Today In History: The National Congress of Parents and Teachers Is Founded

The closer the contact between parent and teacher, the better for the child. We are all more or less conscious of this truth, but comparatively few, either among the great mass of parents of the teachers, make a definite attempt to secure systematic cooperation. -- Mrs. Theodore W. Birney, Ch. V, Cooperation Between Home and School, Childhood, 1905.

An American organization concerned with the educational, social, and economic well-being of children, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers was founded on February 17th, `1897 -- originally as the National Congress of Mothers by schoolteacher Alice McLellan Birney and philanthropic suffragist Phoebe Apperson Hearst.  It grew to include fathers, teachers, students, and other citizens, as it established branches in all states and the District of Columbia to strengthen communications, programs, and advocacy. In 1970, the National Congress of Parents and Teachers (National PTA) and the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT), founded by Selena Sloan Butler in Atlanta, Ga., joined forces for greater impact in serving all children.

Publications such as The National PTA Magazine and National PTA Bulletin circulated from the early 1900s and others were produced over the next hundred years on many levels --  city, state, and national -- to address issues, concerns, and the changing landscape of preschool, elementary, and secondary schooling.  Even private schools, such as Horace Mann and Lincoln -- founded as experimental and demonstration schools by Teachers College, Columbia University, which sought to test progressive educational theories -- set up their own parent-teacher associations to mirror practices in home-school outreach.

Known today as the PTA, this organization is described as "a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education."

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Anniversary to Be Celebrated: P.-T.A. Founded in 1897, at Washington D.C. Organization Not Charity Members Maintain Los Angeles' Initial Unit Founded in 1900.  (1930, Feb 09). Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Today P.-T.A. to Be Feted on Birthday. (1938, Feb 16). Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Asbury, E.E. (1953, May 19). P.-T. A. Parley Gets a Call for Action: 'Better Homes, Better Schools' Made Theme of National Meeting in Oklahoma.  New York Times (1923-) 
• Dyer, B. (1963, Feb 17). Today In History. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Parents, Teachers, Kids. (1964, May 23). The Hartford Courant (1923-) 
• Chapter to Mark Founding of PTA. (1966, Jan 30). Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• PTA Branches Will Observe Founders Day: Past Presidents to Be Honored. (1964, Feb 09). Chicago Tribune (1963-1996) 
• Gately, B.  (1979, May 17). City PTAs Hold Conference. The Washington Post (1974-) 
• For the Record. (1985, Jun 28). The Washington Post (1974-) 
• O'Neill, C (1987, Feb 17). Feeling Good About Yourself: A Page for Young People. The Washington Post (1974-) 

Tips:

• Cutright, M. J. (1989). The National PTA Talks to Parents : How to Get the Best Education for Your Child (First edition.). Doubleday. Stacks ; LC225.3 .C88 1989
• Haar, C. K. (2002). The Politics of the PTA. Transaction Publishers. Stacks ; LC231 .H33 2002.
• Mandel, S. M. (2007). The Parent-Teacher Partnership : How to Work Together for Student Achievement. Zephyr Press. e-book.
• The PTA Story: A Century of Commitment to Children. (1997). National PTA Orders, Dept. ERIC Document.
• Woyshner, C. A. (2009). The National PTA, Race, and Civic Engagement, 1897-1970. Ohio State University Press. Stacks ; LC225.5 .W69 2009.

Images:

• Sonneborn, R. A., Hirsh, E. S., & Barnes, K. (1948). PTA News. From the Horace Mann School Collection. Courtesy of Teachers College, Columbia University.
• Parent Teacher Association (PTA) 8c 1972 Issue U.S. Stamp. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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