Your Personal Advocacy Journey

 

A quote that I find inspirational regarding the role that advocacy can have in the lives of young children and families are:

In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education." Brown v. Board of Education

* What inspires and excites you most about your advocacy plan and being an advocate?

What excites me and inspires me the most is that my advocacy plan focuses on advocating for bilingual education. Advocating for bilingual education is a subject of great importance to me. In this 21^st century being proficient in only one language is not enough for economic , societal, and educational success. Global interdependence and mass communication often require the ability to function in more than one language. Many programs today focus on Spanish and English because the majority of English language learners are Spanish speakers. In international contexts, bilingual education is offered to students who do not know the societal language and to students who are native speakers of the societal language. When the latter students are given the opportunity to learn a second language, bilingual education becomes prestigious and is viewed as an educational advantage. With the number of minorities entering this country I think it is important that students be offered this opportunity so they can get an education and be able to function well in today’s society. In addition look at the benefits job wise for those who speak more than one language. There are many individuals I know that can benefit from bilingual education programs so that is why I advocate for bilingual education.

*What challenges and/or anxieties do you feel related to engaging in the advocacy efforts you have targeted?

One challenge I have is regarding the process. This advocacy plan is very time consuming and requires a lot of patience, time, and research. To make sure that I do not become anxious or overwhelmed I make a point of setting aside time and focusing on what is important first. In this case it would be getting my Advocacy plan completed.  Another challenge is meeting parental needs and wishes which can often lead to litigation, especially when those parental wishes run counter to teacher recommendations. It is very difficult at times to get parents involved in their child’s education. With that being said it is important that schools take action to involve children's parents and families in school activities and decision making. Authentic involvement of parents as active and empowered members of the school community will link school staff with the diverse learner. By getting to know school families, teachers also can become aware of specific cultural communication patterns and social conventions. Special consideration must be given to communicating with parents who are not fluent in English. Parent involvement begins with school-home communication through programs, conferences, regular notes, and newsletters. Such strategies encourage parents to participate in a variety of support, partnership, and leadership roles from preparing classroom materials, to serving on committees that select educational equipment, to leading classroom activities in which they have expertise. Teachers also can use parents as resource people by asking them to share cultural recipes, stories, or artifacts. Family involvement can increase children's awareness of other cultures and nurture positive attitudes toward their own identity.

*What do you believe will be most effective in helping you overcome any challenging emotions you may be feeling with regard to presenting and implementing your Advocacy Action Plan?

Reaching all children of immigrants, and successfully including them in child care and early education initiatives, will require specific strategies and collaborations among providers, policymakers, and immigrant-serving organizations. Above all, it will require understanding and respecting the needs and preferences of diverse families. Meeting the needs of the growing population of young children of immigrants presents a challenge for the early childhood field. It is a challenge, however, that is essential to meet. If children of immigrant families are given opportunities to participate, and if programs reflect their experiences, the linguistic and cultural diversity that these children offer will ultimately enrich the early childhood experiences of all children. Keeping this thought in mind will be effective in helping me overcome any challenging emotions and in turn will enable me to implement my Advocacy Action Plan.

*How can you encourage others in their advocacy efforts, and how can others encourage you?

There are some people involved in the public policy arena today who are focused on what they are against. It is time for those who stand for issues to speak out and make their voices heard. I will continue to stand for good programs for language-minority pupils. As an advocate, I will continue to stand for the use of bilingual instructional strategies for children who are in the process of developing English proficiency. I will take this stance because I believe that it is the right thing to do for children.  I encourage my colleagues to continue to educate others about the purposes and strengths of bilingual instructional approaches, to dialog with those who are not bilingual education proponents and, most importantly, to stand for high quality programs that ensure access to equity and excellence for all children. They encourage and support my efforts and are there to assist me in any way possible.