Leadership and Advocacy in Educational Endeavors

TEL 410

Lesson 1: Advocacy and Leadership

Assignment: Community Needs Assessment
Points Available: 60 Points

For this assignment you will be conducting a Community Needs Assessment. During
this assignment you will

● Step #1: Brainstorm a list of educational issues/concerns in your community.

● Step #2: Then you will select three issues from your list to analyze further.
● Step #3: After you select your three issues answer the following questions for
each issue. Strong academic writing is expected. Please use APA Formatting
where appropriate.
○ What is the effect of the issue in my community?
○ What does this mean to my local school, school district, and students?
○ What is the cost of not doing anything on this issue?
○ What possible actions can be taken? What are the consequences of these
actions?
○ Who else cares about this issue in my community?
○ Research one organization that is currently advocating for this education
issue. Summarize the organization’s goals, mission, and the type of
advocacy opportunities the organization provides.
● Step#4: After you have analyzed your three issues (Step #3) Please select one
issue that you are most passionate about to engage in an advocacy project for
this semester. You will need to determine if it is the right and most effective
cause for you to engage in.
● Step#5: Please include your references in APA format.

Attached is a sample template that you can use to complete your work. Be sure to
include references you use to answer the questions.
 Community Needs Assessment
TEL 410
Andrew Simmons

Step #1: Brainstorm a list of educational issues and concerns that exist in your
community.

1. Bullying – in-person and online 6. Lack of Educated and Prepared

Educators

2. Poverty/Homelessness 7. Lack of Educator Diversity – Does

not match student body in many areas
of Colorado

3. Remote Learning during COVID 8. School Safety – COVID infections,

Pandemic school shootings

4. School Funding 9. Decline in School Enrollment

throughout Colorado

5. Low Educator Salaries 10. Growing Classroom Sizes

Step #2: Choose three areas (from the list above) in which you think you can make a
difference in the next few weeks.

1. Low Educator Salaries

2. Bullying – in-person and online

3. School Funding

Step #3: After you select your three issues answer the following questions for each
issue. Strong academic writing is expected. Please use APA Formatting where
appropriate.

○ What is the effect of the issue in my community?

○ What does this mean to my local school, school district, and students?
○ What is the cost of not doing anything on this issue?
○ What possible actions can be taken? What are the consequences of these
actions?
○ Who else cares about this issue in my community?
○ Research one organization that is currently advocating for this education
issue. Summarize the organization’s goals, mission, and the type of
advocacy opportunities the organization provides.

Issue #1: Low Educator Salary

 What is the effect of the issue in my community?

There is a lack of appreciation for educators and all that they do for their students. This
issue affects communities, local schools, and students by forcing educators to leave
high cost areas and stretch their own financials to not only buy supplies, but ensure
their classrooms were stocked , “About 18% of public school teachers had to work
multiple jobs in the 2015-16 school year to make ends meet” (Berge, 2019).
Communities that have educator shortages risk low school attendance and require
students to travel to other schools that can accommodate them. For my community of
Boulder, Colorado, where the average home price is $850,000 and rent is $2,500,
educators are not being paid enough to live in this area and are forced to live in cities
that are more affordable. How can my community grow if there are a lack of educators
who cannot afford to be members of the Boulder community?

 What does this mean to my local school, school district, and students?

If educators that live in my community cannot make a livable wage and leave, then that
hurts a school’s ability to receive funding and ensure students are receiving an
education. Low educator salaries can cause frustration with school districts, such as
the Boulder Valley School District, that do not support their employees. Students who
attend schools within this school district will not be able to create relationships that
support their educational journey and will impede their ability to learn, “the real impact
on students is that this underfunding has caused an increase in teacher turnover. As a
result, teachers are unable to form the necessary, impactful relationships with their
students needed to maximize the student learning experience. Ultimately, this means
students suffer the most” (Baca-Oehlert, 2019). Students will, unfortunately, be affected
by educator turnover because there will be a lack of scheduled learning if new
educators are hired at the beginning of each school year.

 What is the cost of not doing anything on this issue?

The cost of not doing anything will be the continued decrease of educator salaries and
the loss of educated professionals that want to help students succeed. There may also
be an increase in educator turnover if school districts are not able or willing to pay their
employees wages that they deserve, based on their roles.

 What possible actions can be taken? What are the consequences of these
actions?

