Why Education Reform Starts with Parent Advocacy
/In the four years my son has been in the public education system, I’ve spent a lot of time advocating. Way too much time.
Up until this year, I’ve been advocating on my own. Advocating for my son to get the EA support he needs. Advocating for his IEP to be fulfilled. Advocating for him to get basic supports related to his diagnoses.
So much advocating!!
This year I teamed up with another parent to advocate for supports at our school. Pretty soon our advocacy circle expanded to include other parents and caregivers both at our school and across the school district, as well as provincial organizations.
While we had some good conversations and were able to make some small changes, it didn’t take long to reach the limit of the change we could make locally. With our school district blaming budget shortfalls (aka provincial government) for not being able to support diverse learners in a meaningful way, we reached out to the Ministry of Education. Their answer – talk to your school district – they need to find a way to support your child.
Coordinated effort
Not wanting to waste time playing the blame game, with kids stuck in the middle, we decided it was time to try another route.
We contacted our MLA (provincial elected representative) who also happens to be the Green party leader for BC.
Why? Because it’s important the people who vote on the annual budget, and are in a position to make changes to public education, truly understand what’s happening in schools across the province.
What’s happening to public education isn’t pretty.
Despite a promise by the provincial government in June 2020 that Students with disabilities, diverse abilities or those who require additional supports will have access to and receive the same supports and services they had prior to the pandemic, the opposite is true. Many diverse learners have seen deep cuts to supports – including speech therapists, educational assistants, resource teachers, music and arts programs and other resources that help them stay regulated and connected.
As parents, we’re all too aware the impacts these cuts have had on our children’s mental health, personal safety and academic performance. But I doubt many of our elected official know what’s happening.
Why? Because parents and caregivers are so busy raising and fighting for our kids, that we don’t have a lot of time and energy leftover to advocate at the provincial level.
But without making some noise, and sharing our stories, our kids will continue to fall behind.
Time to advocate
In our meeting with Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau, we shared our personal stories. The stories of two moms who’ve had to fight every step of the way for our kids to get basic supports. Supports that are clear due to their designations and documented needs (with funding attached).
We also shared the cuts that are looming for the 2021/22 school year in school districts across the province. Cuts that will mean even less supports for our kids and more disruptions in the classroom. Cuts that will further erode our children’s confidence, threaten their safety and greatly limit their ability to reach their full potential. Cuts school districts are blaming on the government and the government is blaming on school districts.
As a teacher, nothing we shared was new to the Green party leader. In our meeting, she promised to continue to bring our concerns to the legislature and asked us to keep fighting.
Not wanting my child to fall through the cracks, I will keep fighting. And I encourage other parents and caregivers to help us spread the word.
It starts by speaking your truth and sharing your story.
· Contact your provincial elected official.
· Ask for a meeting to talk about supports for diverse learners in our public education system.
· Invite other parents and a BCEdAccess representative (provincial organization committed to equitable education) to attend your meeting. BCEdAccess can connect your story to what’s happening across the province.
· Share your diverse learners’ experience (good, bad and ugly)
· Ask your elected official to not only listen, but speak up for our vulnerable students – especially in the budget process.
· Get them to ask questions, read the data, and be part of making a positive change.
· Follow up. Share data, reports and stories that clearly highlight the crisis in education (such as Considering Leaving the System report)
· Keep on speaking your truth and sharing your story!!
My hope is that by educating our elected officials and sharing the negative impact years of cuts to public education is having on our kids, we can turn the tide. This means getting the influx of funding so desperately needed to provide in-school supports for diverse learners. Funding that if spent today, will help mitigate the crisis of tomorrow (underemployment, mental health issues, addiction and low graduation rates that are the realities for too many people with disabilities).
But to turn the tide, we need to stop whispering in the shadows, and start speaking up. Our kids deserve the supports they need to reach their full potential.
Don’t be silent. Reach out. Contact your elected official. Speak your truth and share your story!!!
