My Advocacy Journey or How I Learned to “Be Bold”.

I was lucky.  In my school counseling career, I always felt valued by my building and district.  Being
respected, being allowed to implement a comprehensive program, being seen as an integral part of the school’s functioning was never questioned.  Beyond making sure the needs of our district were met, I
never thought about advocating for school counselors.

Joining the ISCA board, I became aware for the first time of the need for advocacy at the state level.
Prior to my board involvement, I had paid virtually no attention to the political side of education in the state of Iowa.  I lived in my own little safe school/district world.  I had not even been really understood that school counselors had been written out of and then back into the code during my Iowa school counseling years.

I had no idea that I was about to begin my advocacy journey, one step at a time.

Step one.  
Visit the Hill, February 2013.
I had never even been inside the Iowa state house.  A morning of instruction in advocacy – how to communicate with your legislators effectively, educational issues of concern, the emphasis on telling your story.  What were they talking about?  I found it all overwhelming, and the prospect of our afternoon trip to the state house to meet with our legislators generally terrifying.  U of I school counseling interns (who had attended previously) guided me through the procedure of signing in to see our legislators.  Then the nervous meetings, not knowing what to say and  unsure that they would be interested in anything I did say.  My only message, “Hi, I’m Sue Farran, one of
your constituents, and I want you to know that school counselors are important.”  Not much of a
message.  But I did survive.  No one laughed.  And now I at least understood the process and had met my legislators.

Step two.
Visit the Hill, February 2014. 
Amazing what a difference one year makes!  The morning workshop sessions now seemed to speak directly to me and ISCA’s work in supporting school counselors legislatively.  Things I would not have seen myself doing now seemed more comfortable – discussions with ISEA lobbyists, creating an advocacy plan that could include lobbyists for ISCA, feeling passionate about our need to speak up and speak out.  Meeting with my legislators in the afternoon was much more comfortable, being able to say I had met with them before, being better prepared with stories to keep school counselors in their minds, and asking what questions they had.

Step three.   
Establishing email conversations.
In the 2014 legislative season, the Operational Sharing bill with its direct impact on school counselors demanded some response.  My first email contacts with my legislators regarding specific legislation.  Why was I so nervous?  Why did my usual confidence disappear in this process?  I composed my first messages and, my heart racing, took a deep breath and pushed the send button with my message to each legislator.  What was I so worried about?  My laptop did not explode.  I was still alive. No one laughed.  And I received a few responses.

Step four.  
Becoming active on the ISCA Advocacy Committee.
I gain so much from our computer chats as we learn and grow together and support one another’s efforts.

Step five.  
Interviewing, hiring, and working with our lobbyists.
This was huge!  Learning about the work of lobbyists and who could be a good match for ISCA. Now working with the Capitol Group (Jim, Pete, and Rob) and learning, learning, learning about the legislative process and the power of constituents.  This is exciting and almost addictive!

Step six.  
Presenting at the Iowa DE Newer Counselor Conference and the 2014 ISCA Conference on 
“Advocacy and the School Counselor”.

Just two years earlier this topic left me confused and fearful.  Now it fills me with a passion that I cannot wait to share with others!  Wow!

Step seven:  
Beginning the 2015 legislative season.
Emails to my legislators are much easier.  As per our lobbyists’ recommendation, in the fall of 2014 I email my legislators to introduce myself, let them know of my desire to stay current on educational issues, and ask to be placed on their mailing lists and to be advised of their local coffees.  I also extend thanks for their service and an invitation to contact me about any questions they might have regarding the role of school counselors.  I received responses from each of them.  This laid the groundwork for my later emails about the bullying bill, educational funding, and mental health resources.  We asked to have a school counselor included on the advisory committee for the bullying bill and the bill was amended to include a school counselor!  Hey, this stuff can work,
and it really isn’t so scary!

Step eight: 
Vist the Hill 2015.
I am prepped and pumped!  I have contacted my legislators that I am looking forward to meeting with them at Visit the Hill 2015. I have my stories ready and issues understood.  Then the snow hits and I cannot go.  I am genuinely disappointed!  (How far I have come!)

Not to be shut out of this opportunity, Susan Langan arranges an alternate date (St. Patrick’s Day) and we have a wonderful experience. Working with our lobbyists at the state house, we met individually with the key legislative players about educational bills and funding.  It was great!  We came away energized and ready to press on!

Step nine:  
Continuing on the ISCA Advocacy Committee.
Although my term on the ISCA board is ending, I will continue my involvement with the Advocacy Committee.

What have I learned so far?

1. Our legislators our hired by us.  They are interested in what their constituents have to say and want to be responsive to us.

2. The message we want to have our legislators hear about the role and importance of school
counselors is the message we give them, not their recollection of their former” guidance
counselor” or forgetting that we exist at all.

3. We need to build relationships with our legislators.  When they have questions about the role of
school counselors, we want them to ask us.  When we need to share a point of view or make a
request, that already existing relationship makes us more credible.

4. If we are not at the table, we will be at the mercy of those who are.

5. If we do not define our role and importance as professional school counselors, someone else will.

And so my advocacy journey will continue.  I encourage each of you to take a deep breath, step
outside your comfort zone, and start your own journey - one step at a time.  BE BOLD!

Sue Farran
Past President ISCA (2014-15)
sue.farran@gmail.com