If you aren’t happy with your government’s education system, you may be wondering what you can do to make it better. While improving the education system isn’t easy, there are ways that you can make a positive impact.
StepsMethod 1Method 1 of 4:Supporting Politicians
1Familiarize yourself with different candidates’ stances. Educate yourself on the upcoming elections in order to get to know the different candidates and what they stand for. Watch the news and debates on TV, and do some research online on websites like USA.gov to stay informed and to determine which candidates you should support in order to help improve the education system.XPay attention to all elections, from local board of education elections to presidential elections. These are all important and influential in different ways.If you aren’t sure which candidate values education more, consider supporting the one who wants to support and encourage teachers, improve school structure, and/or make higher education more accessible.X
2Display paraphernalia that advertises your preferred candidate’s name. Show support for your preferred candidate publicly by wearing t-shirts, hats, and buttons that display their name. You can also put signs in your yard or bumper stickers on your car that have the candidate’s name on them.This may make family, friends, and others who you come in contact with interested in learning more about the candidate, which could eventually lead to more votes for them.
3Volunteer for a campaign. Political campaigns often rely heavily on volunteers to spread the word and seek out support. Contact your preferred candidate’s office via email or phone and ask how you can help. They’ll likely have something for you to do, such as stuff mailers or put up signs around town.X
4Vote for politicians who value education improvement. After gaining a solid understanding of which candidates prioritize education and which don’t, register to vote if you haven’t already. On election day, go vote for the candidate who prioritizes education. Voting will bring your preferred candidate that much closer to winning and improving the education system.XMethod 2Method 2 of 4:Encouraging Policy Change
1Educate yourself on education policies through the media. Do some research online and/or watch the news to develop an understanding of how your government functions as a whole, how the education system specifically works, and also to learn about what’s going on currently in education. By doing this, you’ll be able to pinpoint flaws in the education system and start thinking about possible solutions.XFor example, you might watch the news and see a story about the public school teacher turnover rate being at an all-time high. This might make you think about ways that the government could better support teachers so that they feel more motivated to work hard and to stay in their positions.
2Participate in rallies and other events. There are often rallies and marches that are planned in order to display support for reform on a large scale. Look into education-related political rallies in your area and take part in them. Additionally, if an important political leader makes a decision that doesn’t benefit the education system, you can participate in peaceful protest.XThe March for Public Education occurs annually in Washington, D.C. and in cities all across the United States.For example, if the president makes budget cuts in schools across the nation, people may come together to protest against this decision.
3Write letters to elected officials. If there isn’t an election soon, you can also do your best to influence the people who are currently in office. Get the contact information of the official you want to talk to. Then, write a clear, cohesive, formal letter or email that articulates your concerns and ideas.XIf you’re looking for the contact information of an elected official in the United States, you should be able to find it at https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials.
4Inform a large audience through social media. Social media has become a major tool used to express political thoughts and opinions. It’s also used to inform people of current political events. Use this platform to reach all of your friends, family members, and acquaintances. Post educational articles and your personal thoughts on sites like Facebook and Twitter.XYou can also post pictures of your “I Voted” sticker after voting to encourage others to hit the polls.Make sure to be kind and respectful in how you share political viewpoints on social media sites, or else others may not read your posts or take them seriously.
5Run to be on your local school board. School board duties vary depending on where you live, but most of them are made up of a group of elected unpaid volunteers who are governed by bylaws. The board makes decisions about funding, school calendars, and many other things. To run, reach out to your town, city, or county clerk to find out if you’re eligible. If you are eligible, the clerk should give you all of the paperwork you’ll need to complete and submit in order to run.XKeep in mind that while being on the school board can give you influence and power, it can also be demanding and time-consuming. Be ready to spend at least 25 hours a month on school board activity if you’re elected.Method 3Method 3 of 4:Raising Money for Education
1Donate to an education-focused nonprofit organization. There are many nonprofit organizations that focus on different aspects of education. Do some research online to find one that you’re passionate about, and make donations to the organization in order to help them improve the education system in one way or another.XIf you think that the education system would benefit the most from supporting teachers better, check out https://www.donorschoose.org.If you want your money to go to an organization that helps in a variety of ways, including funding specific school projects and providing breakfasts for students, go to https://www.neafoundation.org/donate/.
2Start a fundraising page for a local school. If you want to help on a more local level, this may be a good option. Contact schools in your community and see what kind of help they need. Then, go to a site like GoFundMe, at https://funds.gofundme.com/dashboard/create, and create a fundraiser page for it.XMany people have started GoFundMe pages and successfully raised money through them for educational field trips, new playgrounds, classroom tablets, and more.
3Organize a fun local fundraising event or contest. A great way to get people to donate to a cause is by creating a fundraising opportunity that they can have fun with. Organize an event, and charge a reasonable amount for tickets or sale items. Then, donate all of the proceeds to a specific education-related need in your community.Brainstorm fun events that people may like to participate in, such as holiday parties, road races, jump rope contests, auctions, and garage sales.Method 4Method 4 of 4:Improving Education as an Elected Official
1Hold underperforming schools accountable so that they evolve. Push for more frequent and extensive evaluations of individual schools. Brainstorm potential consequences for low testing scores and then implement them so that the teachers and administrators at schools are more motivated to help their students test well.XThis should help keep individual schools from slipping through the cracks by encouraging all public schools to strive for the same standard.
2Allow parents to choose where their children attend to motivate schools. Push for school choice, so that parents have the ability to move their children to a better school if the one they’re currently attending is failing. This can also act as a motivator for teachers and administrators to provide the best education possible, so that the most motivated students want to attend their school.X
3Support technology in the classroom to vary the learning process. Innovation provides learning alternatives and can also make learning more efficient. Encourage innovation and allocate money towards it if possible, as new technologies can aid students with learning disabilities, serve as an alternative teaching method, and engage students more.X
4Push higher standards and support STEM programs to prepare students. Support higher standards in curriculum and also encourage programs like STEM that teach students about subject areas that are highly valued in the working world. This should help more students graduate high school, get into college, and become successful in the long run.XSTEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.
