Students First.

The crisis in public schools, playing out in virtually every school district in California, was bound to happen eventually. It took a global pandemic to break open the inner workings of public school districts, and it revealed some difficult realities. Education inequities are real and entrenched. Access to technology is not universal. Beyond academic instruction, schools provide daily nutrition, mental health services and even physical safety for many children. Schools serve as essential child care for working parents. When schools closed in March 2020, a silent tsunami of need was created by the sudden absence of such critical services in every county in California.

The pandemic also revealed how powerful special interests control the governance, budgets and policies of most school districts in California. The powerful role of teachers’ unions, advocating for compensation and benefits, had expanded beyond most parents’ imaginations. The heated, drawn out battle over school reopening is a tragic consequence of too much power for too long in the hands of too few. Parents have lost their voice and their influence on things that matter to student academic achievement and emotional well-being.

The mission of the Parent Association is to advocate for students and empower parents to use their influence for the benefit of all students in public schools.

We provide a platform for parents to effectively organize and engage local school district leaders on important issues, policy development and budget allocations that prioritize the needs of students first. We educate parents on how public schools operate and how to successfully influence decisions that matter when it comes to the education and well-being of their children.

We are a diverse group of parents who are committed to being a force for good in our public schools.

I hope you will join us. Be Informed. Get Involved. Stay Connected.

Ginny Merrifield
Executive Director