Educators play a critical role in improving the lives of their students, and this is especially true for educators for the TESOL field in the United States. With an increasingly diverse student population and a changing educational paradigm that has a greater emphasis on academic proficiency, the expertise of the TESOL field in the U.S. is needed now more than ever. However, despite these changing conditions, the needs of English learners and the knowledge and expertise of the TESOL field remains in many cases under the radar. Whether it’s advocating for their students, their programs, or themselves, the need for action by TESOL educators is clear. To be most effective, educators must seek out ways to 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

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
2

3. The Call for Advocacy
• Population Shift
• Immigration
• Equity
• Assessment
• Teacher credentialing
• Status of the field
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4. EL Demographics
30,000,000
25,000,000
20,000,000
15,000,000
10,000,000
5,000,000
0
1990
4
2000
2010

5. EL Demographics
5

6. ESL Credentials
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Endorsement
6
Cer3ficate
Cer3fica3on
Licensure

7. TESOL P-12 Professional
Teaching Standards
• 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
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8. NBTPS ENL Standards
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.
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9. TESOL Standards for ESL/EFL
Teachers of Adults
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.
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10. What is advocacy?
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”
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11. What is advocacy?
Advocacy
>
Lobbying
Advocacy ≠ Political Action
11

12. Types of advocacy
• Self advocacy
• Case/personal
advocacy
• Cause/public/
issue advocacy
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13. Ripple Effect
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
13

14. Framework of advocacy
• Educate
• Currency
• Organize
• Defensibility
• Activate
• Futurity
Herrera & Murry (1999)
14

15. Knowledge is credibility
• Facts – focus issues
• Policies &
procedures
• Options
• Document
15

16. Rights
• Laws – Local, State, Federal
• Contracts
• Rules & Policies
• Preferences &
Social Expectations
16

17. Spheres of influence
Professional
Private
17
Public

18. Networks
• Who do I know?
– Personal
networks
– Professional
networks
• What resources do
they have?
• Who do they know?
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19. Strategies
• Personal expertise
• Opportunities for
collaboration
• Conversa;ons
• Observa;on
• Modeling
• Professional
Development
• Mutual respect
19

20. Ingredients
Educa3on
Networking
Strategy
ADVOCACY
20

21. Success
21

22. Advocating for English Learners
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
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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
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24. More information
http://www.slideshare.net
@JohnSegota
jsegota@tesol.org
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