PTA Helps Families, Schools and Communities Support Student Success

There are probably very few parents in the country who haven’t heard of the PTA. PTA chapters can be found in over 25,000 local communities, in all 50 states, in U.S. schools on military installations in Europe and the Pacific, and most likely somewhere very close to you.

All told, there are more than 5,000,000 members of the PTA. It is one of the oldest organizations in the country in support of children, with a history dating back more than 100 years.

A few weeks ago, a colleague and I met with the current CEO of the National PTA, Byron Garrett, and some members of his team to discuss possible ways to collaborate on our mutual quest– to enhance parental involvement in the education of their children and, by doing so, improve their odds of success in school and beyond.

It was quite impressive to better understand the evolution of the PTA, which goes well beyond bake sales and fundraising. The PTA is committed to empowering families and communities to advocate for children.

They have a broad policy agenda on behalf of children including child health and nutrition and expanding funding to support parent involvement in their children’s education. The National PTA has  developed National Standards for Family-School Partnerships that provides a framework for how families, schools, and communities can work together in support of student success. These standards emphasize developing true partnerships between schools, families, and the community, rather than just a series of communications back and forth between schools and parents.

While much of the focus of the PTA to date has been with children and schools from kindergarten through grade 12, the benefits of parental involvement is not limited by age or grade and begins with even our youngest children. Among the documented benefits are improvements in academic achievement, attendance, and emotional well being, as well as improved teacher retention.

While it is clearly important for your child’s program to show initiative in reaching out to you as parents, there is also much that you can and most likely already do to facilitate a strong partnership.

First and foremost, get to know your child’s teacher and program administrators, and help them get to know your child through your eyes. As much as possible, stay in touch with what is going on at your child’s program and find ways to participate—formally through conferences or family events and informally by volunteering or just showing up to share a story time with your child. If concerns arise, address them openly and directly.

No one knows your child better than you do, but your child’s teachers stand as ready partners in the important work of helping your child to succeed in school and beyond.