFUSD’s Multilingual Pathways Department, presented an introduction to the topic of implicit bias, as well as some potential steps to mitigate its impact. He provided us with a place to start and hopefully become more prepared to address this topic with others. This workshop was structured to provide some opportunities to reflect and discuss with others throughout the session.
“Treasurer Training — A Guide to Starting the Year” (Finanzas de PTA- Parte I Finanzas de PTA- Parte II)
Please join us to learn about the financial duties a PTA Treasurer is responsible for. Finance Secretaries, Auditors and any other PTA officers supporting the Treasurer are welcome to attend, too. We will review the timeline of important events, and overview Financial Reports, Budgets, PayPal, Totem, PTEZ and Taxes. We will also have time to answer your questions.
Presentation Slide Deck
“A Path to Equity”
Join Martin Luther King, Jr Middle School principal, Michael Essien, and the Second District PTA for a conversation about how we can use a systems approach to address implicit bias in our schools. Learn about how our beliefs and values influence any framework we use to improve student outcomes, and what the responsibility of adults–each of us–is in this journey. Also learn about how these approaches have impacted students at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.
Presentation slide deck
“How to Successfully Transition Between Outgoing and Incoming PTA Officers“
Are you trying to figure out what information to share as you leave your current PTA officer position and hand it off to the person who will take on the same role next year? We’ve got you. Looking for a checklist and wonder what to do and when? We’ve got you. Do you want to make it as non-overwhelming as possible? We’ve got you. Looking for help on seemingly small questions? We’ve got you. This meeting is for all PTA officers who served this past year and/or will serve next year.
- The Must-Do lists:
- The Nice-To-Do tasks:
- Evaluating your PTA – an activity for the outgoing board that can be shared with the incoming board and membership
- Suggestions for the new board: communication, by-laws, relationship-building
- Setting goals for your PTA
- Helpful guide for how to run your PTA