Across the Schools2030 network, we often talk about amplifying the voices of teachers—making their ideas visible and their work understood. But advocating on behalf of teachers is not simple. It demands care, humility and deep listening.

Teachers are not waiting for others to tell their stories. They are already doing extraordinary things every day, often with huge constraints and challenges.

Our role, whether in communications, research, program design or partnerships, is to carry their stories faithfully and with integrity.

Without due care, we risk undermining what we are working toward: strengthening teacher agency, representation and inclusion in sector planning and policy dialogue.

Over 5 years of working alongside teachers in more than 1,000 schools across 10 countries, we’ve learned that authentic advocacy doesn’t start with messaging. It starts with relationships and trust.

Here are 5 lessons we have learned on how to advocate for teachers with honesty, empathy and hope:

1. Center teachers’ lived experience and agency

Often the best way to advocate on behalf of teachers is to make space for them to speak for themselves: to share how they experience their own journey.

Joyce Andesia, a teacher from Kenya, after attending the first Schools2030 Global Forum in 2022 shared: “I have been challenged to become creative, to understand my learners and to start coming up with more playful ways of learning.”

Her reflection isn’t about being helped. It’s about being trusted to lead. Schools2030 underscores teacher agency, recognizing educators as innovators and co-designers of student experiences, not mere implementers of the curriculum.

When we overlook their real perspectives, our voice rings hollow. And we miss opportunities to learn and strengthen our work alongside them.

2. Practice humility, reflexivity and openness

Schools2030 has learned many lessons since its inception in 2020, not only programmatically, but also when seeking to amplify teachers’ voices.

Authentic storytelling requires the same qualities that make great teachers: curiosity, reflection and humility.

Azra Dad, a teacher in Pakistan, described her own journey of learning through change: “Like many teachers, I used to think it was the students’ fault. But I was not fully satisfied with this answer. My courage improved and I became more confident to try out some other strategies.”

Her willingness to rethink her assumptions is a lesson for all of us. When we speak on behalf of teachers, we must question ourselves—asking whether our framing truly reflects their perspectives and adjusting when it doesn’t.

There are moments when we get it wrong: when a headline oversimplifies or a case study misses the nuance of a teacher’s experience. Communication, like teaching, is iterative: a process of learning and revision.

3. Balance story and evidence, feelings and facts

As communications expert Andy Goodman once said, “No one ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart.” But that doesn’t mean that facts and figures don’t play an essential role: they give teachers’ stories weight and help decision makers act.

In one example, Mwajuma Mlezi, a pre-primary teacher from Tanzania, shared the raw data. She recounted how 44 out of 100 students in her class had previously been unable to read or write, but this number had dropped to 11 students.

On its own, that data doesn’t tell us much. There is no why or how. But Mwajuma also went on to explain: “I write letters on pieces of papers and hand them to the students as they play on swings. During the play, they put the letters together to form a single word. It turned out to be both fun and educational for the students and myself.”

Now we have both the numbers and a beautiful visual image of the children and teacher playing, learning and having fun together. An image that breathes life into the data.

4. Recognize teachers as part of a wider ecosystem

Teachers don’t innovate in isolation. They’re not lone heroes and wouldn’t wish to be seen as such.

So many stories I hear from teachers not only acknowledge this fact, but also show immense gratitude for the systems, communities and partnerships around them. We do them a disservice if we ignore these ecosystems.

Take Gulnara Minbaeva, a teacher in Kyrgyzstan: “I felt a bit skeptical about interviewing students, […] but I was so wrong! […] I learned so much from them.”

Or Sajida Baig, a headteacher in Pakistan: “When parents saw their children learning through play, they started helping us. It created a beautiful connection between school and family.”

Behind every story like these are colleagues, school leaders and parents who support and work together to improve student learning. Authentic advocacy on behalf of teachers celebrates those networks of collaboration.

5. Tell stories that move through struggle, learning and hope

Few compelling stories start with success. They begin with something needing to change. We have learned that our teachers often share an observation or challenge to begin with as a way to show growth, not perfection.

Syed Shah, a primary school teacher in Pakistan, admitted struggling to get students to use his innovation—a 'Vocabulary box’ containing letters and words used in a variety of hands-on word games designed to improve English language lessons. The students initially “lacked interest.”

“But I didn’t give up.” he says, noting how the children gained more interest and their confidence grew. Finally, he triumphantly states: “At the end of each week, we open the boxes. The kids love it!”

It’s a joyful ending, but one reached through trial and persistence. If we gloss over the messy middle, we erase the reality of hard work and patience that teachers employ daily to create real impact for their students.

Speaking together, with care

Speaking authentically on behalf of teachers isn’t just the role of communications teams. It’s everyone’s responsibility from program officers writing reports and researchers analyzing data to funders describing impact.

Every report, presentation and conversation contributes to how teachers are represented in the world.

Doing this with humility means remembering teachers are not our subjects. They are our collaborators, guides and co-authors. Authentic communication lies in listening, learning and lifting up the people whose insights must shape the future of education.

When we speak with teachers and not just for them, their voices echo farther and more truthfully than any story we could write alone.