Irvine Unified School District has 36,000 students – and 15,000 parents in the Parent Teacher Association.
“It is remarkable,” says Mary Kelly, president of the Irvine Unified Council PTA, which oversees 40 PTAs representing the district’s 40 schools. “The parents really see the importance of it.”
Each week, they fan out to organize field trips, book fairs, astronomy nights, soccer tournaments, spelling bees, talent shows, food drives and pancake breakfasts. They raise thousands of dollars for scholarships, STEM labs and other vital school projects.
“Every child, one voice,” Kelly says.
Their support contributes to IUSD’s academic success as the top-ranked large district in the state. Kelly attributes this to the close working relationships among PTA parents, teachers and the district.
“We advocate for the education, health, safety and well-being of all children,” she says. “That’s our goal, to help all the children.”
Or, as Superintendent Terry Walker puts it: “This is a ‘we’ story in Irvine – and it always will be.”
Learn more at irvineucpta.my-pta.org.
