School Advocacy Resources

Success Stories

School District Success Stories – Learn how school-based SLPs have successfully advocated for improved conditions in their district.

Caseload and Workload

Template letter to your administrator [DOC] – Use to request a meeting to go over data from the workload calculator, highlight results, and identify next steps to address workload successes and challenges.

State Caseload Chart [PDF] – Caseload guidance from states, including contacts and links to state regulations.

ASHA Workload Calculator – Weekly, monthly, and telepractice worksheets and workload analysis tools to identify workload responsibilities for your caseload.

2022 Schools Survey: Caseload and Workload Characteristics [PDF] – Data from the Schools Survey on employment, caseload and workload sizes, areas of intervention, and workload responsibilities.

NEA Backgrounder: Special Education Workload Analysis Model [PDF] – Framework to adapt to the changing responsibilities of special education service providers.

Negotiating for Improved Working Conditions, Salaries, and Funding

Advocacy Template Letters [PDF] – These template letters are designed to support SLPs in communicating with unions and school district administrators when advocating for stipends for the supervision of graduate students and/or clinical fellows.

Advocating for Change [PDF] – This step-by-step resource guides you through the process of advocating for improved working conditions in your school. Steps include analyzing the potential for change, identifying stakeholders and support, forming committees, making connections and developing an action plan.

Working for Change: A Guide for Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists in Schools [PDF] – Strategies on how to negotiate with school unions/associations and school administrators to advocate for identified individual and local needs.

School Funding Advocacy – Tools to identify and understand the complex and multiple funding processes involved in public school–based services from federal, state, and local perspectives.

Increasing Salaries in the Schools – Information on advocating for higher salaries and additional benefits with school unions and administrators.

Salary Supplement Initiative – Steps to advocate for a salary supplement through state legislation and regulation as well as through local district initiatives.

Schools Survey Workforce and Working Conditions [PDF] – Data from the latest Schools Survey on employment, years of experience in the profession and in the schools, geographic location, and other work-related questions.

Appropriate School Facilities for Students With Speech-Language-Hearing Disorders – Minimum requirements for creating optimal learning and assessment environments for students.

Working with Culturally, Linguistically, or Gender Diverse Students

IDEA Part B: Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students – Federal regulation that supports service delivery that recognizes cultural and linguistic diversity.

HHS Notice and Guidance on Gender Affirming Care, Civil Rights, and Patient Privacy [PDF] – Clarification and guidance on gender affirming care and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Supporting and Working with Transgender and Gender-Diverse People – Guidance on appropriate practices when working with transgender and gender-diverse people.

State Advocacy

State Association Workload Advocacy Survey Template – State association leaders can survey their members about workload challenges using this state workload survey template.

ASHA State-by-State – state requirements and contact information, hot topics, trends, and advocacy resources.

State Education Advocacy Leaders (SEALs) – Appointed by ASHA-recognized state speech-language-hearing associations, SEALs advocate on education issues, including caseload/workload, salary supplements, and maintenance on personnel standards. SEALs is one of the ASHA State-Based Advocacy Networks.

The Role and Benefits of State Consultants [PDF] – this one-page summary from www.seacdc.org highlights the influence and support offered by state consultants including professional development opportunities, technical assistance, support for recruitment and retention and to serve as a liaison between agencies, organizations, and professionals.