Advocacy Matters: Spread the Word with #AACTE75Days75Ways Toolkit
AACTE members are still offering tips on supporting educators, students, and educator preparation through the 75 Days | 75 Ways to advocate for educator preparation campaign. Every day until the launch of the 75th Annual Meeting on February 24 in Indianapolis, AACTE will share a new tip from a member.
How Can You Help?
- Share a tip. Or if you have already shared a tip, don’t forget to share another
Submit a tip to be included in the AACTE 75 Days | 75 Ways to Advocate for Education campaign. To learn more, visit aacte.org.
- Spread the word with the AACTE social media
Access the AACTE 75 Days | 75 Ways social media toolkit and engage with the #AACTE75Days75Ways hashtag by liking, sharing and commenting on your colleagues advocacy tips on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
Check out a sampling of AACTE member advocates’ posts from last week:
“Just listen. All too often in serving our students, the school districts, and communities, we make assumptions about what their needs actually are or what their perspectives may be,” says Jesse Perez Mendez, J.D., Ph.D., dean of the College of Education at Texas Tech University. “Listen, process and incorporate their perspectives in potential solutions. Actively listening to each other and creating space for dialogue has quickly become a lost art in today’s world.”
“Start with self. Constantly evaluate and self-reflect on your impact and your service. Stay student-centered and out of your own ego. Reach back and pull others forward,” says Kala Burrell-Craft, professor, University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
“Addressing complex problems in education requires a systems-change approach. No one entity can solve issues of educator shortage, inequitable funding, and school safety, to name a few of the current challenges plaguing the field. Institutions of higher education, state and local education agencies, non-governmental and governmental entities, and policymakers must collaborate to create a common agenda that seeks to address the root causes to systemic problems,” says AACTE Vice President, Organizational Advancement, Weadé James, Ph.D.
“Although I believe advocacy by individuals is essential and can have an impact, I encourage educators to consider the impact of collective action through membership and participation in professional organizations, such as AACTE or disciplinary-focused societies. The advocacy efforts of such organizations are enhanced and will likely have a more significant impact when reporting that they represent and are a voice for a considerable number of educators who share common values and aims,” says Gladis Kersaint, vice provost for strategic initiatives, University of Connecticut.
“As teacher educators and educational advocates, we have power to change the world,” says Larry G. Daniel, Ph.D., dean and professor in the College of Education at the University of Texas Permian Basin. “Schools and children deserve the best we can offer. In a recent conversation, our College of Education invited the superintendent of a small rural school district to join an innovative program that we are currently doing with larger school partners. The superintendent gave an immediate affirmative response and then noted, ‘You have brought hope to our community.’ Advocacy matters!”
Leading up to the Annual Meeting, AACTE will continue highlight tips daily from its members to show support for educators and educator preparation through its social media platforms and on the website at aacte.org/policy-and-advocacy/75-days-75-ways.
Tags: advocacy, Annual Meeting
