Info for PTA Units


PTAC/AUSD Calendar for 2021-2022

posted Aug 7, 2021, 11:31 AM by PTAC President

Where do we start? The year ahead is one of hope, recovery, excitement and growth. It is important that all families, students, faculty and community members have the chance to hear about progress and all the many moving parts of education in Alameda of this next year. We have created this ALL-IN-ONE calendar for the 2021-2022. It has the dates for no school days, PTAC exec and general meetings and AUSD Board of Education meetings (the 2022 dates may change and we will update the calendar when that happens). Please print and keep handy. The information to login and attend meetings will be posted in the PTAC Facebook page and on Website calendar.



Comments from PTAC President Ryan LaLonde at AUSD BOE meeting June 8th, 2021

posted Jul 1, 2021, 5:54 PM by Ryan LaLonde

Good evening President Bonta, Board members and AUSD staff - thank you for affording Alameda’s PTA Council the time to update you. I have been given the great pleasure of taking the helm of President for PTAC for the 2021-2022 school year. 

For those who don’t know me - I am Ryan LaLonde. My husband, son and I live near the Fruitvale bridge, and are super happy to call Alameda home once again. My son will be an 8th grader at Lincoln in the fall. We were previously an Edison family, where I was PTA President for a very transitional period at the school (3 principals in two years, racist hate graffiti and fencing & remodeling.) I was also a 2 term Treasurer for PTAC and just served as Auditor this school year. I look forward to working with you and partnering during what will be a very transitional period for all of AUSD.


But.. Don’t worry, Gretchen is co-leading PTAC with me as Executive Vice President - this will allow us to focus on many more endeavors to help our PTA units across the island.


I want to also let you know who else was elected into leadership at PTAC and will at different times be speaking to you representing PTAC. 


  • President: Ryan LaLonde

  • Exec. VP: Gretchen Hoff Varner

  • VP Programs: Ashley Rogers

  • VP Advocacy: Sandy Calloway

  • Treasurer: Brett Metzger

  • Secretary: Jen Bullock

  • Auditor: Lyla Bradley

  • Parliamentarian: Steve Mack

  • Historian: Rachel Plato


  • ASPED: Heather Padgette

  • Mental Health and Wellness: Kate Rome

  • Remote School PTA Liaison: TBD



CRITICAL YEAR AHEAD

It is a critical year to have… parents, students…. Working together

  • Back to school - Safety

  • Mental Health

  • Addressing equity - being a gay father of a black student with an IEP - I have seen how the system doesn’t work for all students and will be vocal and active (along with ASPED and MOSAIC) in making sure all students not just belong here - but THRIVE here.

  • Refocusing Special Education by not on just putting out the fires, but deep systematic change in how services are provided. We are very optimistic about the new faces at AUSD what will make that happen.




LCAP/Funding and focus

As someone who sat on the school site council, I understand the work that goes into each school report and want to thank the teachers and parents who worked so hard on the final reports - the emphasis on uplifting our students who are falling behind their peers was critical before COVID and even more so now. I encourage you to keep those students listed in red, orange and yellow centered in your budgeting process. 



LGBTQ Pride month

And in closing I want to reflect on the momentous occasion of item number 1 on the agenda tonight. It wasn’t long ago that we had board members actively working against the best interests of LGBTQ students - to come to this moment. As a student in my hometown in Michigan, I was tormented daily by bullies - some of which were my actually teachers, now I zoom before you at PTAC’s first openly gay president - thanking you President Bonta and members, Lym, Sweet, Williams and Little and the AUSD staff for this amazing proclamation. I look forward, proudly, to working with each one of you to implement policies and standards that uplift and protect our LGBTQ students and students with LGBTQ parents. Happy Pride Month.





TOP 10 Things Families Can Do to Prepare For The Reopening of Your School Campus

posted Mar 10, 2021, 12:13 PM by M A   [ updated Mar 10, 2021, 12:21 PM ]

We have created this resource for you to communicate the Top Ten things we can do to prepare for returning to the school campus. These are written in 7 languages (English, Spanish, Arabic, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Chinese and Mongolian) and designed for you to be able to add PTA logos and for you to be able to print in any combination. The .pdf is at the bottom of this post. The ten tips read as following:

1.    Keep Masking and Social Distancing.

2.    Keep a Tight Social Bubble.

3.    Prepare Your Student for the New Schedule.

4.    Know Your School’s Pick-up & Drop Off Instructions.

5.    Talk to Your Student About School Safety Measures.

6.    Get Your Student COVID Tested.

7.    Pack Extra Masks and Personal Hand Sanitizer.

8.    Keep Your Child Home If They Don’t Feel Well.

9.    Support Your Student’s Teacher.

10.  Check if Others Need Help.

Message about Vaccine from Superintendent Scuderi

posted Feb 17, 2021, 9:06 AM by PTAC President

Dear Board Members, Principals, Union Leaders, PTA Presidents, and Community Partners:

 

I’m putting this together just so we all have a common understanding of what the District (AUSD) is communicating to employees. In your respective positions you may be receiving inquiries and we want to be as calibrated as possible with our leadership partners.

