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Advocacy is at the heart of PTA’s mission to make every child’s potential a reality. Through advocacy, PTA gives families a collective voice—ensuring that the needs of students, schools, and communities are heard by decision-makers at the local, state, and national levels. Whether it’s supporting policies that improve school funding, promote student health and safety, or strengthen family engagement, PTA advocacy turns real-life experiences into meaningful action.
For the West Virginia PTA, advocacy is especially important as we work to expand opportunities for students across our state. By equipping our members with the tools, training, and confidence to speak up, we empower parents, caregivers, and educators to influence positive change. Advocacy doesn’t require a title or prior experience—it simply requires a willingness to share your voice and stand up for children.
PTA is a nonpartisan organization, meaning our focus is always on issues that impact children and schools—not on political parties or candidates. We do not endorse or campaign for individuals seeking office. Instead, PTA advocates as a united organization, amplifying the voices of our members. When your voice is joined with hundreds of others, it becomes a powerful force for change.
When PTA members engage in advocacy, they help shape stronger schools, build more connected communities, and create lasting impact for future generations. Your voice truly matters—and together, our voices are powerful.
Click on the TAKE ACTION button to sign up and receive legislative alerts as well as visit our advocacy resources section below!
National PTA’s 2027 Legislative Conference (LegCon) will be held March 1-3 in Arlington, Va. LegCon will bring together hundreds of advocates from across the country to grow their advocacy skills and take action on Capitol Hill.
Attendees will be empowered to advocate on behalf of their local school communities and demonstrate the needs of children and families throughout their state to their federal elected officials. Any PTA leader—including local and state leaders, Federal Legislative Chairs, State Presidents and State President-Elects or advocates interested in learning more about statewide and federal advocacy should all plan to attend this critical event.
As the nation’s oldest and largest child advocacy association, National PTA is committed to ensuring that our nation enacts legislation that supports every child.
National PTA advocates on Capitol Hill for every child with one voice. View National PTA’s 2025-2027 Public Policy Priorities including Advocating for our students, families and our schools.
Click the buttons below to quickly connect with your elected officials.
You can contact your representatives in the West Virginia State Legislature as well as our U.S. Senators to make your voice heard.
In 2017, West Virginia took an important step in protecting students with the passage of House Bill 2655, known as Grace’s Law. Named in memory of a student who tragically lost her life after being cyberbullied, the law made it a criminal offense to use electronic communication to harass, threaten, or intimidate another person. Grace’s Law expanded existing harassment statutes to include digital platforms such as social media, text messages, and other online communications—recognizing the growing impact of cyberbullying on student safety and well-being.
The West Virginia PTA played a key role in bringing attention to this issue and advocating for change. WV PTA worked directly with the co-sponsors of the bill, elevating the voices of families, raising awareness about the real and lasting harm caused by cyberbullying, and helping move this legislation forward. During the final push for the bill’s passage on the floor of the House of Representatives, WV PTA was recognized and thanked for its advocacy efforts in bringing attention to this important issue. Their work demonstrated the power of a united voice, showing how parents, educators, and community members can come together to create meaningful protections for children.
Resolutions serve to formalize and focus the positions of the organization and are an important part of the association’s advocacy work. National PTA considers resolutions each year at our annual convention.
West Virginia PTA has adopted resolutions since our inception that are also part of our advocacy work for West Virginia. Click below to see our most recent resolution:
This toolkit is designed to help child advocates speak up for the health and wellbeing of all children. Use this resource for everything from writing your legislators, scheduling Capitol Hill visits and reaching out to the media.
Click on the following to receive advocacy training resources that will provide a marked opportunity to improve your advocacy capabilities, enhance your ability to mobilize grassroots, increase your stature as a critical education reform player and have a major impact on improving educational opportunities for children.
Bringing Parents and Families to the Table
Family engagement has been at the heart of National PTA’s mission since the association’s founding in 1897. Through advocacy—most recently our successful campaign to include family engagement provisions such as the Statewide Family Engagement Centers program in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)—as well as family and community education, National PTA has established programs and called for legislation that includes parents and families in every step of the decision-making process.
Parents and their children are the primary consumers of our nation’s public education system, and over 40 years of data shows that family engagement in schools has a drastic impact on student achievement and school improvement. However, many states and school districts need to make more investments in family engagement and ensure parents should have a seat at the table when decisions are made and work with parents and families as partners throughout the school year.
CLICK HERE to download the National PTA Policy Brief including Federal Investments in School Infrastructure, Safe, Supportive and Inclusive Practices in Schools for All Students, Family Engagement in Education, Federal Investments in Education, Gun Safety and Violence Prevention, and Child Nutrition
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first signed into law in 1965 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The ESEA was the first law that created a clear role for the federal government in the education space by offering more that $1 billion to districts to help cover the costs of educating disadvantaged students, now known as Title I schools. Nearly 40 years later, President George W. Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) into law in 2002 which reauthorized the original ESEA and seeks to increase the federal role in holding schools accountable for student outcomes.
In December 2015, the U.S. Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a new law to replace NCLB. President Obama subsequently signed ESSA into law on Dec. 10, 2015. The Every Student Succeeds Act seeks to give state and local governments more control over their public education systems.
West Virginia’s ESSA Plan was approved on January 10, 2018. Click Here to review the plan!
Check out these wonderful resources from National PTA about ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) and the implementation of our federal education law. We still need funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers which the PTA knows is the key to the continued success of our students!
National PTA Resources
As parents, one of our goals is to make sure our children receive a high school diploma. But what does this diploma mean? What can students actually accomplish when they graduate? Does the diploma mean they have the skills needed for the next steps in life? Are students actually prepared for college or career?
Unfortunately, the answer more often than not is a resounding, “No!” In our ever changing world, the educational experience hasn’t kept pace with the demands in a competitive, knowledge-based, technology-driven society:
College and career-ready high school graduates must have the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to succeed in life. Parents, families, educators, employers, and policy makers now focus on these skills and knowledge to ensure students receive academic preparation, skills training, life planning, social support and resources. Students are learning critical thinking and reasoning skills necessary to engage in our complex work environments and compete in our global economy. States have adopted higher, more focused standards and aligned assessments to better prepare students for college, technical schools, the military and careers.
At PTA, we believe that healthy children are better prepared to learn, grow, and succeed. That’s why we advocate for the overall well-being of every child by promoting initiatives that support physical health, mental wellness, and safe, nurturing environments. From preventing illness and encouraging healthy lifestyles to addressing emotional health, substance misuse, and difficult family conversations, PTA empowers families with trusted resources and education. We also champion access to basic necessities—such as nutritious food and safe drinking water—while raising awareness about chronic health conditions that impact students every day. By working together with families, schools, and communities, PTA helps ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to explore the links below to access valuable advocacy resources and information. If you have an interest in advocacy and would like to join our legislative committee, please contact info@westvirginiapta.org.
National PTA’s 2025-2027 Public Policy Priorities
Key Legislation
Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Standards and Assessments
Private School Vouchers & School Choice
Family Engagement in Education
Federal Investments in Education
College and Career Readiness Initiative
PTA’s Positions
PTA’s Resolutions
Letters to Policy Makers
National PTA Legislative Conference