Ways to Get Involved

PTA (Parent-Teacher Association)

PTAs foster collaboration among parents, teachers, students, and school staff to support students, empower families, and enrich the school. PTAs host community events, organize volunteers, raise money, lead enrichment activities like art and garden classes, fund additional school staff, provide information to families, and advocate on behalf of students at individual schools and the district.  While the PTA works closely with each school site, each PTA is an independent organization with its own officers and members. 

PTAs encourage everyone - members and non-members - to attend meetings (generally monthly or bimonthly), participate in events, volunteer, and get involved in the organization. Only members have the right to participate in PTA leadership and vote on PTA issues, however.

The PTA and school principal will send out invitations to join the PTA, attend meetings, and participate in events throughout the course of the year.  There is a modest membership fee at most sites, which goes to fund school supplies and activities, as well as advocacy for education at the state level.  Can’t find the invitation? Please email the PTA president at your school site to get started.  

School Site Council (SSC)

A representative body of parents, staff, and students (at secondary schools), School Site Councils develop, approve, and monitor their school’s School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA), a comprehensive document that details how a school’s budget decisions align with student needs and school goals.  

SSCs meet a minimum of five times a year.Any parent/guardian, student, or staff in the school community is eligible to join.

School Site Council meetings are open to the public. Any member of the public is able to address the council or committee during the meeting on any item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the council or committee.

Generally, a school’s principal will send out invitations to join the site council at the beginning of the year. Openings and vacancies do come up throughout the year, however, which the principal will publicize to the school community.

English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC)

Every California public school with 21 or more English learners must form an English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). These school-based groups include parents, staff, and community members. Their role is to advise the principal and School Site Council on programs and services for English learners, with a goal of ensuring that their academic and language needs are effectively supported.

Under state law, parents or guardians of English learners have to make up the same percentage (or more) of the ELAC membership as their children represent the student body. Parents and guardians of English learners elect the parent members of ELAC.

ELACs meet a minimum of four to five times a year.  Anyone in the school community can attend the meetings, but only parents/guardians elected to the ELAC can vote.

If you’re interested in joining this committee, please email your school principal.

School Safety Committees

All California schools are required to create Comprehensive School Safety Plans.  This plan details emergency preparedness, campus safety procedures, and other strategies designed to promote a safe and supportive learning environment for all students and staff.

The School Safety Committee, which is comprised of school staff, parents, and community members, develops, reviews, and updates these safety plans every year.

Curriculum Nights

Throughout the year, schools provide opportunities for families to learn more about what tools or texts are being used in our schools and to celebrate the work students are doing in a particular subject area. (High schools also host college information night to help families learn about the application process.) Times and dates of these events are announced throughout the year; please note that opportunities vary from site to site.

Principal or School Leader Engagement

With some variation across schools, principals or school leaders host periodic coffee gatherings or other types of social events to engage with parents on a variety of issues and questions regarding the school. Please watch for communications from your principal for more information. 

School-Based Communications

Each school has a regular bulletin or newsletter to keep parents informed about school-specific news, dates, and general information. Please contact your school site for more details.

AUSD Family & Staff Newsletter

This comprehensive newsletter shares important updates, events, initiatives, and highlights from across the district to keep families, staff, secondary students, and the community at large informed and engaged. It is published several times a month and distributed to all families, secondary students, and media partners via ParentSquare and to all staff via AUSD email. You can also find it on the AUSD Communications web page. For more information contact Susan Davis, our Senior Manager of Community Affairs at sdavis@alamedaunified.org.

AUSD Social Media Platforms

AUSD publishes photos and videos of district and school events, calendar reminders, links to news about Board actions and district initiatives,  job opportunities, and other information relevant to the AUSD community on its Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts. During urgent situations, AUSD will also post important information and updates on these platforms, as well as via ParentSquare and email.

 For more information contact Susan Davis, our Senior Manager of Community Affairs at sdavis@alamedaunified.org.

Bond and Parcel Tax Oversight Committees

These independent citizen groups monitor how our school district spends voter-approved bond funds or parcel tax revenues. Their role is to ensure funds are used as promised and promote transparency and accountability to the public.

Citizen Bond Oversight Committee

The Bond Oversight Committee monitors the implementation of the District’s bond-funded construction projects.  These projects are planned and designed with input from school communities.   

State law governs the types of community members that can join a Bond Oversight Committee (e.g., a parent, a senior citizen, and a business representative). Please see our Bond Oversight Committee web page for more information.

The Oversight Committee meets about four times per year and is open to the public.  For more information on the Bond Oversight Committee, contact Bernadette Gard, at bgard@alamedaunified.org.

Parcel Tax Oversight Committee

AUSD’s Parcel Tax Program Oversight Committee monitors the district’s use of funds generated by Measures B1, A, and E.  More information about this committee is available here.

The committee meets four to five times per year; all meetings are open to the public.

Membership applications for the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee are made available every August. The district seeks broad representation from school sites and grade levels; community members are also welcome. If you are interested in joining this oversight committee or attending the meetings, please contact Susan Davis, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, at sdavis@alamedaunified.org. 

