Standards Revisions and Teachers' Voices: A Story of Participation, Politics, and Passion

Following a sustained involvement with the English language arts and reading standards revision process in their state, the authors reflect upon the political process, passionate determination, and participatory advocacy that shaped the work with their state affiliate. In this article, they discuss the events that occurred as the standards were revised under the leadership of the state board of education and the state education agency in conjunction with teacher workgroups and professional organizations. A chronological timeline is contextualized by the authors’ professional journeys toward advocacy and the future directions for implementing the revised standards in the state of Texas with general suggestions for how advocacy efforts could be implemented in other settings.