A Message from California State PTA President Heather Ippolito
Welcome to a new PTA term! My husband and I are both educators, so our house has always been run on an academic calendar – which means that July is the start of our year. While we are still in summer mode, our lives begin to shift to thinking about the beginning of the school year and all that comes along with it. We begin to plan our fall lessons, think about going to bed and waking up a bit earlier, and just mentally prepare ourselves for all that August brings.
The same is true for PTA leaders. Most boards begin their term in July, and while there isn’t much business to do this month, there are plenty of planning opportunities. July is a great time to have an informal retreat with your board. Get to know one another, develop some norms for your meetings, and discuss the process for workflow. This doesn’t have to be done over multiple days or at a fancy place- even meeting for a day on your school campus or at the community center in your neighborhood will work. Taking some time this summer to do activities like this will set your board up for success.
Another strong recommendation from California State PTA is to take some time to focus on training this month. Examples might include reading the Toolkit on our website, attending a council or district training, or taking a few of National PTA’s Thrive learning modules. The more information you have about your job and the other roles that work alongside you in PTA, the smoother your year will go.
We are excited to welcome you all to the 2026-2027 term. Let’s make this a year of meaningful impact for children, youth and families- Today, Tomorrow, Together!
Sincerely,
Heather Ippolito
California State PTA President