The Utah PTA Public Program is the primary authority for public policy action and statements by Utah PTA on state and local legislation and administrative policies and regulations.
The Utah PTA Purposes
- To promote the welfare of children and youth in home, school, community, and place of worship.
- To raise the standards of home life.
- To secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.
- To bring in to closer relation the home and the school, that parents and teachers may cooperate more intelligently in the education of children and youth.
- To develop, between educators and the general public, such united efforts as will secure, for all children and youth, the highest advantages in physical, social, and spiritual education.
The Utah PTA Public Policy Program has five (5) components:
- The National PTA and Utah PTA Mission Statement and Values
- The National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions
- The Utah PTA Legislative Policy
- The Utah PTA Legislative Priorities
- National PTA and Utah PTA Position Statements
1. The National PTA and Utah PTA Mission Statement and Values
National PTA Mission
PTA’s mission is to make every child’s potential a
reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
National PTA Values
COLLABORATION: We will work in partnership with a wide array of individuals and organizations to broaden and enhance our ability to serve and advocate for all children and families.
COMMITMENT: We are dedicated to children’s educational success, health, and well-being through strong family and community engagement, while remaining accountable to the principles upon which our association was founded.
DIVERSITY: We acknowledge the potential of everyone without regard, including but not limited to: age, culture, economic status, educational background, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, legal status, marital status, mental ability, national origin, organizational position, parental status, physical ability, political philosophy, race, religion, sexual orientation, and work experience.
RESPECT: We value the individual contributions of members, employees, volunteers, and partners as we work collaboratively to achieve our association’s goals.
ACCOUNTABILITY: All members, employees, volunteers, and partners have a shared responsibility to align their efforts toward the achievement of our association’s strategic initiatives.
Utah PTA Mission:
To make every child’s potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
Vision of Utah PTA:
To fulfill the mission, Utah PTA will:
- Advocate by speaking on behalf of all children and youth in schools, in the community, before governmental bodies, and before other organizations that make decisions affecting children.
- Develop programs, resources, and leadership skills that enhance the lives of all children, youth, and their families.
- Engage the public in united and equitable efforts to secure the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being of all children and youth.
2. The National PTA and Utah PTA Resolutions
Resolutions and positions are formal statements of PTA public or association policy voted by the delegates at the annual Advocacy Conference or the annual National PTA and Utah PTA Conventions.
The process for moving forward a Utah PTA resolution is:
- A PTA can propose resolutions to the Utah PTA Resolutions Committee.
- The Utah PTA Resolutions Committee reviews submitted resolutions and recommends action to the Utah PTA Board of Directors.
- The Utah PTA Board of Directors forwards resolutions to the delegates at either the Advocacy Conference or the Leadership Convention for consideration.
- Resolutions must be approved by the conference or convention body to become official policies of the association.
Utah PTA resolutions can be found here
3. The Utah PTA Legislative Policy
The legislative policy is the philosophy and general principles which guide the Utah PTA’s consideration of proposed legislation.
The Utah PTA is a non-profit, grassroots, child advocacy association made up of parents, teachers, and students. The legislative program of the Utah PTA is derived from the work of PTA in home, school, and community. PTA efforts “to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth” are based upon: (1) the recognition of the home as the foundation of our society; (2) parental involvement as an essential component of all policy-making processes pertaining to children; (3) the observance and understanding of the rights and obligations of responsible citizenship and ethical government; and, (4) the realization that maintaining a free and public education system is a cornerstone of democracy—that the Utah Public Education System is created in the state Constitution to “secure and perpetuate” freedom.
General Principles for Consideration of Proposed Legislation:
- Equity in the form of equal justice, privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities in every phase of life for all children and youth, while recognizing that each child is unique with individual needs and talents.
- High standards for those who work in all areas concerned with children and youth.
- Coordination and planning by all agencies with clear definition of responsibility at each level of government.
- Prioritizing the needs of all children and youth, while adhering to fiscal responsibility in government.
- Maximum local control when it serves the best interest of all children and youth.
- Continued maintenance of the constitutional guarantee of financial support for public schools as the first claim on state revenues.
- Maintenance of Utah PTA’s viability as a non-profit voice for children.
4. Utah PTA Legislative Priorities
The Utah PTA Legislative Priorities are based upon the actions called for by the Utah PTA and National PTA resolutions and position statements. Rather than providing an exhaustive list of the areas in which the Utah PTA is involved, the priorities are indicative of issues on which PTA expects to target its efforts and activity. All PTA statewide public policy work is consistent with the Utah PTA’s priorities, resolutions, and position statements.
Utah PTA Legislative Priorities are approved by Utah PTA members annually during the Advocacy Conference Business meeting.
Current year Legislative Priorities can be found here
5. The Utah and National PTA Position Statements
Position statements are initiated by members of the Utah PTA or National PTA Board of Directors and approved by a majority vote of that body. Position statements provide guidance rather than prescribe specific policy actions to be taken by the association and are meant to be temporary in their nature until a resolution on the issue can be passed by the membership at the annual Utah PTA Advocacy Conference or Leadership Convention. Position statements have the same level of authority as resolutions.
Utah PTA Position Statements can be found here
National PTA Position Statements can be found here
Please note: The Utah PTA Public Policy Program is updated every fall. Please attend the Utah PTA Advocacy Conference or the Legislative Advocacy Committee to be involved in the process of updating this document.