ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Debbie reflects on her experience as she shifted from Lil Boy Blue, Smurf, Juice, and Lil Garfield’s teacher to their advocate. The group had been working together for four semesters at Nuestra Casa, an alternative high school program. Since several of the students, including Smurf, were exceeding their eligibility for the program and were required to return to traditional public high school, and others had met graduation requirements, Debbie decided to resign her position as their teacher, concentrate on her graduate studies, and advocate for the boys. She became the boys’ advocate with the full support of their families. The stories in this chapter show how difficult it was for Debbie to gain permission from school officials to advocate and how nearly impossible it was for the boys to graduate and experience commencement with their class. Debbie offers readers lessons she learned about advocating. We join voices at the end of the chapter to discuss how Debbie’s advocacy and research methods coalesced into a powerful form of critical ethnography.
