As Kids Head Back to School, It's More Important Than Ever to Advocate for their Educational Needs

Many of us thought this school year would bring a sense of normalcy and stability back to the lives of children. Unfortunately, this year is proving to be just as challenging, and it's more important than ever to advocate for the children in our lives to ensure that they get the best educational experience possible, despite the circumstances.

At CASA, we work hard to provide our volunteers with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate educationally for the children they serve, many of whom have moved through many different schools and have complex learning needs.

At CASA, we work hard to provide our volunteers with the knowledge and tools they need to advocate educationally for the children they serve, many of whom have moved through many different schools and have complex learning needs. It's every CASA volunteer's responsibility to inquire about whether a child's educational needs and goals have been met, which means that a different individualized approach is required for each child, dependent on their education level, abilities, and challenges.

We're constantly amazed by the ways our volunteers use their creativity, tenacity, and resourcefulness to ensure the children CASA serves are receiving the education they deserve.

We're constantly amazed by the ways our volunteers use their creativity, tenacity, and resourcefulness to ensure the children CASA serves are receiving the education they deserve. Recently, one volunteer logged into the virtual class of the child she served every morning, and she made sure he showed up to class so he could get the credits he needed to graduate on time. Another volunteer found out that the child he served was missing many records after multiple placement changes. After doing a lot of research, he made dozens of calls to all of the schools that the child had attended, and he obtained records he could pass on to the child's new school. Because of this volunteer's dedication, the child can now access the same services and support they previously had. 

Educational advocacy is important for all children, not just the children CASA serves. We’ve compiled a list of tips and resources to help you be the best advocate for the children in your lives.

Texas CASA: Educational Advocacy Toolkit

Texas CASA created a comprehensive guide to advocating for children in the Texas foster care system. It has lots of great tips that can be applicable to all children in the school system and goes into depth about how to advocate for special education needs and school readiness.

Texas CASA Article: Educational Advocacy in the Age of COVID-19

In this Texas CASA blog article, experts weigh in on ways that COVID-19 has impacted educational advocacy and offer tips on how to advocate in a virtual environment.

CASA of Travis County Blog: How to be an Awesome Advocate for Kids in the Classroom

This blog has tips on different approaches you can take to being a great advocate and has lots of advice from CASA staff on what has worked for them.

Children’s Educational Services: 10 Ways to be an Effective Advocate for your Child at School

This simple, easy-to-understand guide developed by Children’s Educational Services is a quick, 5-minute read with lots of great advice.

Child Mind Institute: Being an Effective Advocate for your Child

This article breaks down ways to advocate for children with complex mental health needs in school.

New York Times: Back to School: 4 Ways Parents Can Calm Their Fears

This New York Times article dives into ways we can help children dealing with anxiety as they start another school year full of unknown obstacles.

Understood.org: 8 Tips for Advocating for your Child at School

This article contains useful tips, including a downloadable parent-teacher conference worksheet that can help to organize thoughts going into a conference or teacher meeting.

Support educational advocacy for the children we serve as a CASA volunteer! Learn more here, or apply directly today.