I got to thinking about this recently.

Who am I an advocate for?

Earlier that same day, I ran into one of my students in the ocean while I was on vacation. This 17-year-old teenager was so glad to see me that he leaped over and hugged me. After introducing me to his family he told them that I was the most caring, influential and helpful person in the whole school. As a School Nurse, this meant a lot to me.

I was the only one he perceived to care about him and what happens to him. He was on the verge of dropping out of high school. After astutely picking up a potential health related problem that significantly impacted his education, I referred him and his mother to a Neurologist. He and his mother were relieved to know that there was “a reason” why his grades were falling and he was having difficulty in school.

He was advised to get his GED.

Standing in the water at the beach I had a conversation with him that I hope will change his life forever. He made a decision to come back to high school and finish his education. Although he is a smart student, his challenges drew him away from being the model high school student and completing the curriculum. Cynical staff members wrote him off as being “lazy” and a problem student.

I believed in him.

Standing on the beach with my cell phone in hand, I placed a phone call to the principal of the high school on his behalf. There was only three weeks left in the summer before school starts. The time to act and put the wheels in motion was NOW.

He hugged me so many times to thank me for helping him and believing in him.

I was glowing. I was his champion and advocate.

Advocacy for our youth and challenged individuals comes in all shapes, sizes and packages. We don’t have to be in the Kennedy family to make and create change. Creating an opening for people and going the extra mile is a ripple in the steam of life that will continue on into infinity. Lives will be changed FOREVER. So let me as you, “Who are you being an advocate for?

Yet despite this diversity of agendas, all such groups bear one key commonality. They are all dedicated to education reform and the success of each is contingent on developing professional capacities that typify best managerial practices. This article shares several recommendations specifically focused on improving operational effectiveness.

Embrace academic professionals

With no small measure of irony, it is a belief among some, that campus practitioners are too closely intertwined to be effective in influencing education public policies. However, these very practitioners train young campus leaders for careers as advocates and grassroots organizers.

The students of such practitioners are outstanding candidates to be inspired as members in the movements to support your education reform cause. And though such students may lack the resources to travel and interact personally with your team, the widespread availability of free conference calling solutions means that efficacious methods of communication through teleconferencing are affordable.

Remain focused

The most effectively managed educational reform groups are ones that stay clearly focused on their mission and do not get enmeshed in peripheral goals. Virtually all educational advocacy groups operate under substantial time constraints. Focusing on four goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after four goals at one fourth effort.

Increase your network

The most successful educational advocacy groups create networks of supporters who share their values and mission. While the word “networking” often gets a bad connotation, the absolute fact is these networks can provide substantial support and can extend across universities, high schools and elementary programs as well as non academic related institutions. Indeed, they provide the psychological support which is so critical to maintaining enthusiasm amongst group officers and members.

Use technology more strategically

Some educational advocacy groups have far flung leadership teams, and it is difficult to have in person meetings. Conference calling systems can only go so far. One solution is to use an application to allow desktop sharing. Whether it’s sharing a PowerPoint presentation showing the group’s fund raising plan or a spreadsheet showing the performance desktop sharing can be extremely useful for not a few educational advocacy groups.

Collaborate with other environmental advocacy groups

The Charter School movement in The State of California alone has tens of thousands of committed community practitioners who are mobilizing others to seek change.
And in the next few years, there will likely be increasing levels of coordination between geographically diverse environmental advocacy groups. As discussed above one underlying factor is the increasing access to free conference call offerings such as Rondee and other simple to use methods teleconferencing.