The ABCs of Advocacy (continued)

This leads to another critical area — be aware of the importance of shaping your advocacy message. Once you’ve found cohorts, you must share a unified message. Be positive and make the message clear and easy to remember. Shaping the message around a school or district’s mission statement can be very effective when targeting the school or district. (See the June 2006 of PHP for the column “Effective Advocates: Craft Your Message” for more information and tips.) What you say is just as important as to whom you say it.

Awareness in the ABCs of Advocacy is the first step as an effective advocate.

B is for Know the Basics!

An effective advocate is well-informed, one who knows the basics. That means that an advocate understands the needs and characteristics of gifted children. He or she can debunk the myths so often believed about gifted children. (See Barbara Clark’s Growing Up Gifted for information on myths and characteristics.) Advocates also fully understand the rights of a gifted and talented child. NAGC President Del Siegle has written a Bill of Rights, which you can download from the NAGC Web site in English or Spanish. This list provides a strong foundation to any advocacy message.

Effective advocates also know the basic laws, regulations, and policies governing gifted education in their districts and states. Not only does this include all legislation and policy with the word gifted in them, but it also includes those that affect young people who are gifted and talented. For example, the policy concerning the age to begin kindergarten has significant impact on gifted young people who may be ready to begin school at an earlier age than their age-mates. (See “Effective Advocates: Always on the Alert” in the September 2007 PHP for other issues facing gifted learners.) Because of their familiarity with the laws, regulations, and policies, advocates are able to discuss them with confidence and in terms that all decisionmakers understand. Without this basic knowledge, advocates cannot be effective.

Other important aspects of the basics are the services, programs, and opportunities available to young people. Not only does the advocate need to know what is available at the school and district level, but the advocate also needs to know what is possible. For example, acceleration is a viable option that many districts shy away from. The 2004 landmark study, A Nation Deceived: How Schools Hold Back America’s Brightest Students, is a must-read for any advocate wanting to know more about the research and reasoning behind acceleration. (Free copies are available at http://www.nationdeceived.org.) The more knowledgeable a person is about possibilities, the better advocate he or she can be.

If you Know the Basics, then you’re on your way to becoming an effective advocate.

C is for Communicate Effectively!

C embodies the all-important concept — communication. Effective communication is what will make or break an advocacy plan. Start with the message. It must be clear, concise, and powerful. It also should fit your purpose. For example, if you’re trying to persuade someone to establish a new policy, word the message so that it includes data and information that substantiates your point. Also remember to be positive in the wording. Consider, too, the audience. The message for a school may differ from the message for the Speaker of the House. Include language fitting to the particular audience. Audience and purpose are critical in crafting an effective message.