Each February PTAs (Parent Teacher Association) celebrate the founding of the organization. PTA Founders Day is the story of a group of lay people who made it their task to build a world of happy promise for children. In observing Founders Day, PTA members pay tribute to the founders, and to other PTA leaders and supporters of education. The Farmingdale Council of PTAs presented their Founder's Day celebration on Feb. 24 with guest speaker, New York State PTA president Carolyn Fiori. This celebration is also a great time to look back on the past achievements of PTA and how they have affected our world.

*secured child labor laws in the early 1900s

*established a juvenile justice system (1900-1910)

*supported compulsory public education and urged that kindergarten be a part of the educational system (1910-1920)

*PTA served on the Citizens Committee which led to the creation of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and advocated for the establishment of a national health bureau - the U.S. Public Health Service.

*Local PTAs began serving hot lunches to children (1910-1920) before launching a nationwide school lunch program (1940s)

*Promoted education for children with special needs, and in 1920 demanded specialized schools for the deaf.

*PTA officials were consultants to the American delegation at the San Francisco conference which established the United Nations. (1945)

* Received a plaque from the National Foundation March of Dimes as PTA helped field-test and win support for a nationwide program to inoculate all school-age children with the then newly developed Salk Polio Vaccine. (1957)

*Created a public message about the dangerous effects of smoking; helped enact child protection and toy safety legislation; and promoted arts education through a nationwide cultural arts program (Reflections -1960s).

*Made parent involvement a national goal in Goals 2000: Educate America Act, and parents now share in decision-making in schools (1990s)

*Currently PTA has been instrumental in changing the television rating system to include content descriptors.

The PTA's dedication to action -- at the local, state and national level -- has made an impact on education and children's issues for 101 years. Currently, members of the Farmingdale PTAs have been included and involved in district issues such as Megan's Law and the notification of sex offenders to the district's parents, lobbying our legislators in Albany for more equitable government financial aid for Long Island education, participating in a subcommittee for youth needs in the preliminary discussions for the establishment of a community center in Farmingdale, and been appointed to a pre-kindergarten advisory board which will determine to recommend or not recommend the adoption of a pre-K program to the school board.

At this Founders Day anniversary, the Farmingdale Council of PTAs would like to extend its thanks to all the past and present dedicated, tireless PTA volunteers with the hope that all parents will recognize the importance of their own active membership. PTA's strength is in its numbers, and each PTA member makes a difference for children, not only here in Farmingdale, but throughout the nation. PTA meetings are held on Tuesday evenings - location, time, and date can be found on the school calendar.

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." --- Margaret Meade