Legislative News
Legislative Advocacy and PTA
by [Becky Chu, ]
PTA is one of the nation's oldest advocacy organizations. PTA has been an advocate for children since 1897 and has always been at the forefront in supporting laws that benefit children. One PTA purpose is to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth. So, what is the definition of Advocacy within the guidelines of of PTA?
Advocacy in PTA is simply communicating about an issue for which National or State PTA has adopted a position by speaking, writing, phoning, or emailing. The purpose of the communication can be to inform, educate, persuade or increase the level of awareness about the issue. PTA members are advocates for children and their parents. PTA members have and still advocate on a wide variety of child-related issues: education, health, nutrition, safety, juvenile protection, welfare reform, parent and family life, and drug abuse prevention, to name a few.
Every PTA member can be an effective advocate. The process is always the same: identify, research and understand the issue; identify the decision-maker; and develop and communicate the message. The process is not always easy, and dedication and perseverance are usually required.
