NLA Questions for Guest, Lennox McLendon

[David J Rosen]

Lennox, and NLA Colleagues,

Below are the questions I have received so far.  If other NLA subscribers 
have questions they can send them to me any time before May, but sooner is
better. Lennox will join us the week of May 7th, and will respond to your
questions and be available for further discussion. The theme, you will
recall, is the world of public policy from the perspective of state ABE
Directors.

Finally, for those of you who may be eager to discuss some of these
questions -- please hold your thoughts until the week of May 7th.  

Thanks,

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator

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Dr. McLendon: Given your national perspective, would you comment on 
the fact that adult education at the state level is not always 
"housed" within the state's Department of Education.  Specifically, 
do you see any differences in the effectiveness of the adult 
education system in a state that directs AE through its DOE v. a state
that directs through its "Workforce Development" Department v. a 
state that directs through a Higher Education Board (i.e. community 
college system)? Is this a question that state directors are 
interested in discussing?

Kelly Bruce
National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy	
Harvard University Graduate School of Education
Email: Kelly_Bruce at gse.harvard.edu

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[From Lennox McLendon's bio]
"In his current role as the Executive Director of the National Adult
Education Consortium, he has two functions:  First, to respond to the
adult education information needs of the Congress and White House staff
members.  Secondly, to facilitate professional development activities for
the state directors of adult education and their staff members."

Whose voices are heard, filter "up" to folks like Lennox who speak
for the field?  One chronic issue I notice is not so much divisiveness,
per se, among us -- we *all* want to increase access to learning for
adults, I think -- but the ways in which we speak to, for and about adult
learners is often problematic.

Is there a way to speak of the need for increasing learning
opportunities/access without pathologizing learners?  Is there way to
make the need for resources known while NOT only framing deficit
views of adult learners?

I posed this question to a US Senator who suggested I contact his
aide.  The conversation did not move very far.

Janet Isserlis
<Janet_Isserlis at Brown.edu>
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1.  Stemming from your most optimistic viewpoint, how do you see the
ABE/adult literacy system developing over the next decade?  What would
need to happen for the system to achieve the results you envision?

2.  Stemming from your most pessimistic viewpoint, how do you see the
ABE/adult literacy system developing over the next decade?  What do you
think would cause this more negative outlook to prevail?  What might be
done to counteract that?

3.  What does your most "realistic" sense of the future lead you to
believe is likely to occur about the development of the system over the
next decade?  What implications do you draw from that perception?

4. In your view, what would it take to maximally connect sound practice
with sound policy?  Could you provide some description of what these
would be?

5. To what extent, do you feel, what Tom Sticht refers to as the
"turbulence" that currently characterizes our field can be resolved even
by the most effectively reformed system?  How should the field factor in
such turbulence as part of the process of constructing a vision and a set
of best practices and standards (if you will) that will best meet the
needs both of students and of policy concerns?

6.  From your perspective, what should be the ground upon which sound
policy is based?  What are the assumptions about the role of government
to the public good upon which these are based?

7.  From your perspective, what does the policy community most want to
know/learn from the practitioner community?  From the research community?

8.  From your perspective, what does the policy community most need to
hear (to listen to and respect) from the practitioner community?  From
the research community?

Finally, let me express my appreciation for coming on the NLA as a guest
commentator.

George Demetrion
<gdemetrion at juno.com>

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Hi Lennox, 

Thanks for taking time to answer our questions.  Mine have to do with the
varying structure of adult education programs in the states, and how that
impacts on literacy service provision as well as advocacy.  I think all
on the list would benefit from an overview of some sort.  How many states
have adult education directors?  How many do not?  How many adult literacy
or Title II programs are administered by state education departments and
how many are not?   In your experience, can you generalize about variation
in these circumstances?  One would assume that without a state director,
adult education would tend to be overlooked, but is that the case?  I know
that there are a few states in which adult education is administered by
the department of labor; how do those states tend to fare?  Finally, what
recommendations would you make to advocates for the field laboring in
these different kinds of conditions?  I guess behind all of what I'm
asking is the great contradiction, or one of them, of current legislation
governing funded programs.  Federal legislation and monies would seem to
offer a hope of basic expectations in terms of programs, staff
development, etc., but the on the ground implementation in states seems to
vary a great deal, making it difficult for advocates to band together
nationally or agree on issues.  How should advocates address this
variability?  

Debby D'Amico
<DEBBYDAM at aol.com>

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