Advocacy Tips
Is there something your LSAT or school community would like to advocate for? Here are some tips to help you get started:
Check out this Advocacy & Organizing Toolkit:
Developed by the Office of the Student Advocate, this Advocacy & Organizing Toolkit includes tips and resources for effective advocacy and goal-setting at all levels from classroom to school to system.
Post to the DC LSAT Collective Google Group:
The Google Group is designed to help you connect with other LSAT members across the district to ask questions, get advice, and share best practices. Post about the issue you're concerned about and see if others have faced similar situations, have any advice about what has worked for them, know of anyone who is working on the issue, etc. You can post to the DC LSAT Collective Google Group by visiting https://groups.google.com/g/dc-lsat-collective -- if you're not already a member, click the "Ask to join group" link or button and make sure to note which school you're an LSAT member for under "Reason for joining."
Reach out to the DCPS Community Action Team:
The DCPS Engagement and Partnerships Office’s Community Action Team (CAT) is comprised of four individuals who serve communities based on DCPS Clusters. Each CAT member is responsible for supporting key community stakeholders and communicating external needs and trends back to DCPS. They are a highly engaged team who truly care about the needs and well-being of the schools and LSATs in their purview. As a direct link to DCPS, they are also a great first step in addressing any issues that may arise. To identify your school's designated representative and find their contact information, visit https://dcps.dc.gov/page/community-action-team
Join Your Ward-Specific Education Council:
Every ward has its own volunteer-run ward-specific education council, and they are a great way to get looped in to existing advocacy efforts, or to connect with other schools to launch a new effort. The ward-specific education councils typically meet once per month, coordinate efforts among schools within their ward, and connect with the other ward-specific councils, as well as district-wide education groups, at meetings of the Coalition for DC Public School and Communities (C4DC). We encourage you to designate a member of your LSAT to attend your monthly ward-specific education council meetings and serve as a liaison between your school's LSAT and your ward's education council. You can find their meeting schedule and contact info on our Other Education Orgs page.
Identify Relevant District-Wide Education Groups:
DC hosts a wide range of education advocacy groups, including many which focus on specific issues such as technology, special education, etc. Check out a list of these with contact info on our Other Education Orgs page -- find the ones most relevant to your specific area of concern and reach out to see what they are already doing or how they may be able to help.
Respond to Invitations for Community Engagement:
DCPS, the Mayor, and other entities who impact public education periodically release surveys, hold roundtables, and offer other opportunities for community engagement and feedback. Make use of these opportunities to make your voice heard. Make sure you are signed up for DCPS email announcements, the Community Action Team's LSAT newsletter, the Mayor's newsletter, and the email lists of other district-wide education groups so that you receive notification about these types of opportunities as they arise. Prepare short, clear explanations of your concerns and proposed solutions so you have them ready to paste into surveys or to share at meetings as appropriate.
Create a Letter and/or Petition:
Usually it is more effective to join an existing effort rather than to launch your own. However, if there isn't one already up and running, you can get started yourself. Start by drafting a letter outlining your concerns and any proposed solutions you have. Circulate this letter among others who share your concerns (see above for ways to make these connections), asking them to share any feedback they have on additional considerations to include. Once you have a strong final draft, re-circulate it and ask who is willing to sign on along with you so that it's clear the letter has broader support. You can also consider turning it into a petition and sharing it out to your school community, as well as passing it on to your ward-specific ed council or other district-wide groups for broader circulation. Check out our Official DC Entities page for a list of potential recipients to include when you send out your final letter / petition. Copying individuals from multiple agencies promotes transparency and accountability.
Connect with Your Representatives:
Schedule a meeting to discuss your concerns and potential solutions with your ward-specific representatives on the DC Council and State Board of Education, along with any at-large representatives, or the chairs / members of committees specifically related to your area of concern. You can also connect with your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners -- use DC's Advisory Neighborhood Commission webpage to locate your ANC & SMD; then from there you should be able to visit their dedicated webpage and view the names and contact details for the commissioners.
Testify at a State Board of Education Meeting:
State Board of Education (SBOE) Public Meetings are held on the Third Wednesday of every month at 5:30 p.m., in the Old Council Chambers, located at 441 4th St. NW, and televised on the District Knowledge Network. All students, parents, educators, and community members are invited to provide testimony at Public Meetings. Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to comment at a public meeting are asked to notify Board staff in advance by email (sboe@dc.gov) or by form no later than 48 hours in advance of the meeting. Written testimony may also be submitted at any time to sboe@dc.gov for consideration at Working Meetings (first Mondays) and Committee Meetings (see events calendar). Read more about SBOE meetings
Testify to the DC Council:
The DC Council's Committee of the Whole periodically holds hearings on various topics related to public education in DC, and generally any members of the public are invited to testify live and/or to submit written or voicemail testimony for the record. Keep an eye on the list of upcoming Committee of the Whole Hearings and Roundtables, make note of any related to issues you care about, and make your voice heard. Here's a helpful guide to testifying before the Council.