Policy Advocacy

An area of increasing interest for school-based administrators and educational leadership faculty charged with preparing educational leaders is policy advocacy. Policy advocacy involves actively promoting a stance on an issue and implies there is a shared responsibility among educators, legislators, and other stakeholders to create, implement, and assess outcomes from policies. As educational policies seem to shift from local and state-driven initiatives to federal initiatives, the notion of educators' involvement in policy advocacy has perhaps become more difficult to achieve yet is arguably more essential for the welfare of public education.

Traditionally, personnel in K–12 schools and higher education institutions have not had a voice in policy formation and instead have generally only implemented policies. When stakeholders are not included in policy development, the policies developed are often fragmented and ineffective. Even though legislators and other policymakers may be responsible for creating large-scale educational policies, when educators engage in policy advocacy, their involvement may offer greater sensitivity to educational needs.

Most policies affecting schools are developed using a traditional model of policy creation. The traditional model uses a top-down process in which policies are determined by experts and bureaucrats, generally without the input of those who will implement the policies. Policies are typically formed once a problem has been identified, encouraging a passive approach to policy formation. Although expert opinion is sometimes sought to help determine potential policy solutions, school board members, legislators, and other policymakers, particularly at the local and state level, tend to be understaffed and working under tight deadlines; consequently, little attention is given to prospective policies unless they become highly politicized. Many policies are created at these levels as a reaction to a situation rather than as a proactive approach to addressing areas of concern.

There is controversy over the degree of involvement educators should have in policy advocacy activities. Those arguing against policy advocacy describe the increasingly demanding roles of school administrators and other educators, leaving little time for policy advocacy activities. Others suggest educators may be too focused on their own needs to clearly understand the larger policy issues.

There is some support and legitimacy for the involvement of educators in policy advocacy. Recently adopted educational leadership standards suggest that administrators should be more involved in influencing educational policies. Standards-based expectations for administrators now include collaborating with others, complying with increasingly complex state and national reform legislation, and assuming additional roles while responding to community demands. Although administrators are busy, policy advocacy should be considered an area of priority. Otherwise, educators will continue to have little voice in the policies created for them to implement.

Administrators can become involved in policy advocacy by learning the process of policy making, building relationships with policymakers and other educators, conducting policy research, and sharing the results of this research with policymakers. To be effective policy advocates, educational leaders need to work collaboratively across institutional lines and positions to create a team approach to providing assistance and expertise to policymakers faced with creating policies. Educators play a key role as participants in the policy process by offering potential solutions and providing information to help policymakers and other stakeholders [Page 769]understand the unintended consequences policies may inflict on teachers, students, and communities.

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