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Schools

PTA At A Glance -- Locally, Nationally, Historically

Karin Bugge, Neighbor

The Parent Teacher Association started back in 1897. Not here, but in Georgia, and was originally called the National Congress of Mothers.  Today, it's the largest volunteer child advocacy organization in the nation.

A few other items of interest:

  • A national organization, the PTA reached a high of 12 million members in the late 1960's. Today, membership hovers around the 5.5 million mark.
  • Most of the members are women. All the PTA presidents had been women until 2009. 
  • The PTA has international branches in the United Kingdom and Japan.
  • Across the nation, members roll up their sleeves for approximately 15,000 volunteer hours per year
Their mission? "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." (Read more on their website.)

Just how do the volunteers go about engaging, empowering, and advocating?  A lot of the work takes place at the local level, and South Pasadena Unified School District has Parent Teacher Associations at Marengo, Arroyo Vista, and Monterey Hills elementary schools; and South Pasadena Middle School.

To learn what each has to offer, or what you have to offer each, click here.
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