Advocacy
PTA gives YOU a voice in legislative issues that serve all children and families.
What is Advocacy?
PTA was founded by advocates, and has a strong history of impacting education policy and advocating for children. Advocacy is required to achieve success for all children. There are many ways to achieve social change, and all have their uses. PTA and its members utilize different forms of social change in all our advocacy efforts. PTA’s Advocacy Training focuses on grassroots advocacy and our resources include content and materials that will help any local, district, or state PTA build its advocacy capacity by creating a campaign strategy and training leaders and members on key advocacy skills.
Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee coordinates the networking, advising, advocating, and collaborating on state and national legislative issues impacting students.
Positions & Resolutions
Resolutions serve to formalize and focus the positions of the organization and are an important part of the association’s advocacy work.
Take Action
View the federal legislative priorities National PTA is advocating for or against.
School Accountability
Each public school in the state of Colorado is responsible for establishing a School Accountability Committee (SAC).
COPTA Legislative Committee
The Legislative Committee coordinates the networking, advising, advocating, and collaborating on state and national legislative issues impacting students. Colorado PTA continues to be an integral part of the education advocacy scene at the State Legislature. PTA takes positions on legislation dealing with children’s education, health, and well-being, and PTA provides testimony in legislative committees. For information on the process and current bills being tracked, visit the COPTA Legislative Committee page.
Reach the legislative committee at legislative@copta.org.
Colorado PTA’s Century of Advocacy Highlights
- 1914
Established a Better Babies Movement, focused on promoting infant care
- 1919
Initiated an Act to create and establish a Child Welfare Bureau in the State of Colorado
- 1922
Supported public education in rural communities in Colorado
- 1937
Fought for an increase in public school funding
Promoted inclusiveness by establishing the first Spanish-speaking PTA in Colorado
- 1946
Established a Girls Loan Fund for advanced education
- 1953
Recruited over 126,000 members
- 1967
Promoted first Project Head Start Program
- 1969
Established the Reflections Art program, which was adopted by National PTA
- 1970
Spread awareness about the link between good nutrition and learning
- 1982
Advocated for seat belt safety
- 1988
Served as an ambassador for drug/alcohol awareness initiatives
- 1993
Opposed school vouchers as a violation of Colorado’s Constitution which resulted in the victorious 2003 lawsuit, Colorado PTA v. Owens
- 1994
Declared an anti-discrimination clause including LGBT community
- 1996
Fought for releasing volunteer crossing guards from civil liability
- 2000
Championed Amendment 23, which requires an annual increase in K-12 funding (including special education and transportation) by inflation +1% through 2010 and inflation thereafter
- 2022
Promoted Healthy School Meals for All
Advocated for Inclusive Social Studies Standards Revisions
Get Involved
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools.