As literacy leaders, we know that printed words carry great meaning and power. Today, there is a widespread belief that advocacy over government concerns or policies can be adequately achieved using social media. While a well-timed and phrased social media post can supplement advocacy efforts, advocacy must be driven by deeds even more than words.…

This article outlines a semester-long advocacy project that walks students through the steps to develop a successful advocacy campaign, culminating in a trip to the state capitol to "lobby" legislators. The manuscript provides faculty with the basic structure for the project and suggests gradable assignments. The project builds on the…

Art Ellison is longtime advocate for adult education, having managed numerous advocacy campaigns over the past forty years on the state and national levels. Prior to his employment in 1980 as the NH State Director of Adult Education he worked for many years as a high school teacher and as a community organizer. In this article, Ellison offers some…

This article describes how positioning an organization to be seen as trusted and expert on an issue requires careful relationship-building, patience, and an abundance of time. Such an effort often requires help, and so American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) and Washington Partners are working together to further AIHEC's goals.…

Adult educators know that adults and families change their lives through adult education. Adult education also positively impacts a host of social and economic issues. Yet this fact is largely unknown or misunderstood by the general public. Resources have become increasingly scarce, while at the same time adult educators are asked to do more with…

This article presents two viewpoints on creating change through politics. Frawley argues that every teacher can be an agent for change at the local level by first changing the way they think about the profession and embracing the concept that they need to take part in the conversation. Change will happen when technology teachers take greater…

Depicts advocates and lobbyists at work from Capitol Hill to college campus. Includes employment and earnings data. (JOW)

As congressional library supporters retire, establishing new commitments for library services and funding is a priority for advocates. Highlights retiring library champions in Congress, their contributions, and current congressional librarian, Representative Major Owens. Suggests ways to secure more support--educating legislators about libraries,…

This pamphlet attempts to make communicating with legislators easy. Each section includes a brief paragraph and several bullet points that present techniques or advice for simplifying communication. It begins with "Rules for Effective Advocacy," which presents a core set of basic advocacy principles, followed by "What Makes…

Based on a questionnaire survey of 38 elementary-secondary and postsecondary lobbyists and 22 legislators conducted by the authors in Minnesota in 1978-80, this article examines the effectiveness of two fundamental lobbying strategies--cooperative strategy and advocacy strategy--in educational lobbyists' efforts to influence legislators. (JBM)

This guide for changing public opinion concerning physical education is divided into four sections: The first, "Setting the Stage" tells how the various governments are organized, and the processes which turn public opinion into public policy. Future trends in the federal, state, and local role in funding public education are discussed. An…

In hopes of shedding light on how public school leaders can better advocate on the state level for the needs of their schools and their students, The School Administrator turned to policymakers in different settings and with different political leanings. They invited a trio--a Republican state legislator from the Chicago suburbs, a rural…

Addresses both the need to gather data related to pending federal legislation having an impact on the elementary school counselor, with the intent to provide the results of that data to members of Congress, and to heighten awareness of the need to provide elementary school counseling opportunities in the rural regions of one midwestern state. (KW)

This handbook, for individuals working with people who have disabilities, is designed to empower them to be a force for meeting the policy challenges in the communities in which they live and work. It is designed to help in channeling one's strength, commitment, and knowledge of the special education field into effective advocacy efforts. The…

This handbook is designed: (1) to empower individuals working with people who have disabilities to be a force for meeting the policy challenges in the communities in which they live and work; and (2) to help them to channel their strength, commitment, and knowledge of the special education field into effective advocacy efforts. The handbook…