Also important to note that we want to encourage our classified employees to set appointments, as well. These folks are as critical to our in-person operations as anyone, so we need to make sure we also keep them in mind.

We are consistently communicating updates through email, social media, and ParentSquare (text messages) to employees about daily availability of appointments at the Cal OES vaccination site at the Coliseum. AEA and CSEA are communicating with their members as well. As of this afternoon, we are making progress, and employees are beginning to secure appointments in good numbers. Please encourage employees to refresh the page repeatedly if they are having trouble securing an appointment.


Some general info that I believe will be useful for us collectively:

Remind folks that AUSD has no control over supply or appointment availability, but we continue to encourage people to try the MyTurn.gov website regularly. We are still working to confirm the schedule for those new appointments, but the pattern seems to be that they are released periodically.

We have received inquiries about whether education employees who live outside Alameda County can register for the coliseum. Personal reference: my wife lives in Contra Costa County but is a teacher in Alameda County (Berkeley Unified) and received first shot today.  No badge, pay stub, or employment verification was asked for. No indication was given during the electronic booking of the appointment that proof would be needed, so I believe we should still be encouraging folks to check daily. However, we are continuing to suggest that employees bring their IDs and a pay stub, however.

There may be some residential restriction on the county supply which we believe we will learn more about this week. But our limited info at this point indicates that you will not be turned away at the Coliseum (federal supply) if you are an educator that works in or resides in Alameda County.

We also want to continue to convey that the Coliseum site is the most readily accessible at the moment, but is one of three (3) developing channels to receive vaccine through.

 

For reference or use when you receive inquiries:

 

AVAILABLE NOW: Oakland Coliseum Mass Vaccination Site (Run by California OES and FEMA)

Appointments have been made by AUSD employees over the last few days. We are working to confirm the fact that new appointments appear to be coming online daily. This is a federally assisted, state-run operation. The link that we shared previously  https://myturn.ca.gov/ is the portal through which appointments for the coliseum site are booked. Currently it appears that new appointments are added daily, so please check daily if you are seeing no availability. We will provide any updates we receive with you as we quickly as possible.

 

COMING SOON: County Vaccination Supply and Delivery (Run by Alameda County Public Health Department)

On February 8 AUSD submitted our employee list to the county office of education. The county in turn is working on prioritization letters that will be issued for our educators so that they can access appointments for the county supply (the vaccine available at Coliseum is federal supply). As of today we do not have specific dates or turnaround times regarding that supply or for appointments through this process but we will also be following this diligently throughout the week.

 

ELSEWHERE: Independent Clinics, Kaiser, and Commercial Sites like CVS

We, like many of you, are receiving lots of fragmented information about various sites, drug stores, and independent clinics that may have supply or appointments. While AUSD has no way of verifying this growing and very intermittent list of options we would certainly encourage employees who can access appointments through some of these venues to do so if that is a possibility and/or a preference. Again, if more substantive or reliable information becomes available on a single or independent local site we will pass that along.

 

Employees can also check AUSD’s Staff Vaccination web page for information. We will be keeping that as up-to-date as possible.

 

Respectfully,

 

Pasquale Scuderi

Superintendent

Alameda Unified School District

Teen Wellness Film Series Begins Sept. 12

posted Sep 8, 2019, 10:07 AM by PTAC President   [ updated Sep 8, 2019, 8:58 PM ]

AUSD and the PTA Council are hosting a Teen Wellness Film Series this year. The first film, a documentary titled "LIKE," will be shown on Thursday, September 12 at the Alameda Theater from 6:00-7:30pm. This documentary explores the impact of social media on our bodies, our brains, and our relationships. In an ideal world, social media is a tool and social platforms are a place to connect, share, and care -- but what's really happening? The movie is appropriate for all kids 10+ and will encourage family discussions about screen time, technology and appropriate limits. Click HERE to watch the trailer. Please join us! $10 donation at the door is requested.

The second film titled "Finding Kind" will be shown on Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 7-8:30pm at Wood Middle School (420 Grand Street, Alameda). This documentary is about the epidemic of girl on girl bullying and the role that kindness can play in helping to reduce it. Through interviews with girls, adult women, and experts, the filmmakers reveal the ways in which girls hurt – but can also learn to support – each other. Click HERE to watch the trailer.

