National PTA recognizes that we can only achieve our mission through ongoing conversation, collaboration and partnership with other interested parties within the education system, including educators, students, school staff and administrators, parents, guardians, school boards, community organizations, and policymakers. Such partnerships are critical to ensuring that our association’s mission and priorities are meaningfully advanced at the local, state, and national level.

In the course of discussion and decision making, disagreements will inevitably arise between parents and other individuals and groups who are invested in our education system. It is essential that every person is treated with common courtesy and civility and that all parties conduct themselves in a polite, appropriate and respectful manner, including tolerating differences of opinion and disagreeing respectfully. National PTA strongly condemns any and all acts of incivility, hostility and harassment, and encourages our constituent associations to take an active stand opposing any attempts within their community to threaten, intimidate, and/or commit violence against educators, students, school staff and administrators, parents, guardians, school boards, community organizations, and policymakers with whom they disagree. It is critical that constituent associations actively work to maintain a culture of cooperation and partnership in their community that fully reflects PTA’s core values of collaboration, diversity, commitment, respect and accountability.

National PTA recognizes that community collaboration and family engagement are key to achieving our mission to make every child’s potential a reality. Strategic partnerships that are grounded in our values will enhance our ability to serve and advocate for all children and families and will create the strongest future and direction for PTA. When we respect our differences and work together to identify shared commonalities, PTAs can unite their communities, speak with one powerful voice, and secure meaningful and lasting change.

Adopted: by the 2021 Board of Directors