PTA was founded for advocacy. Alice McLellan Birney, a widowed schoolteacher, saw the plight of children in her community and felt someone should be speaking up for them. With Phoebe Apperson Hearst, she founded the National Congress of Mothers in 1897, now known as the National PTA. Illinois PTA will continue this tradition with our Fall Advocacy Campaign during the Illinois General Assembly’s veto session, October 19-28. Here’s how you and your PTA can participate.

This year’s Fall Advocacy Campaign will be a completely virtual event. Here’s what is happening:

  • Fall Advocacy Campaign Briefing Webinar, October 12, 7:00pm (Register here): The briefing webinar will cover how to advocate the PTA way, including how to contact or meet with legislators and information on the bills we will be focused on.
  • Calls to Action: Illinois PTA will be issuing Calls to Action on each bill we are focused on during the Fall Advocacy Campaign. Each call will have a link to a prewritten letter you can edit and e-mail directly to your legislators. Sign up for the Illinois PTA Take Action Network to receive the Calls to Action, and encourage your members to do so as well.
  • Resources: Illinois PTA will be producing talking points sheets on each targeted bill to provide you with the facts you need if you wish to call your legislator. These will be shared through the Illinois PTA Take Action Network and through other Illinois PTA channels. Be sure to share these sheets with your members.

Advocacy can have a huge effect on the lives of children throughout Illinois. Five years ago, Illinois PTA advocacy resulted in moving a bill that was stuck in committee and going nowhere all the way through to passage, resulting in every K-5 school in Illinois now testing all drinking water sources for lead. Contaminated drinking water sources that had been harming children for decades have been cleaned up. You and your PTA can help make a difference for Illinois children again—sign up for the Illinois PTA Take Action Network and participate in our Fall Advocacy Campaign.