Phi Delta Kappa is an international association for professional educators. The organization's mission is to promote quality education as essential to the development and maintenance of a democratic way of life by providing innovative programs, relevant research, visionary leadership, and dedicated service.

Mission Phi Delta Kappa International, the leading advocate for public education, promotes quality education for all as essential to a democratic way of life by providing innovative programs, relevant research, visionary leadership, and dedicated service.

Members
Membership is open to professional educators (professional category) and other individuals (associate category) and institutions (institutional category) committed to the purpose of promoting quality education, especially publicly supported education, as essential to the development of a democratic way of life. Only professional members of PDK have individual voting rights. The associate and institutional categories do not include voting privileges. Any member of PDK may choose to join a chapter or be a member without chapter affiliation. A member also may transfer to another chapter.

Professional members include:
• Professionals in the field of education
• Others who hold a baccalaureate degree, are licensed or credentialed as educators,   or are employed in an education-related field
• Graduate students preparing for careers in education
• Undergraduate education majors who are enrolled in or have successfully completed   student teaching
• Educators from outside the United States and Canada without a baccalaureate   degree but who meet an equivalent standard