The overall purpose of PTA is to make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children. 

Advocacy is sharing a story or experience that your child, school or community is dealing with and turning it into an action item – or a request – for a new policy, protocol, change in funding formula or improved training opportunity. 

By working together to research issues and exchange knowledge, our PTA members have been sparking change in programs and policies that benefit children for over 120 years. 

As a parent or caregiver, as soon as you speak to a teacher or administrator about a concern, you have become an advocate for your student! Sharing your story and asking for change at the county, state, or national level makes you one of more than 4 million parents or caregivers that are members of PTA and who volunteer their time, energy and talents to address issues and create opportunities to support the educational success of students.

How to be an Effective Advocate:

Be Fearless.
Never be concerned that you are an inexperienced advocate. All the best advocates once were inexperienced. You are a concerned citizen, parent and member of North Carolina PTA, and these are the only credentials you need to be an advocate.

Be Helpful.
Sometimes the best way to deal with an issue is to offer your help in solving it. This is part of the North Carolina PTA tradition. We don’t only ask public officials to fix things, we offer to help.

Be Informed.
Learn everything you can about the issue that concerns you. The best advocates frequently know more about an issue than the public official in charge. At leadership training meetings every year, North Carolina PTA informs leaders and members about important issues facing our public schools. Information on the dates and location of these meetings can be found on the North Carolina PTA website or via your local unit president. All North Carolina PTA members are encouraged to attend these training meetings.

Be Civil.
Even when issues are controversial or complicated, civility is a must. Tension and tempers rarely solve anything. Public officials, whether principals, superintendents, school board members or legislators, all deserve civility.

Be Persistent.
Public officials don’t expect you to take no for an answer, and they respect persistence. Some of the most important goals take a long time to achieve.

Always Say Thank You.
Just like Mom said. After a talk or meeting with an official, always thank them. Not only is this courteous, it will be easier to get the next appointment.