Growing up, Bethany Gay saw the impact of educational inequities. 

Because of her mother’s work, Gay frequently moved to different communities and saw that some students had access to classes that would boost their chances of getting into college, and others did not. 

At age 14, Gay saw another example of unequal education. 

“I had a mentor, Barbara Vanasse, who lived in our trailer park, and she was a special education teacher at a collaborative working with students with severe and moderate disabilities. One summer, she invited me to go to work with her.” 

Gay went and began helping out. “I loved it,” she recalls. “It gave me a sense of purpose.” 

The experience also nudged her toward a career in education. 

In college, Gay studied fashion and thought about becoming a buyer for Bloomingdale’s children’s section. But then she ran into Vanasse who insisted that Gay belonged in education. 

“I saw Barbara, and I switched majors the next semester.” 

After graduating, Gay’s career included roles helping people with disabilities use public transportation and working as a kindergarten inclusion teacher in Wareham’s public schools. 

Today, Gay is a member of Strategies for Children’s Advocacy Network, and she’s the coordinator of the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) Network in Falmouth and Mashpee on Cape Cod. 

As we’ve blogged, CFCE’s provide a range of services to families.

“We run play-and-learn groups in Mashpee and Falmouth, about 18 programs per week,” Gay says. “We work with families whose children are zero to six years old. We find resources to support them with whatever needs they have. We offer parent education classes. And we’re part of the national ParentChild+ program, which is an evidenced-based home visiting program that promotes literacy for caregivers at home and for home-based child care providers.”

Joining the Advocacy Network—and working with Falmouth’s Select Board

Gay learned about Strategies for Children’s 9:30 Call from colleagues and became a regular participant. When she learned about the Advocacy Network, she decided to apply. The best part of the Advocacy Network, she says, is that it builds confidence. 

“I feel stronger. I feel more confident in using my voice. I’ve enjoyed the support of the other Advocacy Network members and the Strategies for Children team. They make you feel like you can pretty much do anything.”

For her Advocacy Network Project, Gay is working with Falmouth’s Taskforce for Workers and Families. Set up by Falmouth’s Select Board, the taskforce is developing “an action plan to promote a better quality of life for working individuals and families in Falmouth.” A key part of this work, Gay explains, is thinking about how to support young families; this includes thinking about child care and early education. 

“Because I’m a Wareham resident, I can’t join the taskforce, but I’ve spoken to them about the importance of early education and vouchers, and they’ve invited me to come to their meetings. They’ve also asked me to research how other towns are supporting child care: who runs it, for what ages, and how much it costs.” 

Gay says this work has also been a huge opportunity to learn about child care as well as about housing and zoning laws. 

“Working with people and trying to come up with solutions has been very positive. We hope to have some viable recommendations to share with the Select Board about how to support early education and care.”

“Essential Infrastructure”

In addition to doing advocacy work, Gay thinks it’s important for advocates to share the lessons they’ve learned to inspire others. 

We also asked Gay what she wants policymakers to know about her work.

“Early education should be treated like it is essential infrastructure because it truly is,” she says.

“I believe in a mixed delivery system of free, high-quality early education with a workforce that is supported, respected and well compensated. 

“After I earned a master’s degree, I would have loved being a teacher in an early education classroom, but I knew that job wasn’t going to pay my graduate school bills or support my growing family.”

And based on her own experiences and the experiences of all the children she has worked with, Gay wants policymakers to understand how important educational equality is. 

“Because I was always moving to a different school system, I didn’t have that equal footing going into schools. And going into new schools is hard. But if everyone has the same footing and the same opportunities, that’s going to make their foundation so much stronger.”

What advice does Gay have for anyone who wants to become an advocate or increase their advocacy? 

“You don’t have to be an expert or even a policy expert to create change. If you develop relationships, do your research, and tell real stories about how change can make a difference, you can drive things forward.”