Education Advocacy in Washington, D.C.
We define education advocacy as informing and mobilizing families and community members to demand high quality schools and teachers so that students are able to thrive academically and become successful, productive citizens. The challenges, however, are significant: a lack of quality schools, existing achievement gaps along demographic lines and a deficit of information available to parents to make effective choices on how to support their children.
In cities across the country, advocates are working tirelessly to reform education policies and practices, educating policy makers about the successful strategies for driving student achievement and cultivating and activating parent leadership. We believe that all children should have access to high quality teachers and school leaders, and that parents and care-givers have the right to demand quality for their children. Providing all children with an equal opportunity to attain an excellent education is today’s civil rights battle, and Flamboyan supports organizations which advocate at a local and state level to support policies that put all of our children on a path to success in career and life.
Our Process
Understanding the Local Environment
We began our work in Washington, D.C. in 2008 by having a series of conversations with local experts on education.
We were specifically interested in education reform strategies that impact student achievement, but weren’t receiving adequate attention in the District of Columbia. So, we asked the following question of everyone we spoke with: “If you had time, energy and some money, what would you work on in education locally?”
From the responses we heard, two clear patterns emerged: “Family Engagement” was a common issue that people felt was important but inadequately addressed, and there wasn’t a common definition for “Family Engagement.” At the time, we did not fully appreciate the distinction between “Family Engagement” and “Education Advocacy,” so, we set out to learn more about both.
Landscape Assessment & Selection
We contracted with the Endeavor Group to help us learn:
- Whether Family Engagement does, in fact, lead to student achievement
- Who is doing what in Family Engagement and Education Advocacy both nationally and locally
From the results of this landscape assessment, we heard a resounding “yes” that Family Engagement and Education Advocacy lead to student achievement. We also collected valuable information about the major players working on this issue in the district and across the nation, and the various strategies they are pursuing.
More importantly, we learned that people mean very different things when they say family engagement, and there were actually two interdependent but quite different issues that needed attention. Family Engagement is the collaboration between families and educators that improves an individual child’s learning, whereas Education Advocacy is about mobilizing families to demand high quality schools. We decided to work on both issues and began building a local team with expertise in both areas.
Related Information
Developing a Deep Understanding
Having chosen to work on Family Engagement and Education Advocacy, we needed to learn more. So, we asked the Endeavor Group to conduct focus groups with 150 families from all wards in Washington, D.C. to understand the sentiments, concerns, and suggestions of local residents.
Furthermore, through an in-depth study of what inputs are most critical for developing well-rounded, highly educated students who are college and career ready, Flamboyan determined that students needed:
- High-performing teachers
- High-performing principals
- High-performing schools
- Effective family engagement
- Equitable funding
With these goals in mind, our President, Kristin Ehrgood, joined the board of Stand For Children to learn from and support one of the premier education advocacy organizations in the country. And, in 2008, we established a local nonprofit, DC School Reform Now, to aid in building a civic movement around the above points.
Proposed Outcomes & Strategy
| Outcome | Strategies |
| Washington, D.C. families demand quality teachers and schools. |
|
Selecting & Working with Partners
| Outcome | Partners |
| Washington, D.C. families demand quality teachers and schools. |
|
Evaluation & Results
Since we have only recently begun making grants in this area, we are currently focusing our evaluation efforts on monitoring implementation and evaluating short-term outcomes.
Would you like to receive occasional updates on our progress via email?