Parallel Session Proceedings »
2.5.3 Tips for Advocating for Gifted Education: Strategy Suggestions from One State Nonprofit Organization
Advocacy at the school, district, state, and federal levels is important to build, maintain, and protect programming and policies for gifted education. Gifted nonprofit organizations are uniquely suited to inform and persuade education officials and elected officials to support gifted education.
One statewide nonprofit organization has navigated the advocacy waters successfully over the past few decades to encourage local advocacy with administrators and school boards; to secure and protect categorical funding, a mandate for districts to provide gifted education, and a full-time consultant for gifted education at the state level; and to work with federal legislators to support gifted education initiatives in Javits Act and ESEA.
We will share our strategies as a case study in how one organization can cultivate advocacy that results in meaningful policy outcomes for gifted and talented learners. These strategies include developing an advocacy plan (e.g., determining issues, being reactive versus proactive with issues), implementing the plan (e.g., establishing a base of supporters, preparing fact sheets, preparing and disseminating information about gifted education, issuing calls for action, developing relationships and communicating with elected officials- from school board members to state legislators to Members of Congress- and working with professional lobbyists), and sustaining the organization’s advocacy efforts (building a committee and board structure to carry on the work). Individuals and organizations can learn strategies to implement in their own advocacy efforts.