The Official Colorado State Affiliate of ASCD
Teacher As Advocate Micro-Credential Series
Please note: In order to access these Micro-credentials, you must first complete the three foundational Micro-credentials. Determining your specialty pathway is dependent upon your core values, your vision, and your mission as a leader in education. CO ASCD's Teacher as Learner and Leader Foundational micro-credential will help you identify those areas first allowing you to choose the pathway that most appeals to you!
Advocating for Students in the Classroom
The teacher leader uses their knowledge of both educational policy and the roles that school leaders, boards of education, legislators and stakeholders have in formulating policy to advocate for student needs and for practices that support effective teaching and increase student learning. Teacher leaders may collaborate with colleagues or seek feedback and validation from colleagues or experts in the field when advocating for student needs. Teacher leaders will identify and analyze a problem impacting students in the classroom to determine who or what group has the influence or power to address the students’ need(s) by removing barriers or providing resources, and then target and design an effective communication plan to advocate with the individual or group for a solution.
In this micro-credential, teachers identify a problem, issue or need impacting students in their classroom. After researching possible solutions and possible barriers to implementing solutions, teachers will design goals to communicate the identified problem, issue or need, and develop a communication plan to meet the goals. Teachers will implement the communication plan, evaluate the outcome, and plan next steps to continue advocating for solutions to to identified problem, issue or need.
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1 Free Micro-Credential With Premium Membership!
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Advocating for Self and Colleagues
Advocating for the teaching profession means supporting, defending, or promoting policies or practices that support teachers and effective teaching. Teacher leaders who advocate for the teaching profession at the school level understand how education policy is made at various levels of the system and the roles of different stakeholders in policy making. They advocate for access to sufficient preparation, time, and support for colleagues to work in teams to engage in job-embedded professional learning to increase their knowledge and use of effective practices and develop a professional learning community focused on school improvement goals.
In this micro-credential, teachers analyze the status of their school in relation to Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning. Teachers will design a plan to advocate for improving one aspect of professional learning, identify the policymakers they will need to influence to improve the aspect of professional learning they identified, and gather or create resources to implement the plan. After implementing the plan, teachers will reflect on their efforts and how they will use what they learned to continue to advocate for teachers and the teaching profession.
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1 Free Micro-Credential With Premium Membership!
Description
Advocating for Student Learning
Advocating for student learning at the district or state level means supporting, defending, or promoting policies or practices that help improve student learning. It includes sharing information with colleagues regarding the impact that policies can have on classroom practices and expectations for student learning and working with colleagues to identify and use research for teaching and learning processes that meet the needs of all students. As advocates for student learning, teacher leaders collaborate with colleagues and communicate effectively with targeted audiences to secure additional resources to support student learning.
In this micro-credential, teachers analyze district or state policies related to curriculum or instruction. After selecting a policy that you would like to advocate for changes, you will develop an advocacy strategy to guide your plan, and gather or develop resources to carry out your advocacy plan. Following the implementation of your plan, you will reflect on your effort to impact change, and what you learned from the experience.
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1 Free Micro-Credential With Premium Membership!
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