As a result of educator strikes and a renewed push for better salaries, politicians in
Colorado are introducing two bills that would provide educators with a pay raise
program, Senate Bill 89, and allow for bonuses of $2,000 for effective educators, Senate
Bill 74, “Lawmakers’ proposals follow teacher strikes in Colorado school districts in the
last year, with educators from Denver Public Schools and Park County RE-2 having
banded together to demand better pay” (Breunlin, 2020). Colorado is a rich state and
can pass legislation that provided educators with a pay raise, but there have been
arguments that this would require raising taxes. The consequences of continued
indifference to educator pay can lead to more strikes, educator turnover, and a shortage
of qualified professionals from entering the classroom.

 Who else cares about this issue in my community?

It is a known fact that educators are not being paid what they deserve and there is an
ongoing debate on whether funds should be allocated to help provide pay raises.
Parents, students, educators, and legislators that support education care about this
issue and understand the need to assist educators since there is a shortage of
educators in Colorado. Educator unions and organizations want to see pay for
educators rise above the national average and ensure a stop to educator turnover.

 Research one organization that is currently advocating for this education issue.
Summarize the organization’s goals, mission, and the type of advocacy
opportunities the organization provides.

I researched the National Education Association as they have been a driving force
behind raising educator salaries in Colorado and throughout the United States. The
mission of NEA is to ensure every child is prepared to succeed in their future endeavors
and advocate for the continued success of educators, “NEA has determined that we will
focus the energy and resources of our 3.2 million members on improving the quality of
teaching, increasing student achievement and making schools safer, better places to
learn” (National Education Association, 2020). The type of advocacy that NEA provides
is collective bargaining, meaning all NEA members advocate for better educator
salaries through local campaigns.

Issue#2: Bullying – In-person and Online

 What is the effect of the issue in my community?

As the Covid 19 pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life, students in Boulder,

Colorado are going back to school in-person and through online learning. Bullying has
been a constant issue for students every year and since most students are going to
school online, individuals now have direct access to victims who are not aware they are
being bullied. Bullying can cause students to feel hopeless, alone, and may lead to
personal choices that can be avoided, such as suicide. Schools are becoming more
vigilante on what is being posted and how students interact with each other online,
which shows that the need for supervision answers the question that bullying is
continuing even if bullies are being monitored.
  What does this mean to my local school, school district, and students?

It is the responsibility of schools and school districts to implement rules that combat
bullying of any kind to protect educators and students, “The National Crime Prevention
Council found that nearly 43% of students have experienced or seen someone bullied
online” (OnlineSchools.org, n.d.). In my community, the Boulder Valley School District
has a list of expectations for reporting acts of bullying, whether in-person or online, that
seek to stop bullying immediately through the reports from students and staff,
witnessing bullying, and each report is taken seriously. This will help schools ensure
their students are safe and any acts of bullying will not be tolerated.

 What is the cost of not doing anything on this issue?

Individuals who are bullied and are not assisted can begin showing signs of
helplessness, loss of interest in maintaining friendships and completing schoolwork,
abnormal behaviors, or committing acts of self harm. If no action is taken, students are
at risk of hurting themselves and schools are held accountable if they did not take the
necessary steps to help students who are being bullied and punish individuals who are
bullies.

 What possible actions can be taken? What are the consequences of these
actions?

There have been a few instances where bullying has caused individuals to harm
themselves or others, such as the Columbine School Shooting or the cyberbullying of
Kiana Arellano. Colorado legislators understood the need to create anti-bullying laws to
ensure events of the past do not occur again and one law that has helped individuals
who have been bullied is Kiana’s Law, “Kiana's Law cracks down on bullying and
cyberbullying…Under the law, someone who harasses or threatens another person —
whether by instant messaging, social media, a data network, texting or any other
electronic medium — can receive up to six months in jail” (Fisher, 2019). The
consequences of not enacting anti-bullying laws will prevent individuals accused of
bullying from being prosecuted and will not support students who are victims.

 Who else cares about this issue in my community?

Every student, educator, school official, parent, and legislator in Colorado cares about
this issue and want to aid wherever possible.

 Research one organization that is currently advocating for this education issue.
Summarize the organization’s goals, mission, and the type of advocacy
opportunities the organization provides.

