Easy Ways to be an Advocate
Have you ever joined PTA, spoken to your child’s teacher, written a letter to the editor, attended a city council meeting, spoken to your school board, or spoken to any decision-maker? Then you are an advocate!
An advocate is someone who speaks up for others. Good advocates share qualities of being passionate for an issue and the mission, building ongoing and long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial, and are able to speak about the problem, solutions, and resources needed.
Here are 10 easy ways to foster advocacy in your PTA:
- Sign up for Action Network.
- Become familiar with the WSPTA legislative platform – issues, principles, and resolutions.
- Make use of the resources on the Advocacy page.
- Share with your members school board meeting dates.
- Share with your members how to contact their state legislators, county officials, city officials, etc.
- Contact Marie Sullivan if you are interested in testifying to our state legislators on any of WSPTA’s legislative priorities. Legislative session starts January 9, 2023.
- Join or create an advocacy committee at your local PTA or council.
- Do a survey in your community and use the results to take action on something people want to see changed.
- Attend and speak at a school board meeting on a topic your PTA is focused on.
- Encourage people to become PTA members!