Advocacy Team — Take Back PTA goals and equitable engagement

Check in: How are you doing?

MB reviewed Take Back PTA Resolution (SCPTSA). As Kimball PTSA, we’d like to be able to sign the Take Back Pledge, decenter fundsharing, center community building and advocacy.

Want to create short term and long term goals within the Take Back framework.

Reviewed resolution highlights shared in Slack together and Resolution goals (1-7).

MB shared google sheet “Kimball PTSA Take Back PTA Resolution Goals”.

Team reviewed and took 10 or so minutes to brainstorm.

Open brainstorm on short and long term goals

Questions/ Comments:

CG: Fundsharing vs. fundraising. At D7 meeting when talking to state reps and we asked for more money and they said there’s no money bc of tax structure. How do we balance idea of inequities in school fundraising, and fact that there’s fundraising to begin with. Decouple those? Instead of no more fundraising, then just fundsharing? What does PTSA pay for? Are they basic education things?

MB: reiterate when we talk about decentering fundraising and focusing on advocacy, we won’t stop fundraising and cut a bunch of things from our budget. This will be slow and gradual process, so everything we say we will cut out (ie. field trips) we would work together with admin and ask where would we get the funds to pay for those. We wouldn’t just cut and they aren’t funded at all. Classroom funds for teachers, field trips, events and initiatives (math nights, lunar new year), school support (assemblies, staff appreciation, welcome back bbq, translation/interpretation), funding PTSA (taxes, insurance, etc). If we have extra, special funding (ie. reserves cover MasterTrack and RAZ kids, and Family Support Worker).

CP: shared link to budget presentation from Melanie/Adi last year

Discussion emphasized community engagement, communication, sustainable internal structures, short- and long-term goals, and a possible crisis-response team.

The group described the advocacy vision as long-term groundwork and discussed the need for sustainable PTSA structures.

TF: yes, maybe we need to help find a way to set up the structure to make it sustainable. This charge doesn’t talk about structures. Assumes that everyone has a strong PTSA with 30+ members. But in reality it probably looks really different across all schools.

The group discussed making PTSA participation more accessible, broadening parent representation, and reducing procedural barriers to involvement.

Discussion supported parallel culture change and engagement with BIPOC families, clearer advocacy definitions, ELL liaison support, equitable fundraising, and sustainable leadership roles.

Decisions about reducing expenses should involve deep engagement with the BIPOC community; no budget cuts were proposed for the next two school years while that work continued.

TF: in document, how can we bring Ms. Gray along in time and involvement so when it’s finalized it’s not a surprise. Wondering how her and Luis’ involvement can happen early on in the process.

The group discussed maintaining family engagement, including meals and language access, when considering budget changes.

MB: definitely feel like we all feel that tension. Don’t cut family engagement.

KS: What relationship does/could Kimball and CBOs have and what would PTSA role be in that? Example: TF connected CP to ACRS last year to help re-establish relationship.

How might the Family Advocate per D7 ask fit into these goals?

Communication mapping?

Visioning? Imagine how we gather and relate, how to build trust and relationship, how to work together with multiple stakeholders

Partner with other schools, SCPTSA, etc

Build advocacy calendar around short and long term goals (yearly educational onboarding, yearly community outreach/ engagement around priority issues, yearly outreach with legislators pre-session, yearly collective advocacy during session, yearly follow up with legislators and community, yearly planning for next school year)?

Crisis team (separate from regular operations team)?

Check out: Share appreciations for each other and larger group.

Linger: reviewed next step for goals discussion at next working meeting, reviewed Levy post, what to share at tomorrow’s RET, how Kimball Kitchen is going, need new treasurer for next year.