Resolutions

Concerned about an issue in your community that is actually statewide in scope? You can strengthen your advocacy around that issue by creating and submitting a Resolution to the 2025 Convention. Resolutions are one way the Illinois PTA looks at new advocacy issues on specific topics, such as safe gun storage, health care for foster children, or financial literacy. The resources you need to submit a resolution are in the Advocacy section of the Illinois PTA Leadership Resources (ask your PTA president for the password).

At its most basic level, a resolution is a statement of a problem (the “Whereas…” clauses) and one or more calls to action (the “Resolved…” clauses). A resolution must address an issue that is statewide in scope, though the inspiration for the resolution can come from something local to your community. For example, the swing arms on the front of school buses that force children to walk far enough in front of the bus for the driver to see them became a law through Illinois PTA advocacy. After a child had been tragically run over by a school bus, the local PTA brought a resolution that was adopted at the Illinois PTA convention. While the tragedy that instigated the resolution was local, child safety getting on and off of school buses is a statewide issue, and even nationwide, as such arms are standard issue across the country.

The resolution must also come from a local PTA unit or PTA Council, so once your resolution is written, it must be adopted by your PTA or PTA Council by vote. Once adopted, the president of the submitting PTA or PTA Council signs and dates the resolution and submits it to the Illinois PTA Legislative Advocacy Director by January 1, 2025. The legislation policies committee will review the resolution to ensure it meets the criteria, and if so, pass it on for consideration at convention. If the resolution does not meet the criteria, the committee will work with the submitting PTA or PTA Council to revise the resolution so it can be considered at convention.

If you’re interested in submitting a resolution, check out the materials in the Advocacy section of the Illinois PTA Leadership Resources. If you have questions about submitting a resolution, contact Barb Quinn, Illinois PTA Legislation Team.

Remember, the deadline for resolutions for the 2025 Illinois PTA Convention is January 1, 2025

Resolutions Toolkit

Active Resolutions