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When Maha ElMeniawy immigrated from Egypt with her youngest daughter, everything about the United States, from the language to the education system, was new to her.
ElMeniawy found a supportive home at Deer Canyon Parent Staff Organization. By attending meetings and volunteering at school events like teacher appreciation week, she built a connection with other parents.
“They were all so eager to help guide me because they knew I was new to all of this,” ElMeniawy said. “PTA people are always there for each other.”
Parent involvement organizations provide a way for parents and families to get involved in their child’s school — but that isn’t the only resource out there. There are several groups parents can join to contribute to school plans, raise funds and gain access to additional resources.
Here are some popular groups that may be part of your child’s school.
PTAs and Parent Teacher Student Associations
Lance Onken wasn’t sure how his child’s classroom or school operated and chose to attend Ocean Beach Elementary PTSA meetings to become informed. During these meetings, he had the opportunity to hear, in person, from teachers and the principal.
“I’m (now) very comfortable just walking up and talking to the principal, to (my son’s) teacher, to be on campus,” Onken said.
ElMeniawy said it’s common for parents to become less involved in these activities as their kids enter middle and high school. But they shouldn’t.
“There is this myth that as kids grow older, they don’t need you on campus — I feel like this is sometimes even the opposite,” ElMeniawy said.
PTAs within the same school district can form a PTA council. This larger organization acts as a way for parents from different schools to gather their concerns and report that to the school district.
A Parent’s Guide to San Diego Schools: Our guide to San Diego schools provides families with everything they need to know to make the best choice for their child.
Amanda Keton, president of the Franklin Elementary School PTA and financial reviewer for the San Diego Unified School District Council of PTAs, said her involvement in the PTA council helped her understand the district’s rules so she could better advocate for her children.
“It’s always nice to have more eyes checking in, making sure that folks are using best teaching practices and respecting students in the way we’ve come to expect,” Keton said. “Parents have a really important oversight role.”
School Site Council
A school site council is made up of parents, teachers and school staff that provide input on school goals and how money is spent. Much like a city council, parents must be elected to serve and their meetings are required to be public. Families can make public comments at these meetings.
Keton serves on Franklin Elementary School’s School Site Council where she helped advocate to increase the school’s budget so a counselor could be on campus five days a week.
Site Governance Team
Like school site councils, site governance teams are a collaborative effort between elected parents, teachers and school administrators. The team provides parent input during the school decision making process. For example, if a principal wanted to replace physical education with art, that plan would have to be presented to the governance team. Parents could then provide input to school administrators before a change is finalized. These meetings are also public.
Community Advisory Committee for Special Education
This committee acts as a forum between district officials and families with children that have disabilities. Keton, a parent of an elementary school student at San Diego Unified, said that committee hosts resource fairs, educational presentations and Q&A with district representatives.
English Language Advisory Committees
California schools are required to establish English language advisory committees if the building has over 21 English learners, according to the California Department of Education. The purpose of this group is so parents of English language learners could give their input on how schools can better support their students’ language needs.
Although ElMeniawy didn’t join this committee, as a bilingual parent she said that she strongly encourages other parents like her to get involved even if it means stepping out of your comfort zone.
“It’s not something that you should be embarrassed of — it sends a message to your kids that you can do stuff even if it’s hard,” ElMeniawy said.