About Us

As the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) reminds our country of its obligations to children and provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students.
PTA does not act alone. Working in cooperation with many national education, health, safety, and child advocacy groups and federal agencies, the national PTA organization collaborates on projects that benefit children and that bring valuable resources to its members. As a member of PTA YOU are an integral part of this process. Your membership fees contribute toward enrichment programs, legislation, and education improvement. Thank you for being a part of this organization!

Your Adams PTSA is committed to not only mirror the mission of National PTA, but to make it applicable at a local, or 'grassroots' level. By directly impacting our students and community through advocacy, you have a first-hand and tangible evidence of what your membership dollars are doing for YOUR child.

The History of PTA

For more than a 100 years, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has provided support, information and resources to families focused on the health and education of children. The organization was founded in 1897 in Washington DC as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. If not for these women and their vision and determination, there would not be a PTA—an organization that has been woven into the very fabric of American life.

By whatever name it has been known, National PTA was created to meet a profound challenge: to better the lives of children. And today, it continues to flourish because PTA has never lost sight of its goal: to change the lives of children across our great nation for the better.

Our Founders' Vision

Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst founded an organization—a nationwide movement—in a time when social activism was scorned and women did not have the vote. Believing that there is no stronger bond than that between mother and child, they felt it was up to mothers of this country to eliminate threats that endangered children.In 1897, they called for action and more than 2,000 people responded—many were mothers, but fathers, teachers, laborers, and legislators also responded. Support grew from that first meeting in Washington DC. Problems were identified and strategies devised. Through consistent hard work, sometimes after years of perseverance, the dreams became reality:

· the creation of kindergarten classes,
· child labor laws,
· a public health service,
· hot lunch programs,
· a juvenile justice system,
· mandatory immunization

and many more programs were accepted as national norms. Between 1897 and 1919, 37 state-level congresses were chartered to help carry out the work of the organization.

Washington State PTA

Founded in 1905, the Washington Congress of Parents and Teachers is a branch of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers (the National PTA). The Washington State PTA is a nonprofit membership association which seeks to bring together the home, school and community on behalf of all children and youth.

Washington State PTA includes all people without regard to differences in race, culture, ethnicity, religion, socio-economic status, gender, abilities, special needs or geographic location.

The Washington State PTA is governed by a Board of Directors consisting of four statewide officers, 13 region directors, a leadership director, a program director, membership director and a legislative director. The board governs the affairs of the State PTA and provides leadership training and education to local PTA units and councils. The Washington State PTA is chartered by and affiliated with the National PTA.

The question is asked every day; "What's the difference between a PTA and a PTO (or PTG, or Booster Club, or PAC)?"

This table can help guide you when someone poses that question. Although any parent group within a school is valuable as their goal is usually to offer or provide student programs or assistance. PTA is so much more than an 'infra-structure'. We are united as ONE organization, with ONE purpose in mind...every child.one voice!

Mission, Vision & Values

The Parent Teacher Association
Membership is open to anyone who believes in the mission and purposes of Parent Teacher Association. Individual members may belong to any number of PTAs and pay dues in each. Every person who joins a local PTA automatically becomes a member of both the state and national PTAs.

Together we are a powerful voice for children. With your help, we can continue to work toward PTA's goal of a quality education and nurturing environment for every child.