Advocacy/Government Relations/Legislative Committees

Advocacy is a key component of SCA work, requiring dedication, attention and willingness to take initiative.  Advocacy is about removing barriers, opening doors, educating others and building bridges.   It involves collaboration, coordination of activities, relationship building, and being visible and responsive to ensure school counselors have a voice as well as a seat at the table.  Advocacy takes many forms, including a testimony before policymakers, participation in a meeting, presentation to a school board or interest group, or a conversation with a legislator, school official, state education representative, or more.  Ultimately, advocacy is about protecting the role of the school counselor, to ensure the profession is positioned appropriately to provide students with effective and impactful school counseling.

SCA advocacy committees may look very different, depending on your state.  They may have a different name and function, depending on the members’ needs and the tasks at hand to advance the profession.  While the committee members shouldn’t be the only participants in advocacy activities, it’s the committee’s leadership that will be instrumental in building a sustainable advocacy program.  

Whether you have an existing advocacy committee or are preparing to create one, consider these best practices:

Recruitment and Retention

The ability to recruit and retain volunteers has many variables, such as the number of critical issues you need to address, whether existing collaborative relationships with lawmakers and other representatives remain or you  start from ground zero, the number of committee members do you need and more.  Based on your legislative priorities, what are your board’s goals?  What processes do you have in place for achieving them?  What processes do you have in place for the committee’s work?   How long will committee members serve?   These are just a few questions to answer.  Refer to your bylaws or procedures in case there is language that offers direction.  

DEI Considerations

As you develop or make changes to committee structure, be intentional about considering the diversity of the group.  Is there a benefit to having a representative from various regions in your state?  Do you have challenges recruiting males or members of color?  Does the committee need a representative from all levels (elementary, middle, secondary, etc.)? How are you using your retired members?   These knowledgeable members may be more available when you have very little time to complete an advocacy task.   Consider including members who are passionate about specific topics.  Send a personal invite to those who have presented at your conference.  Think creatively when it comes to staffing your advocacy committee.  It’s ok to reach out beyond an email or a tweet.  A more personal approach can yield positive results.  

Successful Transitions

It’s important to be both careful and intentional when transitioning from one advocacy chair/committee to another.   Give yourself plenty of time to inform, teach and share with the new team so you can continue to build upon the progress made, especially when it comes to relationships with lawmakers and other organization leaders.  A void in leadership could lead to unintended consequences, such as missed meetings, missed opportunities to present or attend meetings or not being available to consult or educate others at a critical time.  

Successful transitions include:  introducing/e-introducing new leaders to those with whom you already have an established working relationship, including new leaders in meetings, sharing a timeline of activities, sharing materials and other items used during your tenure, and spending enough time ahead of the outgoing leader’s departure to maintain the same level of communication and activity.  Sometimes it also means the outgoing leader remains available for a designated period of time to advise and answer questions.  Successful transitions also require good record-keeping, including handing over files and other documents regularly.  Successful transition may require more than just handing over materials at changeover.  

Building and Sustaining Engagement from Members

Organizing a sustainable advocacy program means finding a way to always increase member participation in advocacy events.   Challenges such as time of year, availability, or even level of comfort in conversing with others can make it difficult to recruit members.  SCAs can survey members to find potential participants for events.  If you survey members annually, include questions about member interest in sending emails to legislators, calling or meeting with a legislator or presenting to a group when needed.  You can even ask about specific topics to identify a “go to” group of members who can address specific issues.  Assembling a group early can make it easier for the committee to accomplish advocacy tasks and could inspire other members to get involved.  If you can get a member to engage at least once, and they have a positive experience, you may be able to count on them again.   You can also ask your “go-to” advocacy member to refer others to help advance your work.  Remember, this takes time.  Be patient.  Build relationships and nurture existing relationships to keep members connected.   Remember to follow up with a “thank you” after members participate in events.  Share outcomes from advocacy efforts so members know how their participation has impacted the work.