Where parents, teachers, and staff come together to support our students in big and small ways every day! 

We support our students through fun events, teacher appreciation, community building, and meaningful enrichment programs. Whether you have five minutes or want to dive in deep — there’s a place for you here.

🎉 Host school events that bring families together

🍎 Support teachers and staff with extra classroom resources

🎨 Fund arts, reading, and enrichment opportunities for all students

🐾 Build school spirit and community pride — go Wildcats!

🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒 Develop and create family engagement and community involvement opportunities

The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) was founded on February 17, 1897, in Washington, D.C., as the National Congress of Mothers by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. 

More than 2,000 parents, teachers, laborers, and legislators gathered with a shared goal: 

To improve the lives and education of children. 

In 1908, the organization evolved into the National Congress of Mothers and Parent-Teacher Associations, paving the way for today’s PTA.

Over a century later, PTA remains the nation’s leading child advocacy association, dedicated to supporting families, empowering communities, and championing the whole child — academically, emotionally, and socially.

🌟 Ohio PTA: A Legacy of Advocacy

As a proud member of the National PTA network, the Ohio PTA reaches millions of families through strong local units, statewide coalitions, and impactful partnerships. With a rich history of legislative advocacy and community support, Ohio PTA continues to be a powerful voice for children and families.

Recent efforts have focused on:

• 🏫 Funding equity in education

• 📣 Ensuring family engagement and community voice are central in policy decisions

• 📚 Providing training and resources that promote meaningful involvement both in and out of the classroom

Ohio PTA is building a future where family engagement is never an afterthought — but a driving force behind strong schools and thriving communities.

When you support PTA, you help give every child a voice — at Keystone, in Ohio, and across the country. Your membership helps fund real, tangible things that make a difference in kids’ lives every day.

• Exciting school events that bring families together

• Extra resources for classrooms and teachers

• A stronger voice for our students and community

No time commitment required — just your support matters.

We’re not just a fundraising group — we’re a team of champions for kids and the people who love them.

Here are just a few ways PTA makes a difference:

📖 Brings enrichment programs like the Family Reading Experience to support learning at home

🎨 Sponsors student creativity through the Reflections® arts program

🏛️ Advocates for children on the local, state, and national level — including wins like universal kindergarten and the school lunch program

🐾 Ready to Get Involved?

Explore the site to:

• Join the PTA

• Volunteer

• Learn about upcoming events

Let’s make this school year wildly wonderful — together!

At every level — from local to national — PTA is committed to creating the best possible outcomes for every child. Here’s how we work together to support student success, family engagement, and strong schools:

📣 Advocacy

All families deserve a voice in decisions that affect their children. PTA empowers parents to speak up, show up, and make change happen — not just in their own schools, but across the country.

With tools like the Advocacy Toolkit, state and national trainings, and a strong policy agenda, PTA makes it easy for every family to be part of the conversation — and the solution.

We hope to eventually include KES PTA's history here!

🪡 PTA is part of the fabric of the United States’ public-education system and has been instrumental in establishing programs and services to improve children's lives across history. As a fierce advocate for education, welfare, health and safety of all children, PTA has become a trusted partner to millions of parents, families, educators and community members.

🏛️ 1900s–1920s: Early Advocacy

1901: The 5th annual National Congress of Mothers convention was held in Columbus, Ohio. At that event, PTA leaders from across the state came together to officially form the Ohio Branch.

1918: Ohio PTA endorsed the Teachers’ Pension and Retirement Law, which passed in the state legislature.

1920's: PTA supported an amendment to the Beining Law, ratified the National Child Labor Amendment, and endorsed legislation to create special classes for developmentally handicapped children.

• Also during this time, The Ohio Parent–Teacher became a monthly bulletin.

🏫 1930s–1940s: Community Support & Service

1930s: Helped organize “Save Ohio Schools” committees and backed the School Foundation Program.

1940s: PTA members supported World War II efforts, including funding a mobile canteen for the Red Cross.

• • • Launched the Memorial Scholarship Program for future teachers, awarding 25 scholarships of $200 each.

📖 1950s–1960s: Leadership & Learning

1950's: Took a lead role in forming the Ohio Council for Education.

• • • Began offering Honorary State Life Memberships and partnered with six universities to hold leadership and parent education workshops.

1960's: Continued leadership in the Ohio Council for Education and broadened outreach efforts.

📢 1970's–1980's: Advocacy in Action

1970's: Officially became a tax-exempt charitable organization (501(c)(3)).

• • Published a study: “A Look at Public Funds for Nonpublic Schools.”

1980's: Focused on school funding and collective bargaining.

• • Launched the “Come Back to School” parent involvement project, funded by the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.

  • Created the Big Cities Task Force to support family engagement in urban districts.

🧩 1990's: Parent Involvement Takes Center Stage

• Secured legislation requiring school districts to adopt parent involvement policies.

• Formed the Citizens Against Vouchers coalition to protect public school funding.

• Hosted the first Ohio Parent Involvement Summit with teams of educators, parents, businesses, and community leaders.

🔄 2000's–2010's: Innovation & Inclusion

2007: Supported the “Getting It Right” constitutional amendment campaign for school funding equity.

2008: Co-sponsored a Mock Election program with the Ohio Secretary of State, giving K–12 students a chance to participate in civic education.

2010: Launched a Common Core advocacy campaign, helping educate parents and communities.

2011:

• • Held the first Diversity & Inclusion Conference.

  • Won the National PTA Advocacy Challenge.

  • Began using social media as a tool to inform and connect with members.

2013:

• • Elected its first African-American state PTA president.

  • Hosted the National PTA Convention in Cincinnati.

  • Received the Jan Harp Domene Diversity and Inclusion Award.

2014:

• • Introduced the Family-School Partnership Awards.

  • Launched the M.A.C.K. (Male Action Changing Kids) Awards, honoring essays about the positive impact of male role models, funded by a grant from Allstate.

🐾 KES PTA History

We’re working on collecting and sharing our own local PTA milestones here at Keystone Elementary as we uncover more history and information we will be adding it here to present more for Founders Day with Ohio State PTA in February 2027! If you have a favorite PTA memory or historic photo? Let us know!

1920- Several civic minded women and men decided that we needed to organize. 

YOU CAN BE A PART OF OUR FUTURE

Reaching all our community members and families, we’re carrying our founders’ vision – and our children’s lives — into the future. 

Join KES PTA and help us keep moving forward!