The school year has finally, mercifully, come to an end. The summer months, after a period of well-earned recovery and recharge, are a great opportunity for educators to engage in some basic advocacy activities that will pay dividends throughout the year. No matter your expertise, experience, or comfort level, the more involved you are, the greater weight you’ll have in shaping education policy.
Here are four activities educators can do to advocate for their students, colleagues, and the education profession at-large. Each should take no longer than 10 minutes, can be done at any time, and will ensure you are a more informed and involved educator advocate.
1. Familiarize Yourself with ASCD’s Legislative Agenda
The 2022 legislative agenda outlines the association’s policy priorities for the year. These priorities have been developed by and for educators to help support their work with students. The recommendations, which call for a more comprehensive, holistic approach to education, are organized under the five whole child tenets: healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Importantly, the legislative agenda provides a conceptual framework for educators to use as they try to meet the post-pandemic needs of the whole child.
2. Support Students' Civic Engagement
The summer months are an excellent time to process and plan how to bring about change—starting with the kids in your classroom. If you’d like to pick up a book on the subject, Students Taking Action Together, based on a program out of Rutgers University, offers practical teaching techniques to help students understand complex content, confront pressing social issues, and engage with the structures of power to advocate for change.
3. Advocate for Whole Child Legislation
A bipartisan House resolution expressing support for a whole child approach to education was recently introduced. H. Res. 1162 calls on federal agencies to coordinate education, health, and social services supporting youth. Ask your representative to cosponsor the resolution using the ASCD tool.
4. Register to Vote
Most states have held their primary elections but it’s not too late to register to vote (if you haven’t done so already) for November’s general elections. Off-year elections have traditionally lower turnout so set an example for your students and peers for civic participation.
Now more than ever, educators need to be aware of and advocate for the development of school policies that provide students with a well-rounded education. These four actions are important first steps to becoming more engaged and effective advocates.
