Advocacy Resources

Department of Legislation & Advocacy in Brief

Legislation and Advocacy takes place at all levels of PTA.  This document will give you a brief overview of PTA’s role with regard to Legislation & Advocacy. More detailed information can be found in the Legislative Handbook.

JC/DC Member-to-Member Network

The JC/DC network is an email alert system designed to inform members when their voice is needed with regard to pending legislation in both Jefferson City and Washington D.C.  To apply for membership click here or download the JC/DC form.  Forms can be faxed, emailed or mailed to the main office.

MOPTA Legislative Priorities

Each year the Missouri PTA Department of Legislation & Advocacy develops a set of priorities that are expected to be addressed in the upcoming Missouri Legislative session.  As unexpected issues emerge, Missouri PTA will act in accordance with the Resolutions and Position Statements that have been approved by the membership.  A complete list of Missouri PTA Resolutions and Position Statements are available on our website under Resolutions.  The National PTA Resolutions and Position Statements can be found here.

National PTA Federal Public Policy Agenda

The 2019-2020 National PTA Federal Public Policy Agenda is now available.

The National PTA’s Legislative Checklist for the 115th Congress outlines the policy priorities National PTA and its constituent associations believe are critical to ensuring all children reach their highest potential. The checklist features the following policy areas:

  • Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Special Education
  • Federal Investments in Education
  • Early Learning and Childhood Education
  • Child Health and Safety
  • Gun Safety and Violence Prevention
  • Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
  • Education Technology and Student Data Privacy
  • Postsecondary Access and Opportunity

National PTA Election Guide

How To Be A Legislative Chair –  this guide provides new and seasoned Legislative chairs with an outline of what the position entails and prominent events during the year.

Legislative Chair report template and monthly report suggestions

Corresponding with Representatives – template and sample letter

Tips for Meeting with Your Legislator

The National PTA Online Advocacy Toolkit includes information on how a bill becomes a law, working with the media, Federal appropriations and much more.

The National PTA newsroom is a great source for current PTA articles and press releases.  This is a great site to find articles for your own local newsletters and correspondences.

Common Core State Standards Toolkit – More than 45 states have formally adopted the Common Core State Standards, and National PTA has been at the forefront educating parents and communities about the new standards, their implementation, and the impact they will have on our children and schools. The Common Core toolkit includes a variety of resources relating to the new standards, including:

  • Common Core history and basic information,
  • assessment tools,
  • parent guides,
  • frequently asked questions, and
  • state-specific resource lists.

What Every Parent Should be Asking about Education Data – this guide offers helpful tips for parents who want to know more about how their state collects, uses and protects their student’s privacy.

State Assessment Resources – With the adoption of college and career standards across the country, our states are in the process of building measures into their assessment systems to determine whether our students are on track.  PTA has compiled all the resources that parents need to learn more about these new standards aligned assessments.

“The Truth About Vouchers” – this fact sheet provides informational points concerning education vouchers (sometimes referred to as tax credits, tax deductions, scholarship deduction or scholarship credit)

Missouri House:  http://www.house.mo.gov/
Missouri Senate:  http://www.senate.mo.gov/

Quality Counts Missouri Report

A supplement to Education Week’s Quality Counts 2016 looks at the key indicators of chance-for-success, K-12 achievement, school finance and provides a summative grade for Missouri.  This analysis takes into consideration overall achievement, poverty-based gaps, and trends over time.

America’s Children in Brief: Key National Indicators of Well-Being

The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics each year publishes a report on the well-being of children and families. The data is collected through a coordinated effort among 22 Federal agencies. From this data indicators relating to the well-being of children and families are grouped into seven categories – Family and Social Environment, Economic Circumstances, Health Care, Physical Environment and Safety, Behavior, Education and Health. This resource is a wealth of information for child welfare advocates. You can find this resource at ChildStats.gov

School Board Candidate Forums and Questionnaires

This step-by-step “How To” guide was created to assist our units and councils who would like to host School Board Candidate forums or conduct candidate questionnaires. School Board Questionnaires And Forums.pdf

Town Hall Planning Resources

Download electronic copies to use in your Town Hall planning the entire step-by-step guide is located in the Legislative Handbook.

One Voice Blog – current articles on a variety of topics impacting children.  Check out the Advocacy category for content specific to advocacy & Legislation.

PTA Takes Action Update e-Newsletter
sign up to receive this valuable e-Newsletter and keep informed of legislation news at the national level.

Resolution Handbook

Download the Resolutions guide to direct the Missouri PTA voice on issues.  The Resolution Handbook gives an overall explanation of how the Resolution process is structured and provides tools for drafting and submitting a resolution.  Customizable word document resolution worksheets will assist members with construction of a resolution for submission.