Martha Deutsch: Tireless Advocate for Education in the Riviera
Riviera resident Martha Deutsch recently returned home from a long day at the California State PTA Convention in Ontario. It’s been several years since her two kids graduated from South High, well past the time when most parents have any involvement with the PTA. But for Martha, supporting education in a volunteer capacity is a passion she’s put to use for the benefit of students in the Riviera and beyond for close to 30 years.
Martha first joined the PTA when her oldest child, Marissa, started at Riviera Elementary School and served as PTA president at both Riviera and South High.
In 2012, when Al Muratsuchi was elected a California State Assemblyman and thereby resigned his position on the TUSD school board, a friend persuaded Martha to run. It was the encouragement she needed to branch out into other education-related capacities, and Martha handily beat out eight other candidates for the board position, which she held for six years.
From 2017 until 2019, Martha also served as president of the Thirty-Third District PTA, which represents more than 100,000 members in PTA councils throughout Southern California. Martha traveled to Sacramento each quarter to meet with other District PTA presidents and served as a conduit with local PTA units.
Following her time as president of the Thirty-Third District PTA, Martha served from 2019-2022 as president of the Torrance Education Foundation, where she helped facilitate increased learning opportunities at local schools, including state-of-the-art classrooms, STEM programs and more options for growth and creativity.
In 2020, Martha was elected as a committee member on the Los Angeles County Office of Education’s Fourth Supervisorial District, a position she still holds. She is also on the policy council for Head Start and Early Learning Division, which supports the school readiness of children from low-income families by enhancing their cognitive, social and emotional development. She traveled to Washington DC earlier this year for the Head Start Leadership Symposium and drives to Sante Fe Springs each month for their board meetings.
“What started as a part-time passion has become my life’s work, and I couldn’t be happier,” says Martha, who was honored with a “Women of Distinction Award” for her volunteer work in 2017. “I love being an advocate for children and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.”
Martha and her husband, Barry, have two grown children and have lived in the Hollywood Riviera for 30 years. Thank you Martha, on behalf of all the children in the Hollywood Riviera!