HURDLES & HOPES
IN EDUCATION ADVOCACY
If the number of effective educator advocates increases, then policies will better reflect the needs of the education community. If we empower educator advocates, then there is greater educator satisfaction, ownership, expertise, impact on student, and profile of education profession.
Research on educator advocacy has largely been limited to the role of advocacy in teacher leadership, yet there is ample need for active, effective educator advocate voice in school, local, and national policy decisions. Much remains to be known about how and why educators become involved in advocacy work, stay involved, and encourage others throughout the profession.
To determine how educators view their role in advocacy and what can be done to better support potential advocates, a survey was developed examining educator advocacy activities, barriers and motivators around advocacy activities, and the role unions and teacher preparation programs play in developing advocates. The survey was administered to a national sample of more than 500 educators in February 2017.
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