Advocacy Activities/Events

SCA work can be most visible through advocacy events and activities where school counselors have an opportunity to engage others and share their personal story.  Advocacy in action happens through a variety of ways.   Several factors can influence the type and frequency of events, such as if there a bill on the floor, an upcoming committee meeting that involves school counseling, anticipation of a vote regarding a matter that is important to school counselors in the state or that could directly impact school counseling work, or simply an opportunity or invitation to educate others on the role of the school counselor.  When planning advocacy events in your state, consider what will yield the best possible participation, what messaging should go forth and how do you prepare those who will be speaking on behalf of your SCA and school counseling.

Hill Days

Dedicated time in the state legislature to build new relationships can impact the ability to get needed bills introduced and even passed. Creating new partnerships and maintaining existing relationships can keep the ears  of legislators who need to be informed about what is good for students and what school counselors do to support them. Determine if this will be an annual event, in person or virtual (or even hybrid) and identify when the general assembly is in session so you have the best chance for availability.  

Fine tuning logistics for all those involved can create a positive experience for members.   Establish a location for school counselors to meet and be trained on how to engage lawmakers. Training can be interactive, with modeling as a best practice.  Sharing information about the culture of the legislature is critical to members understanding what’s acceptable or what’s considered breaking a rule. There are always rules to follow and you want to ensure the best possible experience for lawmakers and the school counselor.  

Messaging for Hill Day meetings should include your legislative priorities and/or any specific bills that are up for consideration. If your Hill Day coincides with National School Counseling Week, the focus may be educating others on how school counselors impact student achievement.  There are many possibilities, and each Hill Day can be different. Create an agenda that offers time for debrief at the end of the event. Your advocacy committee may want to follow up with lawmakers that were very responsive. Remember to assess and adjust the agenda as needed. Also, keep in mind, that emergency sessions or other changes at the general assembly may also impact members’ ability to meet with a lawmaker, even if an appointment was made in advance.

Legislative Testimonies

Creating a day for lawmakers to visit your school takes careful planning but can yield outstanding results.  Be sure to check with your district/school administration on any specific protocol to follow for elected official visits.  There may be specific action steps for those in communication and other areas.  There may also be specific tasks to complete on campus prior to arrival.  The SCA should provide a considerable amount of flexibility in creating the date because all schools are different.  There may be several groups interested in interacting, including teachers who want to create a unique civics lesson for their students.  All the while, keep in mind your members have a regular school day to manage.  You can share several ideas with your members on hosting a lawmaker, which includes a sample schedule for a half or full day, or even just a couple of hours.  Check the general assembly calendar and opt for dates when not in session so that lawmakers are more likely to be in their constituent areas.  

Messaging would be the same as a hill day event, but while the legislator is visiting, there are more opportunities to inform and educate on what  school counselors do, as it happens throughout the day.  If doable, students can also play a role in sharing how they are impacted by having a school counselor.  

Testimonies and Presentations

Depending on the issue, senate or house committees may invite experts in the field to offer information to increase their knowledge and understanding of a topic to help them move forward in decision making.  The same may be happening for state or local education boards or other organizations.   Having established working relationships with designated individuals keeps the doors open to help fill the need when it arises.  

The advocacy committee can be instrumental in helping the selected individual or group offer the most informative and effective presentation or testimony.  Time may be of the essence so having volunteers who offer different areas of expertise and at a variety of levels (elementary, middle, high) could match the best possible presenter to the occasion.  Prep is required for all who will engage others in presentation or testimony.  Best practices include connecting with the target audience, focusing on clear messaging, personalizing presentations with real examples and making best use of time.  

Advocacy Campaigns (VoterVOICE)

SCAs can utilize the VoterVOICE resource to coordinate opportunities for members to communicate with lawmakers.  This mass communication can be in support or opposition of a bill or other policy.  It can also be used as a vehicle for educating legislators and other state officials about the role of the school counselor.  ASCA provides this tool free to all SCAs. Email Deirdra Williams to set up a time to discuss the specific need and other elements to create the campaign.    

Voter Registration Drives

SCAs can encourage school counselors to take an active role in voting.  While you may not be able to support a specific candidate, you can encourage school counselors to participate in the democratic process and select those who care about what they value the most.  School counselors who vote can help to determine who gets elected to sponsor and vote on bills.

Messaging

Whether a VoterVoice campaign, hill day event or testimony, your messaging is critical for your members and your intended audience.  Knowing what to say, when to say and what to say to a specific audience may influence decision making, regardless the ask.  Use the ASCA Position Statements to help you create a strong message that informs others of the school counselor’s role and share why supporting or opposing a bill or topic is in the best interest of students. Use this sample messaging for various topics to help guide you. There are several other ASCA resources that can assist you in this endeavor, such as role statements found on the School Counselor Roles and Ratios page. Feel free to use words and phrases as you need them. The ASCA Advocacy staff can assist you as well.