The National Congress of Mothers, later known as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), was founded in 1897 by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. Today, over six million volunteers work to improve schools and children’s lives at local, state, and federal levels. The PTA advocates for children, offers support to parents, and brings together parents and teachers to discuss education and child welfare. Local PTAs are autonomous and can implement programs that benefit their communities with the help of the national PTA’s resources and expertise.
In 1897, Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst recognized the need for a national advocacy organization that spoke on behalf of children. The two women founded the National Congress of Mothers, which later became known as the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), with a founding group of over 2,000 concerned parents, teachers, legislators and workers. Today, more than six million volunteers participate in PTA-sponsored activities across the United States, working hard to improve schools and the overall quality of life for children at the local, state and federal levels.
All local PTAs are members of the state PTA, which is linked to the national organization. The national PTA helps provide local PTAs with information, resources, and influence, and also works at the federal level to advocate for children on Capitol Hill. Donations to the national PTA, which is a registered non-profit organization, are used to support the PTA’s advocacy efforts, along with dues paid by members and local chapters. Any adult concerned about the well-being of children can join a local PTA, although members are primarily parents and teachers of children at all levels of education, economic class, and ability.
The main goal of the PTA is to be an advocate for children in their communities and in front of regulatory agencies. For example, in its early years, the national PTA helped establish child labor laws and a juvenile justice system, along with school cafeteria programs, daycare programs, and public immunization programs. The PTA also offers support to parents who are seeking to raise happy, healthy children in safe environments by improving public health and safety and lobbying for laws that protect children. PTAs across the nation also bring together parents and teachers in a cooperative effort to talk about education, child welfare, and safe communities.
Locally, a PTA is vital. Local PTA members decide which programs would benefit their communities and implement them. Parents can engage in fundraising activities, lobby a city council over important proposed measures, help establish after-school reading programs, or work together to provide children with healthy eating and nutrition education, for example. These regional PTAs are autonomous and can do whatever they deem necessary to improve their communities, although they often consult with the national PTA to take advantage of experiences in other communities. The national PTA can also assist local organizations when they are unable to tackle challenges on their own, drawing on over 100 years of experience, legal and childcare expertise.
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