At the end of every term, my college sends out anonymous course evaluations for my students to complete. I genuinely enjoy reading through these evaluations—they offer a nice ego boost, of course, but more importantly, they provide valuable feedback on how I can improve my teaching. Since I tend to teach the same classes repeatedly, ensuring that my students get the most out of each course is a top priority for me.
Recently, while sifting through a particularly positive set of responses (and yes, patting myself on the back), one student’s comment stood out to me. In response to the question, “Do you have any suggestions that would improve this course?” the student wrote, “It is just one assignment I didn't like, the Advocacy Letter. Somewhat I feel it is mixing up ‘politics’ in our class and I can't fully wrap my mind around it.”
Let me give you some context. The course in question was Health, Safety, and Nutrition, and one of the assignments required students to write a letter advocating for children’s health, safety, and/or nutrition. The topics varied widely—some students wrote to their congressional representatives requesting gun control measures or increased funding for WIC, while others penned letters to the executives of childcare centers advocating for healthier food options. The assignment produced a beautiful assortment of advocacy letters aimed at supporting the well-being of our youngest citizens. Whether addressing immigration reform or a local safety concern like fixing a broken gate at a playground, none of these letters should be seen as political.
In the field of early childhood education, there’s no official governing body, but the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is widely recognized and highly regarded. In 2005, they established the Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment, which was later revised in 2011. This code guides our professional responsibilities, and the final section specifically addresses our ethical duties to the community and society. NAEYC acknowledges that, given our specialized expertise in early childhood development and education, we have a collective obligation to advocate for the best interests of children both within early childhood programs and in the broader community.
Here are some ideals from the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct that underscore the importance of advocacy in our profession:
I-4.3: To work through education, research, and advocacy toward an environmentally safe world in which all children receive health care, food, and shelter; are nurtured; and live free from violence in their home and communities.
I-4.6: To promote knowledge and understanding of young children and their needs, and to work toward greater societal acknowledgment of children’s rights and greater social acceptance of responsibility for the well-being of all children.
I-4.7: To support policies and laws that promote the well-being of children and families, and to work to change those that impair their well-being. To participate in developing policies and laws that are needed, and to cooperate with families and other individuals and groups in these efforts.
These principles are precisely why I assigned the advocacy project. Advocacy is not the same as politics. This assignment was not politically motivated; it was designed to help my students practice advocating for the children in their care. As early educators, we’re often made to feel like we don’t belong in policy-making spaces, that we should leave that work to others. But here's the reality: those making policies that affect children are often lawyers, businesspeople, and others who may not have expertise in child development. If we want policies that genuinely help and protect children, we need to speak up—because advocating for the well-being of children is not just our right, it's our responsibility.
Now, some might read this and think, “Wow, she’s really upset about a student’s critique and needs to defend herself in a blog post.” Sure, I don’t enjoy being criticized, and yes, I do take it personally. But this post isn’t about defending myself—it's about defending the role of educators in advocacy.
It’s time to shatter the illusion that teachers don’t have a role in policymaking. We are the experts, and our voices matter—not just because we bring valuable knowledge to the table, but because we speak for those whose voices are often ignored: our children. Advocacy isn’t about taking sides or aligning with a political party; it’s about fighting for what’s best for the children and families we serve. Let’s reclaim our place in these conversations, because if we don’t advocate for our kids, who will?
This post is an edited version of an original blog post I previously published.
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