BUSINESS OF THE ASSOCIATION Proposed Amendments to the Bylaws Delegates to the 2016 convention will be asked to consider the following amendments to the California State PTA bylaws, published in the California State PTA Toolkit, and posted online at capta.org. Unit presidents are asked to assure that delegates arrive at convention informed regarding the views of their membership on these questions. Deletions are identified by a line through the word (unit); additions, insertions or substitutions are identified by underlining (unit). Each proposed revision is followed by the rationale for the change. ARTICLE VIII — Officers ARTICLE XII — Nominations and Elections petition, nominations may be made from the floor providing the nominee has Section 1. The officers of the State PTA shall be a Any person who is qualified to be an elected officer president, a president-elect, nine (9) seven (7) vice may be nominated by one of the following a. given consent; presidents, secretary, treasurer, parliamentarian and procedures: b. filed a written notice with the president of intent director of legislation. Section 2. Nomination by Petition. to be nominated from the floor at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the state *PROVISO: Change to take effect 07/01/2017. a. Only unsuccessful candidates in the most recent convention, and; nomination by committee process may proceed RATIONALE: The Internal Structures Committee by nomination by petition. c. been an unsuccessful candidate through the most of the California State PTA has been reviewing Board recent nominating committee process. structure and function for the past two terms. The b. An official nominating petition, obtained from committee appointed for this term studied previous the State office, shall be completed and delivered When the opportunity for all nominations has been recommendations and work of the previous terms to the State president or secretary no later than fulfilled following any of the foregoing procedures, Internal Structures Committees. The committee looked forty-eight (48) hours thirty (30) days prior to the the nominations shall be closed. at the current functions, roles and responsibilities of opening of convention. vice presidents (VP) according to the Standing Rules. The current wording allows Staff support for VP and Board of Directors, c. The petitioners shall be delegates to the RATIONALE: individuals to bypass the rigorous application and vetting interviews with current and past VPs were also convention at which the officers are to be elected process. By including a requirement for individuals to reviewed. The committee held webinars to share and shall number not less than two percent (2%) participate in the nomination by committee process, they information and solicit questions. An opportunity was of the delegate body attending the last previous will have demonstrated an initial effort for obtaining a provided at the November 2015 Board of managers convention. board position. A potential hostile environment may arise meeting for all board members to provide written should any candidate nominated by petition or from the feedback, which was then collated and further d. Nominations received by petitions shall be floor and subsequently elected by delegates due to not reviewed by the Internal Structures Committee. presented by the president following the report of participating in the initial vetting process. Based on these reviews, the committee recommends the nominating committee. combining the responsibilities for Membership and Section 3. Nomination at the Meeting. The change in timing for submission of a petition is in Programs and Member Services, and Health and support of convention /conference planning. In past Community Concerns. The resulting vice presidents At the conclusion of the report of the nominating election cycles, there have been individuals declaring an would be 1) leadership, 2) membership & member committee and the report of any nomination by intent to petition or run from the floor, only to drop their services, 3) communications, 4) convention, petition, nominations may be made from the floor intent at the last minute. This has created much 5) community concerns & health, 6) education and providing the nominee has given consent and has unnecessary planning and scheduling challenges, 7) family engagement. The committee agreed these filed a written notice with the president of intent to including; volunteer scheduling, making time in general changes, if approved, should take effect at the be nominated from the floor at least thirty (30) days meetings for speeches, locating voting room, securing beginning of the next term. The committee also prior to the beginning of the state convention. When voting equipment and identifying when and where reviewed the Standing Rules pertaining to the delegates can meet the candidates vying for the same suggested combinations if the bylaws change is the opportunity for all nominations has been office. The current requirement of 48 hours causes a lot approved by the convention delegates. The Standing fulfilled following any of the foregoing procedures, of unnecessary last minute work to undo the plans for a Rules changes would be considered for adoption by the nominations shall be closed. challenged office. The two days before convention is the CAPTA Board of Managers in mid-2016 to take At the conclusion of the report of the nominating already stressful in setting up the convention site. effect 7/1/2017 to be consistent with the Bylaws committee and the report of any nomination by Extending the notification for petitioning will prevent a change. lot of unnecessary work and allow planners to focus on activities that will be realized. RESOLUTION A DYSLEXIA: Addressing the Educational Implications in Public Schools 1 WHEREAS, Dyslexia is a specific Individual Education Program (IEP) 1 RESOLVED, That the California State districts support teacher/staff training learning disability that is documents; and PTA, and its units, councils and necessary to improve the neurobiological in origin and is 4 WHEREAS, Without appropriate districts recognize that dyslexia has understanding of dyslexia and its characterized by difficulties with remediation, most students who significant educational implications warning signs, including training in accurate and/or fluent word struggle to learn to read, continue to that need to be better addressed by appropriate evidence-based Structured recognition and by poor spelling and struggle with reading, with lasting public schools and school districts; Literacy Instruction for students with decoding abilities, which typically consequences including not reaching and be it further dyslexia in accordance with the International Dyslexia Association’s result from a deficit in the college and career readiness, increased 2 RESOLVED, That the California State Knowledge & Practice Standards for phonological component of language risk of not earning a high school PTA, and its units, councils and Teachers of Reading, and to promote that is often unexpected in relation to diploma, not attending or completing districts hereby adopt the following knowledge of appropriate other cognitive abilities and the college, and social/emotional definition of dyslexia (previously accommodations for dyslexic provision of effective classroom problems; and adopted by the Board of Directors of students; and be it further instruction, whose secondary the International Dyslexia Association consequences may include problems 5 WHEREAS, There is compelling scientific evidence that early and the National Institute of Child 4 RESOLVED, That the California State in reading comprehension and reduced Health and Human Development PTA, and its units, councils and reading experience that can impede identification and intervention using an evidence-based multisensory, (NICHD)): districts support early screening for growth of vocabulary and background signs and symptoms of dyslexia in direct, explicit, structured and “Dyslexia is a specific learning knowledge; and kindergarten through the third grade, sequential approach to instructing disability that is neurobiological in with parental notification; the use of 2 WHEREAS, Up to 20% of the general pupils with dyslexia (defined as origin. It is characterized by evidence-based Structured Literacy population, or over 1 million students “Structured Literacy Instruction” difficulties with accurate and/or fluent Instruction as defined by the in California K-12 public schools, by the International Dyslexia word recognition and by poor spelling International Dyslexia Association; display signs or symptoms of Association) improves literacy and decoding abilities. These and the use of appropriate dyslexia; and outcomes for most students with difficulties typically result from a accommodations in order to provide 3 WHEREAS, The term dyslexia is symptoms of dyslexia; and deficit in the phonological component students with dyslexia equitable found in twenty-two states’ laws, of language that is often unexpected in 6 WHEREAS, Most teacher access to the general education including California Education Code, relation to other cognitive abilities and preparation programs provide no curriculum; and be it further and in Federal law under the training regarding dyslexia, the provision of effective classroom Individuals with Disabilities appropriate accommodations or instruction. Secondary consequences 5 RESOLVED, That the California State Education Act (IDEA) within the evidence-based