PTA | RIF | AASA | ASCA |  ASCD | ASPIRA | CIS | CEC | MENCB | NASSP | NEA |  NSBF | NSPRA

The National PTA, founded in 1897, encourages its more than 6.5 million members to be involved in key child education and welfare issues. The organization serves as an advocate for children and families in schools, the community, and before government agencies.

RIF develops and delivers children's and family literacy programs that help prepare young children for reading and motivate school-age children to read. Through a national network of teachers, parents, and community volunteers, RIF programs provide books and other essential literacy resources to children, at no cost to them or their families. RIF focuses on the nation's neediest children, from birth to age 11.

The AASA encourages and supports school district superintendents to take a leadership role in connecting schools with families and other community agencies. AASA is the professional organization of nearly 16,500 education leaders across the United States and Canada and in many other parts of the world.

The American School Counselor Association is the national organization that represents the profession of school counseling. ASCA focuses on providing professional development, enhancing school counseling programs, and researching effective school counseling practices. The ASCA mission is to promote excellence in professional school counseling and the development of all students.

ASCD is an international, nonprofit, nonpartisan education association committed to the mission of forging covenants in teaching and learning for the success of all learners. Founded in 1943, ASCD provides professional development in curriculum and supervision; initiates and supports activities to provide educational equity for all students; and serves as a world-class leader in education information services.

ASPIRA is the only national nonprofit organization devoted solely to the education and leadership development of Puerto Rican and other Latino youth. ASPIRA takes its name from the Spanish verb aspirar, "aspire." Since 1961, ASPIRA has provided a quarter of a million kids with the personal resources they need to remain in school and contribute to their community. Most mainland Puerto Rican leaders today were encouraged by ASPIRA during their adolescence.

CIS is the nation's largest stay-in-school network, serving more than 300,000 young people through 135 local programs in 30 states. The mission of CIS is to champion the connection of needed community resources with schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for life.

By bringing existing resources, services, parents and volunteers into a school, CIS works to meet children's needs so that they can concentrate on learning. Local CIS programs are independently incorporated, nonprofit community, city, or countywide public/private partnership organizations. They address the stay-in-school problem within their communities (and related problems affecting youth and their families) by adapting the CIS process to the needs and resources of the community.

The Council for Exceptional Children is the largest international professional organization dedicated to improving educational outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities, students with disabilities, and/or the gifted. CEC advocates for appropriate governmental policies, sets professional standards, provides continual professional development, advocates for newly and historically underserved individuals with exceptionalities, and helps professionals obtain conditions and resources necessary for effective professional practice.

MENC is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization. It is the only national association that addresses every aspect of music education-- band, chorus, orchestra, general music, teacher education, and research. MENC's more than 70,000 members represent all levels of teaching, from prekindergarten through postgraduate. Since 1907, The National Association for Music Education has worked to ensure that every student has access to a comprehensive, sequential, and high-quality program of music education.

NASSP is the preeminent organization for middle level and high school leaders representing a diverse membership. NASSP will be at the forefront in establishing standards for exemplary schools and leaders by fostering a greater understanding of the global marketplace, the impact of technology, and the effects of the information age on teaching and learning. Membership in NASSP includes a wide variety of people interested in secondary education.

NEA is America's oldest and largest organization committed to advancing the cause of public education. Founded in 1857 in Philadelphia and now headquartered in Washington, D.C., NEA's over 2.4 million members work at every level of education, from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliates in every state as well as over 13,000 local communities across the United States, all striving to ensure a quality education for each and every student.

The National School Boards Foundation brings important school governance information to parents. The National School Boards Foundation was launched by the National School Boards Association, and is dedicated to preparing school board members to be catalysts for systemic reform in the public schools.

Since 1935, the National School Public Relations Association has been providing school communication training and services to school leaders throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.S. Dependent Schools in Europe. NSPRA's mission is to advance education through responsible communication. With 60 years of experience, NSPRA has a reputation in the field for practical approaches to solving school district and agency communication problems.

FAMILY EDUCATION SITES: