February 17
PTA DAY
The National Congress of Mothers was organized on this day in 1897 in Washington, DC by Alice McLellan Birney, shown here in the photo at left, and Phoebe Apperson Hearst.
At first, the objectives of the organization were devoted to child study. The National Congress urged parents to study the school curriculums that were being used in the schools their children attended. The Congress also suggested that parents, both mothers and fathers, should take reading courses that provided information about children and schooling.
The group later changed its name to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers or the NPTA with local groups known as the PTA (Parent-Teacher Associations). The first State Congress of the NPTA was organized in New York in 1897. And one of the first major projects the PTA worked on was the extension of kindergartens to the elementary school grades.In recent years many local PTA groups emphasized greater involvement of students and are known as Parent-Teacher-Student Associations or PTSA.
PTA or PTSA meetings are commonly held monthly at public schools throughout the U.S. If you’re a member, remember that you’re supposed to be promoting the educational, emotional and social welfare of our children.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
No portion of these files may be reproduced without the express, written permission of 440 International Inc.
