ABOUT VA PTA

The Virginia Congress of Parents and Teachers, better known as the Virginia PTA is a volunteer child advocacy association working for ALL children and youth in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Virginia PTA is the strongest group of volunteers in the state working exclusively on behalf of children and youth. Chartered by the National PTA in 1921, the primary goal of the Virginia PTA is to strengthen our family units, our schools and our communities through parent/family involvement. PTA recognizes parents as the first educators in the home and works to promote parents as partners in the school.

The Virginia PTA is geographically divided into twenty-one districts in six regions in over 1200 local units with an annual membership well over 358,000. Managed by an all volunteer Board of Managers elected by the membership, the VA PTA/PTSA is one of the largest Congresses of the 54 Congresses in the National PTA.

As one of fifty-four Congresses, the Virginia PTA is an integral part of the National PTA, serving as the liaison between the local unit and the National PTA, helping each to function effectively and to support and sustain the other.

Who Can Join?

Membership is open to anyone who believes in the National PTA Mission and Purpose. The PTA is committed to being inclusive in its efforts to represent and assist all who nurture and educate children. Every person who joins a local PTA automatically becomes a member of both the state and national PTA. Each of the more than 388,000 members in 1200 local units of the Virginia PTA, has an opportunity to help direct and formulate PTA efforts and direction.

Self-Governing

While subject to the National PTA bylaws and policies, the Virginia PTA is self-governing - a separate and independent entity as established by state bylaws. Likewise, the PTA at the local level is self-governing, linked to one another through the state and National PTA forming a nationwide network of adults working for all children and youth.

As an example, a key object of parental involvement for the Virginia PTA and the National PTA is advocacy. Advocacy efforts improve laws, policies, and conditions on behalf of children, whether in your community or at the state and federal levels. Each year, the state and national PTA develop respective Legislative Programs addressing issues affecting children's education and programs in the current general assembly/congressional session and are the priority of state and federal legislative advocacy at the current time.