Liaison and Advocacy
In over 18 years of school psychology, we’ve noticed that the mention of an “advocate” in the school setting is met with silence, sighs, groans, and anxiety.
Why?
Because at some point the term, in relation to schools, seemed to take on a completely different meaning. Advocates frequently:
Do not understand or seek to understand the process,
Do not use data to make their requests,
Do not always know what to ask or how to ask for certain information,
Have tunnel-vision in their expectations, and
Can be condescending, adversarial, and frankly, mean, leading good teachers to cry in meetings or leave the profession following these situations.
We have always believed it is our ethical obligation to advocate for kids, regardless of what side of the fence that puts us on – this sometimes means disagreeing with parents, teachers, administrators, and/or district level staff.
We believe schools should seek to create relationships with parents so they feel comfortable asking questions, disagreeing, and requesting compromises or solutions, but that does not occur everywhere. We believe an advocate should be someone who understands education, is a bridge between parents and schools, and offers support and explanation for parents while pushing school staff to think outside of the box. Advocates accomplish these goals with appropriate conflict resolution skills. Because of these experiences, liaison – rather than advocacy – is yet another service we provide. It is not our intent to walk in with a confrontational agenda, as this is not how we want our kids to behave. It’s our responsibility to model the behavior we expect from our students.
“I have seen firsthand as an educator how Ms. Daniel has used her expertise to support families as they troubleshoot barriers to student learning. In addition, I know she can think innovatively about what options are available for families in many given situations. She is always respectful and empathetic with the families she serves. She knows how to navigate laws and school policy, but she also knows how to manage relationships with stakeholders. She is one of the strongest advocates I know because she has a sincere heart to transform the learning experience for students so they can truly grow and succeed in classrooms.” ~ Christi M., 8th Grade Language Arts