Public Policy Agenda

From universal kindergarten to a juvenile justice system—National PTA® advocates have been at the heart of our nation’s greatest advances for youth. Today, we speak up for family engagement language in education; safe, healthy, and technologically advanced schools; and equal opportunity for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic background. The Public Policy Agenda reflects the associaton's top priorities each year.

The 2013 National PTA Public Policy Agenda

Issue Briefs

National PTA seeks to demonstrate the value and impact of family engagement on student success. The Best Practices and Innovation Issue Briefs will help you reinforce that message when speaking with federal and state policy makers and educational leaders in your states. The Federal Policy Issue Briefs are intended to educate PTA members and families about current federal laws within National PTA’s policy priorities. (En Español)

PTA Policy Issue Cards

Where does PTA stand on other issues related to children and families? National PTA's Public Policy Agenda provides the association's top federal legislative recommendations each year, while this document provides the assocation's positions on broader issue areas. 

Government Affairs Staff

The Government Affairs team can be reached at (703) 518-1200. Individual extensions are listed below. Click on the individual staff name to read their biography.

Elizabeth Rorick, Deputy Executive Director of Government Affairs and Communications, ext. 1219
Mollie Van Lieu, Senior Education Policy Strategist, ext. 1240

National PTA Staff working on Common Core State Standards Initiative

Chrystal Jones, Senior Advocacy Specialist
Lee Ann Kendrick, Regional Advocacy Specialist

Elizabeth Rorick
Deputy Executive Director of Government Affairs and Communications

Prior to her position as deputy executive director, Elizabeth (Beth) Rorick served as the senior policy strategist at National PTA. In this capacity, she represented the PTA before Congress on a vast array of children’s education issues, including special education, early childhood and children’s behavioral health.

Prior to joining the PTA in 2009, Rorick was the assistant director of government affairs at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry where she actively lobbied members of Congress on children’s health issues, specifically mental health parity, access to quality healthcare, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). Prior to that position, she worked as legislative affairs specialist for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) where she advocated for the prevention of underage drinking and victim’s issues.

Since 2003, Rorick has worked in both private lobbying and nonprofit advocacy. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Dayton School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, magna cum laude, from North Carolina State University.
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Mollie Van Lieu
Senior Education Policy Strategist

Mollie came to PTA with more than four years of experience on Capitol Hill working for Representative Todd R. Platts (PA-19) as a senior legislative assistant, where her responsibilities included representing Congressman Platts on the House Education and Workforce Committee. During her time on the Hill, Mollie worked diligently on several legislative issues, such as early, secondary, and higher education; child nutrition; juvenile justice; labor; health care; and government reform. Prior to moving to Washington, D.C., Mollie served as assistant director for the Field of Wings—an afterschool learning program in Carroll County, Maryland, designed to encouraged at-risk middle-school girls to consider higher education. Mollie received a bachelor’s of arts degree in political science and international studies from McDaniel College.
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Chrystal Jones
Senior State Advocacy Strategist

Chrystal Jones serves as a senior advocacy specialist for National PTA. Hutchison has six years of experience in advocacy issue campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels. She has worked on a wide range of issues including the federal budget, voter's rights, and environmental protection. Jones has a Bachelor's degree in political science and international relations from Eckerd College in St Petersburg, Florida. She graduated with honors from Norwich University with a Master's degree in public administration.
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Lee Ann Kendrick
Regional Advocacy Specialist

Lee Ann Kendrick brings over 20 years of experience in child advocacy and youth development to National PTA. Her experience encompasses grassroots mobilization, as well as traditional classroom teaching and nontraditional educational environments including AmeriCorps, 4-H and Head Start. Kendrick has a Bachelor's degree in education and a Master's degree in special education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
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