The third film titled "The Mask You Live In" will be shown on Thursday, March 12, 2020 from 7-8:30 at The O Club (641 Red Line Ave., Alameda). This compelling documentary follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow and destructive definition of masculinity. The film also illustrates how we, as a society, can raise a healthier generation of boys and young men. Click HERE to watch the trailer.

The last film titled "Miss Representation" will be shown on Thursday, April 23, 2020 from 7-8:30 at Lincoln Middle School (1250 Fernside Blvd., Alameda). Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media and culture contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. Click HERE to watch the trailer. .
C
A $10 donation at the door is requested so we can sustain this programming for our families.
Click HERE to RSVP for any of these films. We hope to see you there!

Welcome to the 2019-20 School Year!

posted Aug 23, 2019, 6:36 PM by PTAC President   [ updated Aug 23, 2019, 7:25 PM ]

Families, teachers, and staff are the backbone of our strong and supportive community in Alameda. Family involvement is one of our greatest strengths.  The more you engage with the school community, the more rewarding your experience will be.  We call on all our members to join with the Alameda PTA Council to continue working to build strong communities where our children have access to exceptional academic programs and educational opportunities. Remember that at its core, the PTA is an activist organization formed to advocate for the betterment of children and their families. PTAs are more than just fundraising and fairs - PTAs support the community. As we start the 2019-20 school year, remember that we are allies and provide a safe space for our community, whether they are members or not, to speak and be heard. We should strive to always be positive role models, and find ways to make the world a better place. 
~Alameda PTA Council Executive Board

Alameda Special Education Family Support Group Resource Fair

posted Apr 18, 2019, 1:48 PM by PTAC President   [ updated Apr 18, 2019, 1:53 PM ]

Join us for this amazing resource fair for ALL Alameda families on Saturday, April 27th from 10am - 2pm at Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda. http://www.alamedaspedpsg.org/resource-fair-2019

Nov 1st: Board of Education Candidates Forum

posted Oct 28, 2018, 4:30 PM by PTAC President

Join us for the Alameda PTAC School Board Candidates Forum NEXT Thursday, Nov 1 from 6:30 - 8pm at the Phoenix (2315 Lincoln Ave).

May 5: Join Us for PTA Advocacy Day!

posted Apr 6, 2018, 9:19 PM by Chuck K

Join us on Saturday, May 5th, from 9:30am-1pm for the first-ever PTA Advocacy Day, organized by the Alameda PTA Council and Peralta PTA District.

Our goal to share ideas and resources to help parents support our schools (and children) through engagement with legislators, school board members, and other decision-makers. This half-day conference tentatively includes:
  • California Politics 101: An exploration of our state legislature and its budget
  • A presentation by Assemblyman Rob Bonta
  • Lessons on how to get involved with California politics
  • And much more!
Coffee, pastries, and other snacks will be provided.

Location: Veteran's Memorial Building (2203 Central Avenue, in Alameda).



Interested in Becoming a Substitute or Paraprofessional?

posted Nov 8, 2017, 8:53 AM by PTAC President   [ updated Nov 8, 2017, 8:53 AM ]

Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) and Alameda PTAC sponsored a substitute and paraprofessional recruitment event for parents and guardians on Friday, November 3, 2017.  Below is information shared at the event for those seeking to apply for these positions: 


Steps to Apply for AUSD Substituting:


1) Do you have a Teaching Credential? If yes, go to #3. If no, go to #2.

2) Follow the “Emergency 30 -day Substitute Teaching Permit” document for more information on how to proceed in getting a teaching permit.

3) Officially apply with AUSD to be a substitute teacher.

4) AUSD will contact applicants for next steps. This may include fingerprinting/Livescan process and TB testing.


Steps to Apply for AUSD Paraprofessional Position:


1) Review the qualifications in the job descriptions for Paraprofessionals that are listed in the job postings for AUSD

2) Click on the link for the Paraprofessional position you wish to apply for.

3) Fill out Edjoin application and submit.

4) If you need to take the basic skills test, this is the study guide.

5) AUSD will contact applicants for next steps. This may include fingerprinting/Livescan process and TB testing.


Steps to Apply for AUSD Paraprofessional Substitute Position:


1) Click on the Edjoin job posting for Substitute Paraprofessional.  

2) Fill out Edjoin application and submit.

3) AUSD will contact applicants for next steps. This may include fingerprinting/Livescan process and TB testing.

 

If you have questions about the AUSD hiring process, please contact: 


Substituting:  Sandy Wong, 510-337-7027, swong@alameda.k12.ca.us

Paraprofessional and Substitute Paraprofessionals: Humera Khalil, 510-337-7103,  hkhalil@alameda.k12.ca.us


1-10 of 21