Offering a speech and debate class during the day allows you dedicated time to work with students in a structure that guarantees you see the same students every time. It can also expose more students to the benefits of the activity and improve your work-life balance by reducing the frequency or intensity of after-school practices.
Building speech and debate into your school’s curriculum also offers program and job security: teams with classes are significantly more stable than teams without. Stable programs are likely to endure even in the event of a coach’s departure. 66% of stable programs have at least one class as opposed to only 47% of unstable programs and 59% of somewhat stable programs. Classes provide stability and stable programs endure—it is far more difficult to cut a class built into the curriculum with funding than an extracurricular activity.
This guide is designed to help you request a class from your administration. Upon completion, you will be able to:
- Showcase student and parent interest.
- Demonstrate how a class helps your school achieve its goals.
- Determine the positioning and structure of your course.
- Make a pitch incorporating data and student voices.
- Plan for the year ahead if your request is granted or prepare to adjust your pitch if your request is tabled.
Image by Freepik