A Message from President Heather Ippolito
Legacy. As I reflect on the meaning of “legacy,” I think of our PTA founders. Phoebe Apperson Hearst and Alice McLellan Birney were women from affluent families. They didn’t have children working in coal mines or in factories, but they saw these children and knew that it was wrong. They then used their influence to partner with mothers, fathers, teachers, and community members to advocate for child labor and safety laws with their newly formed National Congress of Mothers.
Selena Sloan Butler was an African-American educator. When her community lacked a kindergarten for Black children, she created one at home—launching a lifelong mission to improve schools and protect every child’s right to learn. She formed the National Congress of Colored Parents and Teachers and these two groups officially combined in 1970 to become the PTA we know and love today.
What do these three women have in common? They have a legacy of:
- serving children and families in their community
- seeing a need and doing something about it
- raising their voices to ensure that children and youth received the resources they needed to reach their full potential.
PTA has a proud legacy that we celebrate every year on February 17th. We share the stories of these women and the volunteers who have served after them. We talk about the advocacy our organization has done from the creation of kindergarten to hot school lunches to arts education and the formation of the juvenile justice system. We pass the hat for a free-will offering that benefits local, state, and national PTA. And hopefully we have cake or another sweet treat to thank our volunteers for being part of our organization!
This month, I’d love for you to think about your PTA legacy and what you want that to look like. Are you wanting to take your volunteerism to the next level and run for an office in your unit, council, or district? Or are you willing to apply to serve on state or National PTA? Is advocacy your legacy? Are you willing to speak up for children and families to ensure that ALL of our students have what they need to be successful? Are you in a position to give funds to your local or state PTA? So many good things happen when we have the financial support necessary to do programming, training, and advocacy.
Any way you choose to create and craft your legacy, I’d like to thank you. Thank you for joining our organization! Thank you for giving your time, talent, and treasure to benefit your community, and the students and families who live there. Thank you for continuing PTA’s legacy today, tomorrow, together!
Happy Founders’ Day,
Heather Ippolito
California State PTA President
A Message from President-Elect Will Sanford
February is a meaningful month for PTA – one that honors our history, highlights our ongoing efforts to positively impact education today, and affirms our continued commitment to meet the future needs of children and families. We celebrate our founders, remarkable women, who 129 years ago started our organization, before they had the right to vote. For more than half of our nation’s history, PTA has championed the well-being of children. We celebrate the impact we have collectively made, including implementation of child labor laws, a free appropriate public education for all, late start high school and much, much more. Today, we are working to ensure that every child can learn in a safe, healthy school environment where all individuals are treated with respect. We have been, and continue to be, a strong advocacy voice for all children and families.
The PTA has always been about leaving the world a better place.. We consider how our actions today will impact future generations-supporting evidence-based practices, building inclusive communities and ensuring that all children have the resources and support they need to make our world a better place.
As PTA members, we are charged with raising awareness, fostering inclusion, seeking support, and actively recruiting members. At times, it may feel as though we face significant challenges in making our voices heard. Yet consider the late 1800s, when communicating across our state took days, weeks or even months- and only reached those who could read and were willing to pay attention to children’s issues.
Our founders believed that all children should have the opportunity to live a healthy life, receive an education, and contribute to their community. It is our turn to continue and expand the legacy they began, ensuring that future generations inherit a world that we would all want to live in.
Join us in celebrating Founders’ Day as we honor the efforts of those who began this work. Help us continue to expand our reach today so that, tomorrow, all children and families can benefit from our collective efforts.
I appreciate everything you do-whether it’s reading to your children, getting them to school on time to maximize learning, supporting your neighbors and teachers, or ensuring all families feel seen and included. You make us strong…today, tomorrow and especially together.
Will Sanford
California State PTA President