A strategy for Oklahoma's teachers
From Altus to Miami, teachers are preparing to walk out to force the Legislature's hand on teacher pay raises. Striking, a longtime tactic for civic leverage, may seem intuitive, but without a collective goal to solve a systemic root cause and without targeting the person or group of people who can make the policy change, a walkout will fall on deaf ears.
Action civics is an in-class approach to robust civics education that provides students with civic knowledge, cultivates civic skills, and teaches students to participate in democratic processes all in the context of solving real community problems through government channels. The key framework for identifying and systematically addressing problems is the Advocacy Hourglass.
Such a structure can help any group working to collectively change a policy or a budget, and teachers deserve to have access to it to strengthen their approach as they strike for a fair wage.
This framework has worked as an outline in classrooms across central Oklahoma. These are some of the lessons we've learned from using the Advocacy Hourglass we hope will benefit the teachers who have taught us so much in this process:
● Articulate the community issues. At the moment of the teacher walkout, there also are many experiencing homelessness, hunger, or the limitations of minimal infrastructure for public transportation. By articulating these issues upfront and naming them, you hold them as a part of the collective issue and do not dismiss them.
This framework has worked as an outline in classrooms across central Oklahoma. These are some of the lessons we've learned from using the Advocacy Hourglass we hope will benefit the teachers who have taught us so much in this process:
● Articulate the community issues. At the moment of the teacher walkout, there also are many experiencing homelessness, hunger, or the limitations of minimal infrastructure for public transportation. By articulating these issues upfront and naming them, you hold them as a part of the collective issue and do not dismiss them.
● Set your collective policy goal. Now, you know what system you are working within and you need to identify a proven solution you can collectively request. It is important to bring in all of the players at this point. Collaboration is key to solicit buy-in from various parties and have a broad range of potential solutions.
● Identify your targets and your “ask.” Your targets are the person or persons who can make the change AND the person or persons who influence them. The “ask” is your clear request. If you want them to vote for or against a specific bill, your ask must include a yes or no on a specific bill number.
● Develop your tactics. Now you are ready to go into action. Without all three types of the following action, you are likely to fall short of your goal: Develop a strategic plan to lobby the decision-maker directly; Develop your argument; Rally support from the influencers.
It's time for the Legislature and Oklahoma teachers to come together to ensure that teachers are paid what they deserve, if for no other reason than those same teachers are training up a generation of engaged citizen who will not settle for this state of dysfunction.
