Educators and Parents: Taking on the Role as Agents for Change

Our  nations education system is by far the most diverse institution in our nation, schools at every level, primary, secondary, and college consist of many ethnic groups, religious belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, class, and age groups.

Educational leaders (superintendents/principals/educators) often times take on the responsibility of shaping and influencing actions of our nation’s youth, as well as have the platform to revise and/or change policies that have become outdated and no longer reflect the student population in local communities in which they teach. In other words, they are the “social change agents” necessary and needed to ensure equality for all students who are the changing faces of the classroom, which by the way, applies to both students and teachers.  Cohen (2001) contends, “Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes–including public policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions that directly affect people’s lives”. 

One of the most popular forms is social justice advocacy; the five key functions of advocacy are to:

Ø  Give a voice to (misrepresented) citizen interests.

Ø  Mobilize citizens to participate in the democratic process.

Ø  Support the development of a culture of democracy.

Ø  Assist in the development of better public policy.

Ø  Ensure governments’ accountability to citizens.

Who are the individuals doing the advocating is a vital part of any form of advocacy.  Parents and educators have a long history in this country as a visible force as social change agents for education issues that affect our youth; as the saying goes, we are all in this together, and as a collective voice, each parent’s and educator’s voice does count! 

Reference

Cohen, D., de la Vega, R., Watson, G. (2001). Advocacy for social justice. Bloomfield, CT: Kumarian Press, Inc.