Advocacy Leaders
Today, more than 35 LEE members are senior leaders in education-focused advocacy organizations. In the next five years, LEE aspires to quadruple the number of LEE members leading effective state and local education advocacy organizations and community organizing campaigns. There are plenty of opportunities for LEE members to get involved and lead advocacy efforts in their community, as organizations like 50CAN and Stand For Children expand rapidly.
See the list of LEE policy and advocacy leaders.
Rachel Hicks and Sanford Johnson Found Organization Dedicated to Making Mississippi First
In 2008, Rachel Hicks and Sanford Johnson founded Mississippi First, an organization that “advocates the best public policy solutions…to revitalize Mississippi’s democracy, through partnerships with key policy makers, politicians and the public to identify priority problems, research solutions, advocate for recommendations, and evaluate the implementation of relevant policies ”.
Youth Advocate, Political Convert: Erica Debardeleben reflects on the role politics plays in her work with under-represented youth
As an advocate at Sasha Bruce Youthworks, Erica helped homeless and court-involved youth and their families navigate the “sticky and complicated educational landscape that is the Washington, DC school system.”
Elected Officials Back Chris Myers Asch and Shawn Raymond’s Public Service Academy
Recognizing the need for a sustained supply of strong public leaders, Chris and Shawn created the United States Public Service Academy. Now, with 23 co-sponsors in the Senate (including initial sponsors Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)) and 123 in the House, their initial 13 page proposal is closer than ever to reality.
Manuel Buenrostro Keeps Students at the Forefront as an Obama Organizing Fellow
Over 10,000 young people applied to the program nationally and 3,600 were selected. Buenrostro’s vision of grassroots organizing and prior experiences in the corps and in politics helped him secure one of the coveted spots in the Washington D.C. fellows program.
Helen Adeosun Engages Students with a Trip to the DNC
In her first year of the corps, Adeosun became dedicated to helping her students become involved in politics. This dedication led to the large undertaking of sponsoring a field-trip to the DNC in Denver, Colorado- over 1,400 miles away.
Obama Delegate, Dominque Warren, Discusses Road to Convention
For Warren, the road to becoming a delegate at the Democratic National Convention in August began long before Obama began his candidacy. “My mentor spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, and told me about this young man Obama."
Kirti Baranwal and Alex Caputo-Pearl Seek Innovation in School Reform
Kirti and Alex had been trying to get more resources and improvements for their schools in Los Angeles for years. Baranwal helped her school craft a new vision plan, while Caputo-Pearl helped found numerous community organizations intent on creating a movement towards educational equity. Time and again, their efforts hit a brick wall.
Dericka Hudson Teachers Civic Involvement in the Classroom
Dericka acts as a civic leader in a movement hoping to get students involved in local government. As an advisor for Miami Youth Council, a program recently implemented by the Miami Mayor’s Office, Hudson works with other educators to “encourage high school students to participate in and become knowledgeable about their local government.”