The organization that I researched for this issue is “Safe2Tell Colorado”, which provides
anonymity reporting for parents, students, school officials, and educators about acts of
bullying. The mission of “Safe2Tell Colorado” is to prevent mass school shootings, acts
of self harm, and make certain that tragedies related to bullying will never happen,
“Safe2Tell Colorado strives to intervene in the life a young person who is struggling,
helping them at the earliest possible point before the situation turns into a tragedy”
(Safe2Tell Colorado, n.d.). This organization provides trainings, educational outreach,
and student awareness to advocate for greater understanding of the risks bullying can
have on students.

Issue #3: School Funding

 What is the effect of the issue in my community?

My community of Boulder, Colorado prides itself on its award-winning schools and the
overall performance of its students. However, this community also deals with lack of
school funding for activities and the negatively affects the ability of schools to provide
the necessary tools to help their students learn and grow. The Covid 19 pandemic has
caused the Colorado legislature to find ways of cutting school funds, even if that means
cutting funds to programs that support student growth, “ The Colorado Department of
Education told Colorado’s 178 schools districts to plan for cuts between 1 and 10
percent” (Brundin, 2020).

 What does this mean to my local school, school district, and students?

The school district that is in my community, Boulder Valley School District, thrives on
providing its students with access to an education that will prepare them in their future
careers. School funding is key to providing this access and without it, schools will not
be able to support their educators or students as many programs will be cut, “The
school finance act cuts average per-pupil spending about 5%, a decrease to about
$8,000. Many school districts are planning pay freezes, furloughs, and staff cuts.
Lawmakers also cut tens of millions to grant programs that fund school construction,
pay for social workers in schools, and support programs to reduce the dropout rate”
(Meltzer & Gonzales, 2020). It is disheartening to see how a legislature views education
as something that can be tossed aside to save a few dollars and I feel that my
community will not be able to maintain its high status as a great school district if
educators are forced to take furlough days.

 What is the cost of not doing anything on this issue?

As discussed in my previous answers, lack of transparency on school funding hurts

school programs and a school’s ability to provide the necessary tools for student
success. Colorado legislators cannot be indecisive with school funding and need to
provide funds to keep schools open and educators in the classroom. Students will
suffer from inaction and will not be able to receive an adequate education if more and
more programs are cut.

 What possible actions can be taken? What are the consequences of these
actions?

Each year, the Colorado legislature convenes to discuss the budget of school districts
throughout the state and identify areas that can be trimmed to allocate funds to other
areas. The current pandemic has caused the legislature to take even more drastic steps
to save funds and schools are the unfortunate victims of these budget cuts, “If there’s
one thing state legislators can agree on, no matter their party affiliation, it’s that the way
schools are funded in Colorado should change” (Gray, 2018). It is difficult to know how
schools will be funded during this pandemic, but I do know that the consequences of
lack of funds for education will hurt students and educators who are trying to maintain a
level of normalcy by going to school, whether it is online or in-person.

 Who else cares about this issue in my community?

Any parent who sends their child to a public school in Colorado cares about how the
school is being funded. In my community, parents, educators, and school officials need
to know what programs are still being offered and how budget cuts will affect the
overall schedule of the school year.
  Research one organization that is currently advocating for this education issue.
Summarize the organization’s goals, mission, and the type of advocacy
opportunities the organization provides.

For this issue, I researched the Colorado Education Association because it advocates
for the increase in educator salaries in Colorado and for increases to school funding.
This organization advocates through strikes, marches, and developing strong
relationships between local communities to ensure their message is heard, “We build
power locally and at the state level to ensure that all students, teachers, bus drivers,
food service workers, custodians, paraprofessionals, maintenance workers, security
officers, parents, and our community have a voice in our public education” (Colorado
Education Association, 2020). Like the National Education Association, the CEA uses
collective bargaining to reach agreements and ensure funds are distributed fairly.

Step#4: After you have analyzed your three issues (Step #3) Please select one issue
that you are most passionate about to engage in an advocacy project for this
semester. You will need to determine if it is the right and most effective cause for you
to engage in.

The issue I plan to advocate for this semester involves the lack of wage increases for
educators. Educator salaries have not risen to match the increasing cost of living for
communities in Colorado, such as Boulder and Denver. I will focus on my community of
Boulder, Colorado to complete the advocacy project and discuss the implications of low
salaries to high educator turnover rates. I am passionate about this issue because as a
future elementary school educator who will be teaching in Boulder, I have a personal
interest in understanding how salaries have not increased since the Great Recession
and a common disregard from Colorado legislatures.

