Basic Policy for Advocacy Efforts

Printable version of Basic Policy 22-23

New York State Congress of Parents and Teachers, Inc. is a nonpartisan organization
and is concerned with the education, the care, and the protection of children and
youth. Positions will conform to policies adopted by National PTA and New York State
PTA and will provide the basis for PTA advocacy efforts. This policy represents all
resolutions as found in “Where We Stand” and other documents.

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
a) Encourage and support evidence-based prevention, education and treatment
efforts regarding alcohol, heroin, opioids, and other substance use.
b) Support measures to eliminate access and use among children and youth of
herbal smoking products, tobacco, e-cigarettes, e-liquid, and nicotine.
c) Advocate for the elimination of flavored vaping and e-cigarette products, and
banning their marketing to youth.
d) Support Tobacco 21 educational initiatives.
e) Urge the regulation of recreational cannabis (marijuana).
f) Educate children, youth, parents/guardians, families, educators, and
communities regarding the harmful effects of cannabis (marijuana) use.
g) Urge the FDA to establish regulations for the manufacturing and labeling of CBD
and related products. Support passage of legislation to enforce the regulation of
CBD and related products.
h) Encourage the education of youth, parents/guardians, families, educators,
community members, and the medical community regarding possible benefits
and risks of usage of CBD and related products.
i) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs.

Citizenship and Equality of Opportunity
a) Encourage respect for all children, families, community members, and their
property.
b) Encourage fair housing policies with regard to children and their families.
c) Guarantee that all children and youth receive equitable access to educational
programs, services, and opportunities.
d) Promote the availability of resources to ensure a safe and inclusive school
and community environment for all children and families.
e) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Cooperative Role of Parents/Guardians/Families and Educational
Professionals
a) Encourage parents/guardians and families to be informed of and engaged in the
decision-making process at all levels.
b) Support the inclusion of family engagement provisions in federal and state
legislation, policies, and regulations with dedicated funding.
c) Ensure the adoption of comprehensive and collaborative family engagement
policies at the school district and building level.
d) Promote family engagement best practices based on National Standards for
Family School Partnerships.
e) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Cultural Arts
a) Advocate for and promote arts education programs, and the integration of the
arts in school curricula to promote public awareness of the life-long value of the
arts.
b) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
a) Engage and encourage a diverse range of voices and lived experiences from
members and prospective members and seek to meet individuals and communities
where they are, especially those currently or traditionally underrepresented and/or
marginalized in our association.
b) Actively attract, recruit, and elect a team of leaders who represent the
communities served.
c) Share information, tools, resources, and leadership opportunities among
association members, partners, stakeholders, and communities to increase the
impact of our collective work.
d) Support units, councils, regions, and leaders from less represented or resourced
areas, backgrounds, and perspectives.
e) Prioritize and advocate for innovative, sustainable solutions that work for a diverse
range of children and families, especially those underrepresented and/or
marginalized in our communities.
f) Recognize and address bias, privilege, and intersectionality, and work to identify
and dismantle systemic inequities and racism.

Early Childhood Education
a) Promote and support high-quality and developmentally appropriate preschool
and kindergarten programs with sustained and equitable support.
b) Continue to ban the administration of standardized tests for preschool through
grade 2 children.
c) Encourage the use of developmentally appropriate (non-standardized)
alternative assessment methods for preschool through grade 2 children.
d) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs.

