[AAACE-NLA] Are we advocating for the Senate Version or thePreservation of NIFL?

[Sissy Kegley]

To be clear, I am not in disagreement with either Carl or George.

Rather, my parenthetical comment noting the lack of attention for Title
Two of WIA highlights, I believe, the paucity of dedicated resources for
advocacy on literacy issues, as opposed to 'workplace training'. Why is
there so much more, relatively speaking, info available about Title One
than Title Two? Could it be that this accessible info is compiled by our
friends in the immigrant-advocacy field (as opposed to "educators") who
work for (and are paid by) agencies dedicated to influencing policy?

Yes, George, my understanding is that Title One is irrelevant to the
NIFL issue. And, yes, your point concerning our ambiguous collective
message is well-taken.

If I'm not wrong, then, we have 3 possibilities:

One, NIFL as referenced in title two of WIA (1998);
Two, NIFL as referenced in the House version;
Three, NIFL as referenced in the Senate version.

Is that an accurate scenario of what needs to be summarized?


Sissy Kegley
ESOL/Adult Education
(301) 588-4333 home office
(301) 467-5364 cellular
sissy.kegley at verizon.net


-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of George E.
Demetrion
Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2004 1:13 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] Are we advocating for the Senate Version or
thePreservation of NIFL?

On Tue, 13 Jan 2004 07:08:13 -0500 "Sissy Kegley"
<sissy.kegley at verizon.net> writes:

>It's worth noting, in my opinion, that as difficult as it is to find 
>the analysis of WIA we're looking for, the information that does
surface
>applies primarily to Title One, and not Title Two.

I'm assuming the Title I comparison would be irrelevant, or largely so
to
the NIFL issue?
>
>How many people on this list can say that within the purview of their
>job description is a mandate to draft a side by side analysis of House
>and Senate legislative language?

I don't think the issue is a comprehensive analysis, but some clear
points on why the initiators of this action are asking us to have our
reps support the Senate version.  My understanding of elementary
lobbying
is that your getting people on message about the same key concepts.  Now
the case for supporting the adult literacy focus of NIFL is very clear,
nd, as I understand the concern, some are apprehensive (for good
reason!)
that unless a strong case is to be made by the field in support of the
adult literacy focus of NIFL, that may very well be eroded through the
Conference process. 

If >that< is the message, well and good, make that the message.  If the
message is, however, that the Senate version better supports NIFL as is,
then that needs to be highlighted through some specifics in the Senate
version.
>
> >
>My agreement with Debbie Yoho's position (i.e., that we don't have the
>luxury to wait for someone else to do the work for us) notwithstanding,
>a related issue is that the field of adult education desperately needs
>an infusion of $$ dedicated to advocacy.

Yes, but we do need to know exactly what we're advocating for and why.

George Demetrion
>


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