Chapter 3: Teacher Advocacy in English Education

Most English education programs focus on theories of literacy learning without preparing candidates to advocate for why they do what they do in the classroom. To address this gap, we argue that professional development programs should engage candidates in exploring concepts and strategies of advocacy. We believe that equipping candidates with tools for advocacy can better prepare them for the highly political roles that they will inhabit in and outside of the classroom as well as help them to assist students in advocating for their own purposes.