American Teachers Association facts for kids

The American Teachers Association (ATA) was an important group for teachers in the United States. It existed from 1937 to 1966. Before that, it had different names: the National Colored Teachers Association (1906–1907) and the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools (1907–1937).

This organization helped teachers who worked in schools for African Americans in the Southern states. At that time, there was legal racial segregation in the United States. This meant Black and white people were kept separate in many public places, including schools.

In 1954, the United States Supreme Court made a big decision in a case called Brown v. Board of Education. The Court said that separating public schools by race was against the law. Later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped end legal segregation across the country.

How the Association Started

In 1906, a group called the National Colored Teachers Association was formed. This happened at a meeting of the Negro Young Peoples Christian and Educational Congress.

Changing the Name

In 1907, the group changed its name to the National Association of Teachers in Colored Schools (NATCS). They did this because many white teachers also worked in schools for Black students.

Members of this group faced many challenges. Schools for Black students in the South were kept separate by law. Also, unfair laws, sometimes called Jim Crow laws, made things even harder. Black citizens were often prevented from voting, which meant they had less power to change things.

Because of these issues, schools for Black students often received less money. Their teachers were also paid less than white teachers in white schools.

Important Years and Leaders

The year 1923 was a key time for the organization. Mary McLeod Bethune became its first female president. The group also started publishing its official magazine, The Bulletin. This magazine helped members stay connected and shared information about NATCS with the public.

In 1927, William J. Hale became president. He was also the first president of Tennessee State University, a university mainly for Black students in Nashville, Tennessee.

Becoming the American Teachers Association

In 1937, the members voted to change the name again to the American Teachers Association (ATA). The ATA then started working with the National Education Association (NEA) on issues related to education for African Americans.

In 1926, the NEA had already started looking into problems in schools for Black students. This led to a period of teamwork between the two groups.

Ending Segregation and Merging

After the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, public schools slowly began to integrate. This meant students of all races could attend the same schools. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made legal segregation illegal in all public places.

Because of these big changes and the civil rights movement, the ATA and NEA started talking about joining together in the early 1960s. In 1963, the ATA agreed to the idea of merging. The merger was completed in 1966. The combined organization kept the name National Education Association.

What the ATA Wanted to Do

The ATA did not focus on helping its members bargain for better pay or working conditions. Instead, their main goal was to make education better for African Americans in the Southern states. They worked to do this by:

• Improving how teachers taught in classrooms.
• Asking for new laws to make schools better.
• Collecting and sharing information about how Black communities were helping to fund their own education.
• Raising money to build more and better school buildings. For example, in the 1930s, some schools were built with help from the Rosenwald Fund and money raised by local Black communities.
• Helping teachers earn more money and pushing for longer school years.
• Working with local public school boards.
• Expanding the group to include private and religious schools.

Notable Members

• C. Louise Boehringer, who was the Secretary of the Arizona State Teachers Association in 1919.
• Eva C. Mitchell, an education professor at Hampton Institute from 1930 to 1960.