Education Emphasis
a) Guarantee all children and youth equitable opportunities to develop to their
fullest potential.
b) Promote the implementation of developmentally appropriate learning
standards and assessments.
c) Ensure students’ access to academic and career and technical education through
the post-secondary level.
d) Ensure the identification and appropriate education of all students (including
students with special needs, gifted and talented students, English Language
Learners, diverse student populations), with appropriate notification to parents
and/or guardians.
e) Promote full access to education for unaccompanied minors, migrant, and
homeless children and youth.
f) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Environment
a) Insist that all school property be environmentally safe and provide a healthy
learning environment.
b) Insist that all members of the school community have a “right to know”
about environmental health issues and hazards in their school
environment.
c) Encourage schools and communities to model environmentally responsible behavior.
d) Promote awareness of the impact of potentially hazardous and toxic substances.
e) Encourage state and federal funding of environmentally responsible programs.
f) Support legislation that sets standards to protect groundwater supplies and limit air,
water, and soil contaminants.
g) Seek and support the establishment of regulations to set a healthy maximum room
temperature in school buildings. Educate families, teachers, other school personnel,
and community members regarding the signs and symptoms of all heat-related
illnesses.
h) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Financial Support for Public Education
a) Ensure that federal, state, and local funds designated for elementary and
secondary education are used only for public schools.
b) Support adequate, equitable, predictable, and understandable funding for
public education that is budgeted and distributed to ensure long-term stability for
the orderly operation of schools, especially in high-need school districts.
c) Support and encourage that predictably consistent state aid be provided to
school districts at a minimum of 50% of total educational costs, exclusive
of federal or other sources of aid.
d) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Health
a) Support health, wellness, safety, and comprehensive sexuality health education.
b) Promote the accessibility of comprehensive physical and mental health, and
social emotional services in schools and communities.
c) Promote and collaborate on wellness and healthy lifestyle initiatives within the school
and community.
d) Encourage accurate and transparent labeling of consumer goods.
e) Promote quality age-appropriate nutrition programs and standards reliant on
research-based scientific evidence.
f) Urge that the food supply be grown and produced free of harmful substances or
genetic modifications, and without the overuse or misuse of harmful or toxic
chemicals, drugs, and other substances.
g) Promote education on Health Care Privacy laws for youth and young adults.
h) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Juvenile Protection
a) Support full funding and implementation of Raise the Age laws and regulations.
b) Promote the improvement of juvenile justice and court facilities, educational
conditions, personnel, and procedures that deal with at-risk youth, including
delinquent, neglected, and abused children.
c) Support services and programs that provide assistance to families in
stress/crisis situations.
d) Seek and support the provision of safe care and educational opportunities for
children in all environments.
e) Seek and support the protection of children from threats and negative influences.
f) Secure appropriate measures to prevent the incidence of missing and abused
children.
g) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Libraries, Media and Technology
a) Encourage the establishment of school district policies formulated with family, school,
and community members for the selection and/or review of multimedia materials and
develop procedures to deal with challenges to educational materials.
b) Encourage broadcasters to air appropriate programming for children and
youth.
c) Encourage understanding and awareness of media literacy and what
is available/accessible to children and youth through technology.
d) Support and encourage funding for libraries, media, and technology to facilitate
the implementation of high learning standards and foster student achievement.
e) Educate students, parents, guardians, families, educators, school districts, and
community members regarding digital and technology safety and ensure that
appropriate laws, policies, and regulations are in place to protect children and
youth.
f) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Family Life
a) Encourage a supportive, nurturing, engaged, and affirming family
environment at home and in the community.
b) Promote parent/guardian and family educational programs.
c) Provide all parents, guardians, and families with the necessary resources to act as
advocates for their children.
d) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

PTA Organizational Decisions
a) Ensure that PTA funds are used to advance the purposes and goals of PTA and
not to fill gaps in school budgets.
b) Encourage and support the training of all PTA members.
c) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and
programs.

Religious Expression in Public Schools
a) Ensure that the public school approach to religion is consistent with the first
amendment of the U.S. Constitution and related Supreme Court decisions, relevant
case law, and precedent addressing the separation of church and state.

Safety
a) Support and advocate for the safety of children in the home, school, and
community.
b) Advocate for and share resources about safe infrastructure, modes of
transportation, and safe routes to/from school.
c) Promote awareness and advocate for the elimination of hazards and risks, in both
real and digital worlds, for children and youth regardless of gender identity and
expression.
d) Advocate for the implementation of collaborative school safety and security plans,
processes, and measures for every school district and school building.
e) Encourage appropriate communication of safety plans and procedures with
parents/guardians and families.
e) Develop, foster, and support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs.