All educators play a critical role in improving the lives of their students, however this is especially true for educators in the TESOL field. Advocacy is at the core of being a TESOL educator, but what is the best way to be an effective advocate for students and programs? This presentation will discuss how TESOL educators can answer the call for advocacy, and identify ways that educators can shape the policies that impact their programs, their jobs, and their students’ lives.

1. John Segota, CAE
Assoc. Exec. Dir. for Public Policy & Professional Relations
TESOL International Association
2015 Ohio TESOL Conference
30 October 2015

2. 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

3. The Call for Advocacy
3
• Population Shift
• Immigration
• Equity
• Assessment
• Teacher credentialing
• Status of the field

4. TESOL P-12 Professional
Teaching Standards
4
Standard 5.b – Professional Development,
Partnerships, and Advocacy
Candidates
take
advantage
of
professional
growth
opportunities
and
demonstrate
the
ability
to
build
partnerships
with
colleagues
and
students’
families,
serve
as
community
resources,
and
advocate
for
ELLs.

5. NBPTS ENL Standards
5
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.

6. TESOL Standards for ESL/EFL
Teachers of Adults
6
Standard 8 – Commitment and
Professionalism
Teachers
continue
to
nuance
their
understanding
of
the
relationships
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
communities.

7. What is advocacy?
7
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”

8. Types of advocacy
8
• Self advocacy
• Case/personal
advocacy
• Cause/public/
issue advocacy

9. Ripple Effect
9
Group
of
teachers
advocating
for
ELs
in
district
Group
of
teachers
advocating
for
ELs
in
school
Same
teacher
advocating
for
ELs
outside
classroom
One
teacher
advocating
for
ELs
in
classroom
Staehr Fenner 2013

10. Knowledge is credibility
10
• Facts – focus - issues
• Policies & procedures
• Options
• Resources
• Documentation

11. Spheres of influence
11
Professional
PublicPrivate

12. Strategies
12
• Personal expertise
• Opportunities for
collaboration
• Conversations
• Observation
• Modeling
• Professional
Development
• Mutual respect

13. Ingredients
13
ADVOCACY
Strategy
Networking
Education

14. Success
14

15. 15
“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

16. Advocating for English Learners
16
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

17. More information
17
http://www.slideshare.net
Twitter: @JohnSegota
E-mail: jsegota@tesol.org