How to Help Improve the Education System: Step-by-Step Guide

This updated guide explains how to Help Improve the Education System through clear steps, practical examples, and important checks that help prevent common errors.

Method 1 of 4:

Supporting Politicians

Familiarize 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.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Pay 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 needs to support and encourage teachers, improve school structure, and/or make higher education more accessible.^{[2]XResearch source}
Display 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.
Volunteer 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.^{[3]XResearch source}
Vote 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.^{[4]XResearch source}

Method 2 of 4:

Encouraging Policy Change

Educate 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.^{[5]XResearch source}
- For 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.
Participate 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.^{[6]XResearch source}
- The 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.
Write 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 may need to talk to. Then, write a clear, cohesive, formal letter or email that articulates your concerns and ideas.^{[7]XResearch source}
- If 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.
Inform 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.^{[8]XResearch source}
- You 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.
Run 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.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Keep 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 3 of 4:

Raising Money for Education

Donate 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.^{[10]XResearch source}
- If 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/.
Start a fundraising page for a local school. If you may need 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.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Many people have started GoFundMe pages and successfully raised money through them for educational field trips, new playgrounds, classroom tablets, and more.
Organize 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 4 of 4:

Improving Education as an Elected Official

Hold 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.^{[12]XResearch source}
- This should help keep individual schools from slipping through the cracks by encouraging all public schools to strive for the same standard.
Allow 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.^{[13]XResearch source}
Support 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.^{[14]XResearch source}
Push 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.^{[15]XResearch source}
- STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to Help Improve the Education System?

Start with the requirements in this guide, then follow each step in order. Check the result after every major change so problems are easier to identify.