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History

For more than 25 years, Parents for Public Schools has worked to improve public schools by educating, engaging and mobilizing parents across the country.

Founded in the capital of Mississippi when twenty parents gathered to consider the impact their collective involvement in the schools might have. By enrolling their children in the local public schools and demanding higher standards and better resources for all students, this group created a movement. Other cities expressed interest in the movement, and the National Office of Parents for Public Schools was founded  in 1991.

Soon the organization represented the diversity of the state and the nation, as parents of all races and backgrounds rallied around the idea that excellent public schools should be a fundamental right and that an informed citizenry upholds our democracy in the United States.

PPS believes that it is expected that a community has an obligation to provide a quality education for every child and sees vouchers as a quick fix for some rather than a long-term solution for all. For these reasons, in 1996 the national board of directors passed a position statement in opposition to vouchers.

PPS elevates the role of parents in public schools from passive consumers to active participants. PPS parents demand excellent schools and have the skills to make it happen. Our work is designed to support families and communities in developing and using the traits of meaningful parent engagement, what we refer to as The PPS Brand of Engagement.

First PPS Executive Board of Directors and Staff (l-r): Tom Howorth, President; Sandra (Murley) Knight, Executive Director; Reneé Jones, Secretary; Ashley Watters Parker, Assistant to the Director; Macy Hart, Treasurer;
Josh Wiener, Vice President

The PPS Brand of Family Engagement