Template for Parent Advocacy

Nobody knows your child like you do.

Nobody, no matter how learned or experienced they may be professionally, can speak as effectively as you can about your own family.

Advocacy comes from the heart and the mind. It feels natural because you do it out of love and concern, but like many natural processes there are things about it that you can learn.

Remember, having your heart in the right place is an essential, but still only the beginning. Developing your skills is the next step to becoming a more effective advocate.

  • Focus on solutions, not problems.
  • Be clear, factual, simple and persuasive.
  • Form alliances with people and organizations who have similar concerns.
  • Advocate a value (ie. equity or "leveling the playing field" in the classroom).
  • Good research about the issue is important - do your homework.
  • Accuracy is essential -lack of it damages your credibility. Once your credibility is damaged it is very hard to get it back again. Sometimes in the heat of the moment one can be inclined to exaggerate -resist.
  • Pluck the opportunities of the day. (ie. Has there been any recent press on the issue? Can you use it? What about research?)
  • Advocate for and not against something.
  • Listen. Strive for dialogue not debate. Adapt your approach to your audience. This is not possible unless you have takent the time to find out who they are and what their position is. Assume nothing.
  • Ask questions.
  • Appeal to the right and left brain. Use reason and emotion.
  • Acknowledge the strengths in the other positions. Look for common ground.
  • Strive to be open-minded. Don't preach to the converted. Advocate for a balanced solution. How can we try to meet some/most of the needs of all parties. (ie. can we focus on values and cost effectiveness and look at achieving both?)
  • Ask yourself: who has the power in this situation? What power and strengths do I/we have in this situation?
  • Remember - Advocacy requires long-term commitment.

A Template for Advocacy:

  1. Define the issue. Be as specific as possible.
  2. Develop your strategy.
  3. Define the message that you need to communicate.
  4. Present the message effectively. Sustain the strategy.
  5. Please don't forget to take care of yourself. You cannot be very effective as an advocate if you're burnt out.

Good luck - a little of that never hurts either!