Mission & History
PTAlink’s mission is to improve the quality of education for all children in New York City public schools by empowering parent organizations to be accessible, knowledgeable and effective. PTAlink facilitates the growth and success of parent organizations by providing parent leaders with information, tools and support, as well as an opportunity to share experiences, best practices and advocacy efforts with the larger NYC parent community.
PTAlink was launched in 2013 with support from then-city Councilmember Brad Lander. Co-founder and public school parent leader, Rachel Fine, successfully led and grew PTAlink for a decade prior to its acquisition by New York Appleseed in 2023. Fine–with support later on from program associate Marta Torres–worked to ensure that all NYC public school parent organizations had equal access to the information and support they needed to involve parents and enrich students’ educations. PTAlink’s outlined goals of equal access and opportunity, in addition to its emphasis on empowering parent voices with resources and knowledge, made for an easy transition under new leadership at New York Appleseed in 2023.
Over the years, PTAlink has grown beyond the website, hosting workshops where parent leaders from across districts can learn from and support each other, share best practices and advocacy efforts and be part of a community of parent organizations that work together. PTAlink will continue to provide easy access to the information, tools and resources that parent organizations need, and allow for greater collaboration between PA/PTAs across the city.