Parent-Teacher Association

Parent-Teacher Association

In the U.S. a parent-teacher association (PTA) or Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a Parent Teacher Organization or an equivalent local organization. These organizations also occur (though less frequently) at high schools and preschools. At the local level, the goal of all parent-teacher groups is to support their schools, encourage parent involvement, support teachers, and organize family events.

Groups going by the PTA acronym are part of the National Parent Teacher Association (National PTA), a non-profit formerly based in Chicago (now in Alexandria, Virginia) that was founded on February 17, 1897, with membership open to anyone who believes in its mission and purposes. The first meeting was held in Marietta, Georgia by Alice McLellen Birney at Marietta High School.[1] Every person who joins a local PTA automatically becomes a member of both the state and National PTAs. PTA membership — including the number of affiliated units and of individual members — has been declining for several decades. The group boasted more than 12 million members in the late 1960s; today membership is down below 5.2 million.[2]

On June 28, 2009, Chuck Saylors became the 113 year old group's first male president. According to Saylors, only about 10% of the formerly all-female group's members are men.[3]

Local groups doing similar work but that are unassociated with the state and national structure of the National PTA are often known as Parent Teacher Organizations (PTOs). A number of other acronyms are used as well. In the United States, roughly 25% of parent groups are PTAs, while the remainder are independent. There are 23,000 local organizations recognized by the National PTA in the United States.[2]

See also

References

  1. ^ Google cache search results of Alice McLellan Birney Papers collection information
  2. ^ a b "FAQs / PTA Annual Report". National PTA (United States). http://www.pta.org/1169.asp. Retrieved 2009-03-09. 
  3. ^ "PTA Welcomes First Male President". NPR story. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106027156. Retrieved 2009-06-28. 

External links



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Look at other dictionaries:

  • parent-teacher association — parent teacher associations N COUNT A parent teacher association is the same as a PTA …   English dictionary

  • Parent-Teacher Association — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms Parent Teacher Association : singular Parent Teacher Association plural Parent Teacher Associations See: PTA …   English dictionary

  • parent-teacher association — ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ˈ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ noun : an organization of local groups of teachers and the parents of their pupils to work for the improvement of the schools and the benefit of the pupils abbr. PTA * * * noun, pl ⋯ tions [count] : a local organization of… …   Useful english dictionary

  • parent-teacher association — parent teacher associ.ation n a ↑PTA …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • Parent-Teacher Association — Parent Teacher Associ,ation noun count an organization of teachers and parents within a school who plan social events and activities in order to raise money. It is usually simply called the PTA …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • parent-teacher association — noun Usage: often capitalized P&T&A Date: 1915 an organization of local groups of teachers and the parents of their pupils that works for the improvement of the schools and the benefit of the pupils …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • Parent-Teacher Association — /pair euhnt tee cheuhr, par / an organization of teachers and the parents of their students, as within a public school, to promote mutual understanding and to increase the effectiveness of the educational program. Abbr.: PTA, P.T.A. * * * …   Universalium

  • Parent-Teacher Organization — noun, pl ⋯ tions [count] US : parent teacher association abbr. PTO …   Useful english dictionary

  • association — as|so|ci|a|tion [ ə,souʃi eıʃn, ə,səuʃi eıʃn ] noun *** 1. ) count a group of people who have joined together because they have similar interests or goals: a professional association of engineers the Parent Teacher Association 2. ) count a… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • association */*/*/ — UK [əˌsəʊsɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] / US [əˌsoʊʃɪˈeɪʃ(ə)n] noun Word forms association : singular association plural associations 1) [countable] a group of people who have joined together because they have similar interests or aims a professional association of …   English dictionary

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