PTA-Over a Century of Accomplishments

1897-1900s:  The National PTA is founded in 1987 in Washington, DC, as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst.

From the first meeting of the National Congress of Mothers grew a groundswell of support. Problems were identified and strategies devised to resolve them. Through consistent hard work, sometimes after decades of perseverance, the dreams became reality: child labor laws, a public health service, hot lunch programs, a juvenile justice system, and mandatory immunization were accepted as national norms.

Mrs. Birney had appealed "to all mankind and to all womankind, regardless of race, color, or condition, to recognize that the republic's greatest work is to save the children." But in many states segregated schools were legally sanctioned. To address those students' special needs, Selena Sloan Butler founded the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers in 1926. The two PTAs formally merged in 1970.

1910s:  During the Second International Congress on the Welfare of the Child, it was recommended that kindergarten be made part of the public school system. Hot lunch programs were sponsered by PTA in several schools.

1920s:  With legislative reforms beginning to take shape in response to PTA initiatives, we launched our own comprehensive education and training programs for members. Parenting skills were a particular concern and the focus of many local and national conferences. We found partners to broaden the scope of our efforts. In 1925, the PTA cooperated with the U.S. Bureau of Education in a Summer Roundup of children to help parents identify and correct children's health problems before they started the 1st grade.

1930s:  As conditions changed, so did PTA's programs. The age of the automobile brought new concerns about child safety. The National PTA responded with a safety education program for school children that continues today as we support the Safety Belt and Child Restraint Project and reach out to children through our School Bus Safety Program, which includes tip sheets for parents and teachers, educational posters, and television public service announcements.

1940s:  A world shattered by war in the 1940s sought a new and better way to resolve conflicts before they erupted into violence and destruction. The National PTA was among the very first organizations to support the fledgling United Nations and the hope it represented for all children around the globe. The National PTA also advocated for a nationwide hot school lunch program which is now a permanent feature of our education system.

1950s:  One of the most high-profile projects in PTA history was our participation in the field testing of the Salk polio vaccine in the '50s, and securing the polio vaccination for all school children. It was during this time that the PTA began to recognize Americas affinity for prescription and over-the-counter medications, and called for a national conference to address narcotics and drug addiction in youth.

1960s:  Smoking and drug abuse became increasingly common in American culture. During the '60s we called for schools to focus on the risks involved with abuse and created public messages to educate parents and the general public about the dangers of addiction.

1970s:  Violence on television spurred the PTA to action in the '70s as we sought to measure the effects of such programming on our children. Today we offer critical viewing skills workshops around the country to help parents evaluate what they and their children are watching.

1980s:  The alarming rise in sexually transmitted diseases and the advent of AIDS found the PTA once more at the forefront of a difficult issue. We advocate that comprehensive information about the diseases be made available at school and at home to help check the epidemic. And we've designed programs and resources to help parents talk frankly with their children about these issues.

1990s:  In spite of our accomplishments, there is always more work to be done. In many ways, our current challenges resemble those confronting the first National Congress of Mothers. Our population is growing and becoming increasingly diverse. Opportunity abounds for those with the education and training to take advantage of it, but for those with few skills the gap is greater than ever.

Education reform is the debate of the day, and the halls of the United States Congress echo with conflicting solutions to fix what ails the system. The National PTA is there to guarantee that the parent's voice doesn't get lost in the clamor. Our triumph in 1994 was the enactment of the Goals 2000: Educate America legislation which, among many reforms, calls for local school districts to make parents equal partners on issues affecting their children's education. In support of the National Education Goals, National PTA released National Standards for Parent/Family Involvement Programs in 1997. By 1999, National PTA launched a major training program to educate members and the public about the benefits of parent involvement, the components of effective programs, and how to implement the standards.

2000s:  The book, Building Successful Partnerships: A Guide to Parent Involvement, was published by National PTA in January 2000 to provide field-tested strategies for developing successful parent involvement programs.

The importance of parent involvement in all aspects of a child's life cannot be overstated. Our own research and that of other agencies unequivocally prove that children thrive when their parents devote time and loving attention to them. Nurturing a child's potential must begin from birth. The PTA has begun to emphasize early childhood education programs to give children the best chance of being ready to learn when they start school.

National concern about our children is essential, but ultimately the responsibility still falls to each parent to keep children safe and healthy. That is where the PTA fills the greatest need-by providing the link between parents and educators, between parents and government, between parents and the legal system.