Advocacy 101

Advocacy 101: The Future of Language Teaching Stony Brook University Center for Italian Studies

Francesco L. Fratto Director of World Languages & English as a Second Language Half Hollow Hills CSD October 04, 2011

Interesting Facts…..  United Kingdom: 71% (1997) / 44% (2008) - “National Crisis” - Agenda to increase enrollment  200 Million Chinese Schoolchildren studied English (2008)  60,000 U.S. Students studied Chinese (‘07-’08)  U.S. lacks a national action plan

Statistics Year

FL Enrollment Overall Enrollment Percentage

ď ś 2004-2005

8,638,990*

47,983,788

18.00%

ď ś 2007-2008

8,907,201**

48,112,069

18.51%

Foreign Language Enrollments in K-12 Public Schools: Are Students Prepared for a Global Society? (2010). Alexandria VA: American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

24states did not provide data ** 17 states did not provide data Enrollment data for those states that did not provide data was estimated

New York State Language

2004-2005

2007-2008

French

123,392

116,236

Spanish

507,480

559,432

Chinese

3,760

6,919

ASL*

41,579

66,887

Italian*

65,058

78,273

* National Data

Do you know the enrollment numbers in your department?

AD路VO路CA路CY / NOUN : the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal : the act or process of advocating something

TO MAKE YOU THINK‌ Situation # 1: The Italian program will be phased out and eventually eliminated. You are at a Board of Education Meeting to defend your program.

Situation # 2: Your students participated in a contest and won, now what?!

Situation # 3: A member of the media asks you as question. Are you prepared to answer it?

INDEX CARD Question # 1

Question # 2

 Your response(s)

 Your response(s)

 Colleagues’ responses

 Colleagues’ responses

Question # 3

Question # 4

 Your response(s)

 Your response(s)

 Colleagues’ responses

 Colleagues’ responses

WHAT ARE YOU ADVOCATING? Question # 1

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT TO DO SO? Question # 2

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO REACH? Question # 3

HOW DO YOU INTEND TO REACH YOUR AUDIENCE? Question # 4

Question # 4 is the toughest! Find out the following! 

District Website – who controls it?

 Newsletter(s)–Building? District? who accepts articles? Media – Know your district’s protocols when reaching out to the press!  Best ways to reach parents? eBoard? Website? Are you a member of several language associations? If not, how do I join?

How do you advocate on a daily basis?  Raison d’etre  Professionalism  Words  Handouts / materials

 Can you add to the list?

Half Hollow Hills’ Department of World Languages

 Let’s take a tour…………………….

FLACS: Excellence in Advocacy  Let’s visit FLACS  Elimination of SLP and Regents  How did FLACS respond? Did we go it alone?  Where does its power come from?  How can you help? Item writing…..

Will you be an advocate for the Italian Language & Culture?

ď ś If so, how?

Now, can you answer these questions?  Situation # 1: The Italian program will be phased out and eventually eliminated. You are at a Board of Education Meeting to defend your program.  Situation # 2: Your students participated in a contest and won, now what?!  Situation # 3: A member of the media asks you as question. Are you prepared to answer it?

Grazie!