Working to make educational advocacy succeed


Working to make educational advocacy succeed

Education advocacy is a diverse field. It involves both working to reform public and private institutions and to influence the public policies that affect those institutions. Organizations such as the Acton Institute propose reform through morality in education and free market initiatives. Other centers for reform work to build the capacity of school districts.

Yet despite this diversity of forms, all such organizations bear one powerful commonality. They are all dedicated to educational reform and the success of each is contingent on inculcating professional capacities that typify best management practices. This article shares several strategies designed to work on improving operational effectiveness.

Involve academic professionals

With no small degree of irony, it remains a misconception among some, that campus practioners are too closely intertwined to be effective in influencing educational public policies. However, these very practioners train young campus leaders for careers as advocates and grassroots organizers.

The students of such practioners are outstanding candidates to be inspired as members in the movements to support your education lobbying cause. And though such campus groups may lack the funds to travel and interact personally with your organization, the ubiquitous availability of free conference calling technology means that efficacious modes of interaction through conference calling are available.

Stay well focused

The most effective education reform organizations are ones that stay tightly focused on their mission and do not get sidetracked by peripheral goals. Virtually all education advocacy organizations operate under substantial time constraints. Focusing on four goals with total effort will generally yield superior results compared to going after 4 goals at 25% effort.

Augment your networking

The most successful education advocacy organizations create networks of supporters who share their values and goals. While the word “networking” often gets a negative connotation, the simple fact is that these networks can provide substantial assistance and can extend across campuses, secondary schools and elementary schools as well as non academic related communities. Indeed, these networks provide the psychological support which is so critical to maintaining enthusiasm among group officers as well as members.

Use technology more strategically

Some education advocacy groups have distributed 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 a desktop sharing system. Whether it’s sharing a PowerPoint document illustrating the fundraising initiatives or a spreadsheet showing the performance desktop sharing can be extremely useful for not a few education advocacy groups.

Collaborate with other environmental advocacy organizations

The Charter School movement in New York alone has tens of thousands of committed citizen practioners who are mobilizing others to create change.
And in the next few years, there will probably be increasing levels of collaboration between geographically diverse environmental advocacy groups. As discussed above one underlying factor is the growing use of free conference call offerings such as Rondee.com and other effective modes conference calling.

The silver lining in all this is that these tips are not costly. Education reform groups can increase their performance through these techniques.

Whether it be communications services or other areas of interest, Bob Letterman talks frequently on these subjects. Bob is a strategy consultant to the free conference calling service from Rondee.com which benefits education advocacy groups as wells as other non-profit groups.

Working to make educational advocacy succeed / Author: Bob.Letterman

Bob Letterman speaks and writes frequently about communication related subjects. He consults to a variety of industries that use communication technologies around conference calling, as part of an integrated strategy to increase productivity. His clients include free conference calling services such as Rondee.
http://www.rondeeinc.com