AUSD Special Education Community Information Sessions

During these sessions, staff provide information and updates on AUSD’s special education programs and services, share resources to support students and families, and answer questions. The dates for these sessions are available on the AUSD and school site calendars and will be shared via AUSD social media and newsletters. For more information, please contact Jorge Wahner, Senior Director of Special Education, at jwahner@alamedaunified.org.

Board of Education Meetings  

At Board of Education meetings, staff give updates on AUSD’s finances, programs, and strategic initiatives, and AUSD’s five elected school board members make decisions on the district’s policies, budgets, and educational priorities.

During public comment periods, community members can share feedback, concerns, or suggestions directly with the board, ensuring transparency and community voice in the decision-making process.

The Board of Education meets on the 2^nd and 4^th Tuesdays each month at Alameda City Hall and via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. For information on how to give public comment, check our Agendas & Minutes web page or contact Kerri Lonergan at klonergan@alamedaunified.org.

Board of Education Budget Presentations

Stakeholders interested in how the district allocates its larger general fund should know that District staff makes eight presentations to the Board of Education annually to discuss the development and monitoring of the District’s budget. This begins with pre-planning for the subsequent school year in January, program and school budget in the spring, and quarterly updates on budget and expenditures during the fiscal year.  

The schedule and agendas of meetings are published on the Board Agendas page, in the AUSD newsletter, and via AUSD social media. The meetings are open to the public and also recorded. 

School Board Policy Subcommittee

The Board Policy Subcommittee is a group of board members and district staff who review, revise, and recommend updates to board policies (from both the state and local level) to ensure they remain aligned with state law, district goals, and best practices. The subcommittee brings recommendations to the full Board for discussion and approval. These meetings, scheduled throughout the year, are open to the public, held at the district office, and allow for public comment. For more information contact Susan Davis, our Senior Manager of Community Affairs – SDavis@alamedaunified.org

Community Advisory Committee for the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP)

This district-level group is made up of parents, students, educators, and community members — especially those representing English learners, foster youth, and low-income students. The committee annually provides input and feedback on the development and revision of the district’s LCAP to ensure it reflects community priorities and supports equitable student outcomes. The meetings are publicized on the District’s LCAP web page, as well as via the AUSD newsletter and AUSD social media.  For more information on how to get involved, contact Eric Leung: eleung@alamedaunified.org

Curriculum Review Committee

During AUSD's curriculum review sessions, staff present updates on current curriculum adoptions, including the rubrics used to select curricula, current pilots, and recommendations for adoptions. Announcements and agendas are sent to all families, staff, and secondary students in the AUSD Family & Staff newsletter and are also posted on the District calendar and Curriculum web page.

District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC)

Every California public school district with 51 or more English Learners must form a District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC). This district-level committee is composed of parents, staff, and community representatives from the schools’ ELACs (see above).  The DELAC advises the school district on programs and services for English learners, including the development of the LCAP, language acquisition programs, and efforts to ensure equitable academic outcomes for English learner students.

In 2023-24 (the latest year data is available), AUSD had 906  English Learners enrolled in its schools.

The AUSD DELAC meets five times a year.  More information (including agendas and ppts) can be found on the AUSD website, or contact Shana Riehart at sriehart@alamedaunified.org.

Office of Equity and African American Student Achievement

This office frequently hosts educational workshops for families and students, as well as community-wide outreach events that affirm Black heritage and help build community. The office also sponsors school site affinity spaces for Black students and families. For more information, contact Shamar Edwards, Senior Director of Equity, African-American, Black, and Multi-Ethnic Achievement, at sedwards@alamedaunified.org

AUSD’s Equity Round Tables

AUSD provides a variety of affinity spaces for families, staff, and students of populations that have been underserved in the past. The Round Tables identify needs, communicate with staff, and hold events with the aim of providing further support to our students, staff, and families. All are open to new members this year. Please visit our website for a list of round tables that are currently active. For general questions please contact Shamar Edwards at sedwards@alamedaunified.org.

Annual Family Trust and Relationships Survey

Each year, AUSD sends a survey to all families to gather information about their experiences at their school site. The survey is designed to help us understand if you trust and feel engaged with your students' schools. We share the confidential results of these surveys with our principals so that they can plan for and adjust their programs for engaging families in their school communities.

We strongly encourage all families to participate. If you have additional questions about the survey, its design, or scheduled offering, please contact Lindsey Jenkins-Stark, Senior Manager of Research, Assessment, and Data – ljstark@alamedauniifed.org

Community Conversations and Parent Learning

District staff periodically host in-person or online events covering topics such as executive functioning and study skills for students, LGBTQ+ supports, social media awareness, grading, mental and physical health, parenting, and other areas of importance to our students and our families. These periodic events are announced as they are scheduled and facilitated by different district staff. These events are publicized through the AUSD Family & Staff newsletter, on AUSD’s social media platforms, and on the AUSD calendar. For more information, please contact Susan Davis, Senior Manager, Community Affairs, at sdavis@alamedaunified.org.

Translation Services

Families that need translation services to communicate with their school sites or AUSD staff or  attend school or AUSD events can contact Shana Reihart, Language and Literacy Coordinator, at sreihart@alamedaunified.org.

Regardless of which form or direction your volunteer services take, your generosity in donating time, assistance, and/or expertise is very much appreciated. Visit our Volunteering webpage to learn more about the process volunteers must complete before supporting their students.