Step#5: References

Baca-Oehlert, A. (2019, November 29). Guest Commentary: Colorado teachers are ready to

strike to fix a broken education system. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from

https://www.denverpost.com/2019/11/29/colorado-teachers-are-ready-to-strike-

final-countdown/

Berge, D. (2019, April 30). My teacher salary was so low I slept in my car. Today, educators
 still barely get by. Retrieved October 17, 2020, from

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/04/30/teacher-strikes-pay-

salary-education-union-column/3574373002/

Breunlin, E. (2020, January 21). “I can’t afford to live here”: Colorado teachers plea for

wage help, but solutions still prove divisive. Retrieved October 18, 2020, from

https://coloradosun.com/2020/01/21/colorado-teacher-pay-state-legislature/

Brundin, J. (2020, May 6). Colorado School Districts Look To Trim Millions, Meaning Less

Pay, Possibly Fewer Schools And Fewer Schooldays. Retrieved October 15, 2020,

from https://www.cpr.org/2020/05/06/colorado-school-districts-look-to-trim-

millions-meaning-less-pay-possibly-fewer-schools-and-fewer-schooldays/

Colorado Education Association. (2020). Home page. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from

https://www.coloradoea.org/

Fisher, A. (2019, May 30). Menace Of Bullies: What Colorado Is Doing To Stop

Cyberbullying. Retrieved October 15, 2020, from https://patch.com/colorado/across-

co/menace-bullies-what-colorado-doing-stop-cyberbullying

Gray, H. (2018, November 26). What’s the Deal with Education Funding in Colorado?

Retrieved October 17, 2020, from https://www.5280.com/2018/11/whats-the-deal-

with-education-funding-in-colorado/

Meltzer, E. & Gonzales, J. (2020, June 17). A pandemic exposed the cracks in Colorado’s

school funding system and changed the conversation. Retrieved October 15, 2020,

from https://www.coloradoindependent.com/2020/06/17/a-pandemic-exposed-the-

cracks-in-colorados-school-funding-system-and-changed-the-conversation/

National Education Association. (2020). Home page. Retrieved October 14, 2020, from

https://www.nea.org/

OnlineSchools.org. (n.d.). Understanding Bullying and Cyberbullying. Retrieved October 15,

2020, from https://www.onlineschools.org/student-bullying-guide/

Safe2Tell Colorado. (n.d.). Home page. Retrieved October 16, 2020, from
https://safe2tell.org/
 Leadership and Advocacy in Educational Endeavors
TEL 410

Lesson 1: Advocacy and Leadership

Rubric Community Needs Assessment
Points Available: 60 Points

Fully Developed Developing Absent

7-10 points 5 - 6 points 0 - 4 points

10 issues and 9-7 issues and 0-6 Issues and

Step #1: Brainstorm concerns are listed. concerns are listed. concerns are listed.
a list of educational
issues/concerns in
your community.

Fully Developed Developing Absent

5 points 2 point 0-1 points

3 Issues are 2 Issues are 1 Issue is identified

Step #2: Then you identified from the identified from the from the brainstorm
will select three brainstorm list. brainstorm list. list.

issues from your

list to analyze
further.

Fully Developed Developing Absent

9 -13 points 5 - 8 points 0 - 4 points

Step #3: Analysis of Analysis of each Analysis of each Analysis of each

Advocacy issue is complete with issue is complete with issue is not complete
Issues/Concerns #1 answers to each of answers to 5 and/or
the 6 or 4 of the reflection includes answers to 3
reflection questions. questions. questions or less.

Step #3: Analysis of Analysis of each Analysis of each Analysis of each

Advocacy issue is complete with issue is complete with issue is not complete
Issues/Concerns #2 answers to each of answers to 5 and/or
the 6 or 4 of the reflection includes answers to 3
reflection questions. questions. questions or less.

Step #3: Analysis of Analysis of each Analysis of each Analysis of each

Advocacy issue is complete with issue is complete with issue is not complete
Issues/Concerns #3 answers to each of answers to 5 and/or
the 6 or 4 of the reflection includes answers to 3
reflection questions. questions. questions or less.

Fully Developed Developing Absent

3 points 1 point 0 points

Step #4: Advocacy focus is Advocacy focus is Advocacy focus is not

Identification of identified and identified identified.
Advocacy Focus connected to a but is not connected
current education to a
concern/issue. education
concern/issue.

All references are Some of the References are not

Step #5: included and in APA references are included.
References format. included and in APA
format.