PTA History

Washington State PTA was founded in April 1905 by Abby Williams Hill of Tacoma, an artist who saw the need for an organization to support Washington’s children. Thanks to Abby’s leadership and vision—and that of thousands of parents and teachers who have carried her vision forward—Washington State PTA has been a leading voice for children in the state ever since. In addition to supporting the work at the national level, below are specific examples of PTA successes in Washington:

• Washington State PTA coined the term “preschool” and mentored parents of toddlers long before early childhood education was accepted and expected
• Before there was public funding for well-child exams, PTAs hosted back-to-school “round-ups” with medical volunteers
• When moms went to work during World War II, Washington PTAs arranged day care for their children
• When local levies failed in the 1950s and kindergartens went unfunded, Washington State PTAs first organized kindergarten “co-ops,” then worked to secure state funding for universal kindergarten
• As part of a coalition of community and statewide groups, Washington State PTA was instrumental in promoting the use of seat belts to save lives
• Thousands of volunteers from Washington State PTA helped secure the passage of the “simple majority” amendment to the state constitution in 2007
• Working collaboratively with other education and child advocacy groups, WSPTA played a leading role in securing the passage of major education reform efforts in Washington: House Bill 2261 (2009), House Bill 2776 and Senate Bill 6696 (2010)
• Washington State PTA was a founding member of the Network for Excellence in Washington Schools (NEWS) group that brought the McCleary lawsuit to fully fund basic education and was an active participant through June 2018 when the Supreme Court closed the case
• Making sure students have basic needs met, Breakfast After the Bell was a priority issue for a number of years until it was signed into law in 2018
• Working with key advocacy partners and legislators in 2019 to pass several policy priorities including: Social Emotional Learning framework adoption; several laws to decrease gun violence, including youth suicide; several laws to address the teacher shortage; additional levy authority and protection of local effort assistance; funding for special education, paraeducator training, and demonstration sites for longer school lunches; expansion of eligibility for early childhood education and assistance program; raising the age for tobacco and vaping to 21; and, a comprehensive school safety law that includes family/student reunification plans

The Washington State PTA (WSPTA) is the oldest and largest volunteer child advocacy association in Washington state. It is an innovative, forward-thinking, effective, global community. It includes over 100,000 members in over 830 PTAs. The organization is a vibrant, active association of people from all walks of life and backgrounds, working together toward a common vision to make every child’s potential a reality. Our efforts toward that vision include:

• The Reflections® Program that gives thousands of children each year the opportunity to express themselves through the arts
• The Scholarship Program that provides approximately $10,000 in financial support for graduating seniors from Washington public schools with active PTAs during their first year of post-high school education
• A statewide essay contest open to all children in the state
• The WSPTA Game Development Competition that provides middle and high school students the opportunity to test their skills in computer programming or board game development
• Leadership training for thousands of local PTA leaders each year; training that helps them address the nuts and bolts of their PTA responsibilities, but also prepares them to assume greater leadership roles in their communities and the state
• A strong voice advocating for children at local and state levels through a combination of grassroots advocacy and staff to represent the association at the state capitol in Olympia and through participation in key statewide advocacy coalitions and OSPI workgroups

Founded in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst, National PTA (www.pta.org) is a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education.

As the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the nation, National PTA is the conscience of the country for children and youth issues. Through advocacy, as well as family and community education, National PTA has established programs and called for legislation that improves our children’s lives, such as:

• Creation of kindergarten classes
• Child labor laws
• Public health service
• Hot and healthy lunch programs
• Juvenile justice system
• Mandatory immunization
• Arts in education
• School safety

A Legacy of Advocacy and Education

Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst founded the organization when women did not have the right to vote and social activism was not popular. However, they believed mothers would support their mission to eliminate threats that endangered children, and in early 1897, they started a nationwide campaign.

On February 17, 1897, more than 2,000 people—mostly mothers, but also fathers, teachers, laborers and legislators—attended the first convocation of the National Congress of Mothers in Washington, D.C. Twenty years later, 37 chartered state congresses existed.

In 1970, National PTA and the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers (NCCPT) — founded by Selena Sloan Butler in Atlanta, Ga.—merged to serve all children.

Learn more here.