Which Type of Advocate Are You?

There are many ways to get involved in school & student advocacy. You don’t have to be the executive director of a large organization or group in order to make an impact.

We encourage you to look at the list below and see if any of these types of advocacy roles inspire you! Then, offer up your services to your local parent group. We all can make a difference!

Activist Extraordinaire – Love to be loud, shake things up and draw attention to our concerns. You’re good at giving public comments at school board meetings and coming up with the “big ideas” for your group to impact change at your local schools.

Accidental Advocate – I was just going about my business but what I saw happening in my school/district compelled me to take action. You’re good at knowing where to look for examples of ideology and indoctrination in your local school and asking questions of school officials.

Megaphone Marvel – Happy to take the mic at rallies, events and all areas of public speaking. You’re good at being the MC at parent group events and speaking at policy hearings.

Leader and Then Some – Sets direction of group or organization and finds the right place for volunteers. You’re good at being the leader of a parent group and delegating responsibility.

Slow and Steady – Great at longer-term projects and vision. You’re good at looking ahead in the calendar and preparing for what’s coming, like future school board elections and school budget decisions.

Supportive Skill Set – Provides an extra set of hands and encouraging words. More behind the scenes. You’re good at setting up tables and chairs at events and celebrating members of your group when they deserve a “great job!”

Design Dynamo – Drawn toward graphic design, visual communication, and all things branding. You’re good at creating flyers, logos, and advertisements for your parent group.

The Photographer – You love to capture special moments and always have your smartphone or DSLR camera in your hand. You’re good at taking photos of your group making an impact and recording videos at your group’s events.

Financial Wiz – Happy keeping the books and advising on how to best use your group’s financial resources. You’re good at paying invoices and documenting fundraising. 

The Voice – Excels at writing position statements, giving comments to the media, doing interviews and speaking for the team. 

Tech Guru – Never met a website, social media opportunity or list serve I didn’t like. You’re good at amplifying the group’s message through social media management and keeping the community informed through your group’s website.

The Write Way – Enjoys writing op-eds, blog posts, and school board meeting speeches (for yourself or a team member), to help inform the public. You’re good at writing letters to the editor to your local newspaper and crafting informative email communications to your community.

Jack of All Trades – No task too big or too small. This person’s motto is “If you need it, I can do it” You’re good at anything from grabbing supplies for posters, finding a school board member’s contact info or showing up to a school board meeting, rally or event. 

Anytime, Anyplace – Don’t mind the late night requests or completing a task under the cover of darkness. Overnight projects are my specialty. You’re good at staying up late to crunch a project that’s due the next day and brainstorming ideas when everyone else is sound asleep.

Policy Preferred – Loves to get into the weeds of policies and how things should be handled by a school district from a policy and procedures perspective. Robert’s Rules is your nighttime reading. Good at researching good policies to propose to your school board and watching long school board committee meeting recordings on YouTube.

Social Media Savvy – Addicted to Instagram, X, Facebook, etc. Loves to post and keep followers updated. Knows how to get the most views for a post and follows the number of ‘likes” consistently. You’re good at posting to social media and sharing relevant posts from others with your group.

Rainmaker – You are a great fundraiser. Ask supporters for money? No problem. Thrives when allowed to show donors the impact their contributions have to the ongoing success of an organization. You’re good at raising money for your group and knowing what issues/information current and potential donors care about.

Legal Eagle – Enjoys looking at advocacy from a legal perspective. The devil is in the details – and those details need to be legally followed. You’re good at identifying when a civil rights complaint should be filed and knowing what laws parents can invoke to assert their rights.  

Researcher Righteousness – Digs into the fine details of a situation. Leaves no stone uncovered and can synthesize findings and make them understandable. Behind the scenes, putting it all together. You’re good at manipulating Google search to find information that no one else can and digging through hundreds of pages of public records documents to find what’s relevant. 

Data Demon – Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets are your happy place. You’re good at sorting, creating formulas and presenting data to teammates.

Business Card Collector – Networking is your niche, always eager to introduce yourself to everyone in the room. You’re good at collecting business cards and building a large list of contacts. 

Bridge Builder – Skilled at bringing different sides together and facilitating constructive dialogue. You’re good at identifying which issues transcend political and cultural lines and messaging your issues to different groups in a way that’s relatable. 

Steady Eddie – Dependability is my middle name. If you ask me to do it, you don’t have to ask twice. You’re good at making sure work is submitted early and that a member of your group is always on time for a meeting with school officials.

Logistics Leader – Sets the strategic plan for your team. When you meet, how you meet, where you meet. You’re good at finding and booking meeting spaces and setting the agenda for group meetings.

The Secretary – You have a list for your lists and if you don’t write it down, you won’t remember it. You’re good at taking notes and recording what’s discussed at meetings and events.