Raise your Voice as a PTA Advocate

National PTA is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in the United States. But what is advocacy?

For the purposes of PTA, advocacy is supporting and speaking up for children—in schools, in communities, and before government bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children.

There are many ways to achieve social change, and all have their uses. PTA and its members utilize different forms of social change in our overall advocacy efforts.

Advocacy efforts may be coordinated by a designated Advocacy Chair or by another PTA leader.

Advocate for Your Child’s Special Needs

Advocacy starts at home. This Special Education Toolkit helps make sense of an often confusing system and educates families of newly diagnosed children with special needs on how to get the best special education, services and resources available to them.

Advocate for Your Child’s Special Needs

Advocacy starts at home. This Special Education Toolkit helps make sense of an often confusing system and educates families of newly diagnosed children with special needs on how to get the best special education, services and resources available to them.

Make a Positive Change at Your School

A group of concerned parents might write a letter or request a meeting with school administration to discuss a safety issue affecting children on their route to school. Your PTA might organize a town hall meeting about school lockdown procedures, dress codes or nutrition in the cafeteria. Use the opportunity to ask to review the principal's continuous improvement plan or request a seat on the school's parent advisory committee.

Get involved in Your State or National PTA’s Efforts

Occasionally, your state PTA or National PTA will issue an alert that a pending piece of legislation has serious implications for public education. Local PTA leaders are in a unique position to educate and mobilize their members to speak up for children's needs.