[AAACE-NLA] A critical time for advocacy

[Catherine B. King]

Hello Judy:

It is my own view from Watching Washington often that the
same kind of language is being used in the "Leave No
Child Behind" legislation, i.e., "scientific research," etc.,
that we are hearing in adult education.

Also, what we are experiencing here is pervasive and
"hell-bent" across all government programs and departments,
for instance in this morning's NYTimes:

The Civil Service Faces an Overhaul
The Bush administration is quietly making sweeping reform
of the Civil Service system and workers are concerned. It
will take the work of the Senate to allay those concerns.

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/12/opinion/12THU2.html?th


There is something else missing--the underpinning of
reasonability.   A case in point--and only one among many:

When John Ashcroft sat before a House or Senate committee
the other day on C-SPAN, he was asked very pointed questions
from one house member.  He answered the question--but it was
as if he had been asked another question instead of the one he
was asked.

In talk after talk, speech after speech, and answer after answer
there is a "reasonability disconnect" going on.  It's not a
real engaged exchange or dialogue that is happening, but rather
pure bi-partisan sophistry.  You cannot even disagree with the
answer--because the answer is not at all connected with the
question.  Instead of disagreeing or agreeing, or adding something,
or performing any kind of dialectic, I just want to say, "Huh?"

It is disheartening, and difficult to argue in such an environment
where there is such a disjunction between speaking and listening.

Censorship is indeed one way to forge the way for a specified
ideology, and we are witnessing this already.  But the loss of
commitment to dialogue and reasonability within that dialogue,
manifest in the lack of response to unwanted questions among
our leadership, is another kind of censorship.  Either way, those
who speak of "accountability" at every turn are not themselves
maintaining their own accountable.

Regards,

Catherine King

----- Original Message -----
From: <JATDP at aol.com>
To: <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2003 4:49 AM
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] A critical time for advocacy


> The list seems eerily quite at a critical time for advocacy. I would like
to
> relate a concern and ask for suggestions on ways to gain allies, approach
> policy makers, and advocate on behalf of preserving years of field
knowledge.
>
> It seems that an important resource has gone missing from the assessment
> special collection. Adventures in Assessment, published for years by SABES
(System
> for Adult Basic Ed Support) in Massachusetts, is a wonderful collection of
> articles, alternative assessment tools, and teacher experience in real
> classrooms struggling with the hard questions of how to measure success in
adult
> education. My query to the Assessment Listserv as to why this resource was
now
> missing from the special collection was not posted.
>
> It believe it is critical that we find allies within the broader field of
> education, including health education, to publicize what at least appears
to be
> censorship, and strategize collectively around actions. Research,
resources and
> field knowledge (ERIC, listservs, special collections), advocacy, all seem
to
> be vulnerable.
>
> Suggestions?
>
> Judy Titzel
> Providence, RI
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