The Newsletter for PTA leaders

in San Diego and Imperial Counties

February 2023

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Do you know Selena Sloan Butler?

February 17 is PTA Founders Day and you may know Selena Sloan Butler as one of the three founders of PTA. But did you know she actually never knew she would be designated a National PTA founder because it happened after her death?

In the early 1920's Selena was living in Atlanta where her husband became one of the most prominent black physicians in the city. When her son entered kindergarten, she organized the first black Parent-Teacher Association in the United States. A few years later in 1926 she started the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers, modeled after the PTA.

As the United States progressed through the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement and the eventual desegregation of schools and communities, the two associations fought side by side for every child. Following the Supreme Court decision that ended segregation, the associations held their conventions in conjunction with one another and worked toward merging in all 50 states.

On June 22, 1970, six years after Selena's death, the two congresses signed a Declaration of Unification and officially became one association. Selena was named one of the national founders of the National PTA posthumously. To learn more about this fascinating woman, Click Here.

Learn more about Ninth District PTA Founder's Day Celebration

Registration for California State PTA

Legislation Conference is now open

Join PTA leaders from across the state in Sacramento on March 20-21. Spend two days participating in learning activities and hearing from legislative leaders and experts on issues affecting children and families across the state. Learn how to advocate directly with your state legislators.

Four reasons to attend

1.  You don’t have to be a policy expert or an advocacy rock star to benefit from the conference. The Legislation Conference is designed to meet the needs of everyone — from an advocacy novice to a policy wonk.
2. There's so much to learn! You'll learn various ways to advocate at the local and state level. You’ll learn about important issues affecting students around the state, and you’ll hear directly from policymakers in Sacramento.
3. Meet and network with PTA leaders from across the state. One of the best things about the Legislation Conference is meeting other leaders who care about children and families as much as you do!
4. Students can attend too! Is your high schooler passionate about a cause? Do they want to learn more about how our government works or how to help make a change? Students are always welcome at the Legislation Conference.

Click here for more Leg Con 2023 details. All ready to register? Click here to sign up. 

Questions? Email Ninth District VP of Legislation, Derby Pattengill, legislation@ninthdistrictpta.org.

April 21-23, 2023  California State PTA Convention

Join thousands of other PTA members in Sacramento for State Convention. Early-Bird Registration is now open and goes through March 31st.

June 3, 2023  Summer Leadership Conference

University of San Diego

Our premier training event of the year

Ninth District PTA Reflections winners announced

Congratulations to the 26 students whose artwork has been recognized with an Award of Excellence from Ninth District PTA for the Reflections Arts Program 2022-2023. These student works will move on to the state level. There are four awards in each category - dance, film, literature, music, photography and visual arts and two awards in the special artists categories. The award list for Award of Merit and Honorable Mention will be coming soon.

Click Here to see the Award of Excellence winners.

2021-2022 Student Board Member Kathryn Rickard met with legislators at the 2022 Legislation Conference

Have you turned in the following Items?

• Workers Comp Report
• Unit insurance premium
• Tax filings due November 15 for most units
• At least 15 members through channels
• Year-end audit for FY 2021-2022

For a complete list of due dates for the year, Click Here.

Name Change for the Auditor and Audit Reports

You will soon be seeing a change to the titles of what we now know as Auditors, audit reports, and related forms. California State PTA is changing titles from “Auditor” to “Financial Reviewer,” and “audit” to “financial review.” Although the name has changed, the duties remain the same:

You should be wrapping up your 2022-2023 mid-year audits financial reviews this month; don’t forget that reports must be presented semiannually to the executive board and to the association after the books and financial records of the association have been audited reviewed. A Audit Financial Review Checklist and separate Audit Financial Review Report form are required for each bank account. At the executive board and association meetings, after presenting the report(s) the auditor financial reviewer should read the motion from the report(s) for adoption at that meeting. 

The latest financial review forms are here.

Email auditor@ninthdistrictpta.org if you need help with your financial review or the forms.

Eight ways to Celebrate Family Engagement

Help us celebrate PTA’s long legacy of family engagement during National PTA's Take Your Family to School Week by strengthening family-school partnerships using PTA's National Standards. Take Your Family to School Week, celebration Feb. 13–17, 2023, is designed to provide families with an opportunity to get more involved in their child’s education and strengthen their partnerships with teachers and administrators. The timing of the week honors the day PTA was founded, February 17, 1897.

8 Ways to Celebrate

Beware of email spoofing

Have you ever received an email from someone on your PTA board with an odd message? You recognize the name but the message content is suspicious. This is called email spoofing - a form of phishing. Malicious person(s) probably got your names, titles and emails from your website. Their goal is to get by your spam detector and request a payment. None of us, of course, using our PTA training, policies, and procedures would ever make a payment without a budget code, signed payment authorization, and something in the minutes to authorize payment. 

If you are suspicious of a message, check the sender’s reply-to address, or your email client can review hidden message headers to determine whether the request actually came from someone in your organization. If you receive any suspicious email message, contact other board members immediately about the situation, and never click on a link, forward, or respond to any message like that. Remember, if you “see something, say something.”

Questions? Contact Michael King, Ninth District PTA

Give Kids a Smile Free Dental Care

Saturday, February 25 and Saturday, March 4, 2023

9 am to 1 pm

Each year, the San Diego County Dental Foundation partners with private practice dentists and public clinics to provide free oral health care such as dental sealants and fluoride to hundreds of underserved kids - age 1-18 years - in our region. Click here for a flyer in English and Spanish to share with your PTA members.

Learn more.

San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering

Saturday, March 4, Petco Park, Free

Save the date for California's largest STEAM event, the 15th annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering, on March 4 at Petco Park. This free event is full of engaging, hands-on activities.

Learn More.

Celebrate Black History Month with local Black community leaders

Beginning during Black History Month 2023 and extending into March and April, San Diego County Office of Education and the San Diego Urban League will host a series of online conversations with Black community leaders moderated by local college and high school students. This assets-based celebration of diverse leadership included local educators and community leaders who share their journey and their work. Conversations will culminate with a panel featuring local youth voices. 

Black Excellence Series

Session 1: Feb. 28, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Session 2: March, 28 from 4 to 5 p.m.

Session 3: April 25, from 4 to 5 p.m.

Learn More.

Latinx Education Summit

Saturday, March 18, 8:30 am - 1:30 pm, $15

Join students, parents, educators, university professors, and business and community leaders for the 2023 Latinx Summit on March 18 at San Diego County Office of Education’s main campus. Sponsored by the Latino Coalition for Education and SDCOE, the Latinx Education Summit will explore current trends and review a countywide achievement profile and an examination of how students, parents, TK-12 educators, and higher education advocates can work to enhance educational opportunities for Latinx youth.

Register Here.