Advocacy for Educators

As an educator, how are you using your voice? Not in the classroom but outside of it, to make a difference for the educational system, your students, your colleagues, and yourself as well. Advocacy plays an important role in bringing education into the spotlight and making sure that educational issues get the attention they deserve. And as an educator, you are in the primary position to know what you need in classrooms, schools, and districts, as well as for your own life and well-being, so your voice is an important one. Today’s episode is about advocacy for educators and how educators can participate in it. You’ll hear from Jake Stewart, the Director of State Government Relations at the Early Care & Education Consortium. In today’s podcast, he discusses his journey from the classroom to his current position, what the starting points of advocacy are, and what topics teachers should be looking for. Topics Discussed in This Episode [00:01:25] Introducing Jake Stewart [00:02:06] How Jake got to where he is now [00:05:12] The starting points of advocacy [00:08:04] Whether one teacher speaking up makes a difference [00:10:29] How to help teachers participate [00:12:01] Who keeps track of calls and letters [00:15:08] What to do when an educator doesn’t feel knowledgeable enough about the subject to speak up [00:18:12] What educators need to both teach and support themselves [00:20:58] Current hot topics that educators should be looking out for [00:25:43] How to find out about things happening at the local and state levels [00:29:00] The importance of advocacy at the state level [00:30:20] Good times to speak up [00:34:18] Worries about speech that gets teachers in trouble [00:38:01] Other ways to get involved [00:40:28] Making the most of this point in time [00:42:56] Why informal advocacy can be a game-changer [00:45:48] Jake’s big takeaways for listeners Resources Kate Cline Jake Stewart