John Segota, CAE Assoc. Exec. Dir. for Public Policy & Professional Relations

TESOL International Association

2

“Let us not be content to wait and see what will happen, but give us

the determination to make the right things happen.”

- Horace Mann

The Call for Advocacy

3

•  Population Shift

•  Immigration

•  Equity

•  Assessment

•  Teacher credentialing

•  Status of the field

EL Demographics

4

0  

5,000,000  

10,000,000  

15,000,000  

20,000,000  

25,000,000  

30,000,000  

1990   2000   2010  

EL Demographics

5

ESL Credentials

6

0  

5  

10  

15  

20  

25  

30  

35  

40  

Endorsement   Cer3ficate   Cer3fica3on   Licensure  

TESOL P-12 ProfessionalTeaching Standards

7

•  Domain 5: Professionalism Candidates  take  advantage  of  professional  growth  opportuni;es  and  demonstrate  the  ability  to  build  partnerships  with  colleagues  and  students’  families,  serve  as  community  resources,  and  advocate  for  ELLs.  

5.b  –  Professional  Development,  Partnerships,  and  Advocacy  

NBTPS ENL Standards

8

Standard IX – Professional Leadership and Advocacy

Accomplished  teachers  of  ELLs  contribute  to  the  professional  learning  of  their  colleagues  and  the  advancement  of  knowledge  in  their  field  in  order  to  advocate  for  their  students.  

TESOL Standards for ESL/EFLTeachers of Adults

9

Standard 8 – Commitment and Professionalism

Teachers  con;nue  to  nuance  their  understanding  of  the  rela;onships  between  second  language  teaching  and  learning  through  the  community  of  ELT  professionals,  the  broader  teaching  community,  and  the  community  at  large.  The  knowledge,  in  turn,  informs  and  changes  both  the  teachers  and  the  communi;es.  

What is advocacy?

10

According to Merriam-Webster: •  An active verbal support for a cause

or position. •  The act of advocating, or speaking

or writing, in support (of something). Comes from the Latin advocatus,

meaning “one called to aid”

What is advocacy?

11

Advocacy > Lobbying

Advocacy ≠ Political Action

Types of advocacy

12

•  Self advocacy

•  Case/personal advocacy

•  Cause/public/ issue advocacy

Ripple Effect

13

Group  of  teachers  advoca3ng  for  ELs  

in  district  

Group  of  teachers  advoca3ng  for  ELs  

in  school  

Same  teacher  advoca3ng  for  ELs  outside  classroom  

One  teacher  advoca3ng  for  

ELs  in  classroom  

Staehr  Fenner  2013  

Framework of advocacy

14

•  Educate

•  Organize

•  Activate

•  Currency

•  Defensibility

•  Futurity Herrera & Murry (1999)

Knowledge is credibility

15

•  Facts – focus - issues

•  Policies & procedures

•  Options •  Document

Rights

16

•  Laws – Local, State, Federal

•  Contracts

•  Rules & Policies

•  Preferences &Social Expectations

Spheres of influence

17

Professional  

Public  Private  

Networks

18

•  Who do I know? – Personal  networks  – Professional  networks  

•  What resources dothey have?

•  Who do they know?

Strategies

19

•  Personal expertise •  Opportunities for

collaboration •  Conversa;ons  •  Observa;on  •  Modeling  

•  Professional  Development  

•  Mutual respect

Ingredients

20

ADVOCACY  

Strategy  

Networking  

Educa3on  

Success

21

Advocating for English Learners

22

1.  Need for Advocacy 2.  Creating a Shared Sense of

Responsibility 3.  How Teachers Can Collaborate 4.  Advocacy Overview for

Administrators 5.  Increasing EL Families’

Involvement as Advocates 6.  Advocacy Through Effective

Instruction 7.  Advocating for ELs in

Assessment 8.  Advocacy for ELs’ Success

Beyond Grade 12

23

“If teachers were to translate their commitment to individual children into active political engagement in the struggle to shape tomorrow's schools - if they were to begin insisting on pressing issues with administrators, parents, politicians - their numbers would command attention. They would be heard.”

- Patricia Hinchey

More information

24

http://www.slideshare.net

@JohnSegota

jsegota@tesol.org