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1. Advocacy Advocating for German Shari Fox
St. Louis Park Junior High
MCTLC / MNAATG Fall Mtg.
2. Advocacy
3. Advocacy Keeping strong! KEY: Good relations with
Families
Students
Colleagues
Community
Communicating importance of German
Everywhere to everyone!
Constantly
4. Advocacy Families E-Newsletter every 6-8 weeks
Articles in the School Newsletter
Keeping in touch with issues, rewards
Your own Web Site
Homework/Projects involving parents
Extra-curricular activities (Clubs, trips, etc.)
Build their confidence in you
5. Advocacy Extra-Curricular Activities International Rollerparty
German Club
International Cooking Club
Hip Hop Club
Talent Show
The more kids you relate well to, the better your reputation, the more your program grows, the more support you earn
6. Advocacy School Involvement Extra curricular activities
Billboards (subject matter, labels, etc.)
Project Displays
Displays about German
Special summative assessments (experiential)
Staff development (offer workshops)
Colleagues support active/important school members
ADVERTISE! Put it on district website, in the Newsletter, etc.
7. Advocacy Contests GACC
Goethe Institute
Step into German
AATG
Contests are fun and when you win, its great PR!
ADVERTISE IT!
8. Advocacy Community Involvement Use District Website for PR
Local paper
Service Learning projects
Companies / Tour German-based companies; make connections concrete
Germanic American Institute
Immersion school volunteering
9. Advocacy keine Zeit
Wer keine Zeit hat,
diese Beziehungen zu pflegen,
riskiert ganz einfach
sein Deutsch-Programm.
Die Konkurrenz ist gro!
10. Advocacy Crisis? A plan to remove German, or
reduce language options has
been rumored or announced.
What do you do?
11. Advocacy What to do Dont take it personally
Find out the facts:
Why?
When effective?
How (at which levels, entire or phase-out)?
Who decides?
What is the decision process?
How can YOU be involved in the decision process in a professional manner?
12. Advocacy Steps, II Get the FACTS!
Meet with your principal
Take careful notes
Be prepared
LISTEN, reiterate to clarify
Du willst Gegenargumente entwickeln.
Your credibility is at stake!
13. Advocacy And
If choice between 2 languages,
WORK TOGETHER
14. Advocacy Samples reasons Spanish is the language of choice
Need to fill the growing demand
Cant support such a small program
We need to ease scheduling issues
We need to free up money for
Not as important as a life skill / no applications
15. Advocacy Counterpoints
Form possible counterpoints/solutions to the previous reasons offered for cuts.
Know your community issues and interests
Remembernon-emotional, factual evidence is of the essence!
16. Advocacy Sample Counterpoints How does cutting save money?
Show the math
Fund other program using grant or federal money?
German is not the only or even main cause of scheduling issues
Show us how it could ease issues
Offer solutions to the issues (get creative)
German program may be smaller, but growing / stronger
Attrition rates, enrollment!
17. Advocacy Sample Counterpoints, II German as a business & science language
Different languages have different applications
Offering fewer languages leaves kids all with same skills --- who has the niche?
Importance of language choices in global society
Spanish is language of choice
Reduced options means less diversity
Most popular is not always the most beneficial
We are the educators! If it went by popularity, would there be math, science and reading?
18. Advocacy Sample Counterpoints, IV German program may be smaller, but growing / stronger
Lower attrition rates
Increasing enrollment!
Show trends
Compare to Spanish, but not French
? Is this a move to fund other, new programs?
Would make the budget point MOOT
Not wise to cut existing, strong programs in order to engage in new, risky programs.
You may never get it back!
New program may not be supported (remember Japanese, Russian)
19. Advocacy Was dann? Make a ppt. presentation on your German Program and its applications
Glaubwrdige Quellen angeben! Nicht einfach googlen.
Present personally to involved decision makers
Superintendant
Site council
Principals
School Board
Dept. Heads
Public Forum?
Get on the School Board Agenda
Have community support present!
20. Advocacy Kids Kids are talking, what do you say?
Dont ignore it
Answer diplomatically
Dont be negative about other languages
Dont let them worry
Reassure them of importance and relevance of German
Give them arguments to counter other students
21. Advocacy Und noch was Stay professional
Stay informed, seek communication with principal
Inform, inform, inform everyone
Stay involved in the process
It may take years
22. Advocacy viel Erfolg!