Member of Peralta District PTA, the California State PTA, and the National PTA. Many new PTA officers are also new to PTA, so here is an overview of the PTA structure and your role in this dynamic organization with an awe-inspiring history. The National PTA is the largest, most effective child advocacy organization in the world. State, District, Council and Unit PTAs are linked together to represent “Every Child” with “One Voice” at every level of policy making regarding children and families. Units are the PTAs and PTSAs at local schools. Units can also be organized around other common interests such as multi-school programs or geographic areas for members who are not affiliated with a specific school. Examples of this would be a Special Education PTA like the one here in Fremont and, in the case of the state of California, the Golden State PTA. Councils are made up of units generally along school district lines. Councils may include units from other school districts if they so desire. An example of this would be San Lorenzo and San Leandro in Peralta District PTA. Peralta has five councils: Alameda, Berkeley, Fremont, Pleasanton, and San Lorenzo. Districts are comprised of councils and those units that do not belong to a council. In addition to five councils, Peralta is comprised of units in Albany, Castro Valley, Hayward, Livermore, Newark, Oakland, San Leandro, and Union City. State PTAs represent the units, councils and districts of their states at the National PTA and are responsible for implementing the Purposes of the PTA in their state. The California State PTA provides leadership training, field services, workshops, materials and publications. It advocates on statewide issues that affect the education, health, and wellbeing of children and youth. National PTA is the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation. It gives parents and families a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child and provides excellent tools to help children be safe, healthy, and successful in school and in life. What is Peralta District PTA? Peralta District PTA, which represents all PTAs in Alameda County, is one of 29 District PTAs organized by the California State PTA. All other districts are referred to by their numbers – 2nd District, 6th District, etc. We are the only PTA district with a name. Representing approximately 150 units in the county of Alameda, Peralta serves as a connecting link between the local unit/council PTAs and the California State PTA.
