[NLA] A Message for President's Day

[George E. Demetrion]

At the end of his important review of a recent ETS policy paper, Tom
Sticht writes:

These findings seem consistent with one conclusion from the report on
mediocrity and inequality in international perspective when it notes
that the United States "… accepts in fact, if not in rhetoric, a basic
skills underclass." (p.32).

>From a certain structural point of view in terms of maintaining current
power arrangements in US society, such an underclass may be viewed as
functional.  To use the terminology of critical pedagogy such rhetoric
may be viewed as the "hidden curriculum" of such an agenda.  Perhaps
Tom's documentation can provide an evidence-based platform to ground such
an ideological viewpoint.  However,  in the current climate of the USDE
such speculation may be viewed as a fad and an ideological product of a
certain sector of the educational establishment.  Still, given the
importance being placed on "American values," perhaps an ironic intent of
the Bush educational policy will result in a thorough and critically
profound analysis of the US democratic tradition, a revitalization of
which could also lead to the renewal of public and policy support for
adult literacy.  

But such a vigorous national debate on the importance of and impact of
democracy within the context of US society and culture will raise a
plurality of perspectives and will inevitably veer into the realm of
ideology.  Will the proponents of neo-conservative  ideology pervasive
within the current USDE allow for and even foster  such an open
discussion within the contexts of our classrooms and U.S. history and
civics curriculums, and throughout our public aiwaves?   Will print and
TV journalism provide significant scope for such discussion given the
alleged importance of democracy as this nation's core values or will
other more important values of the marketplace intrude?

 Will the progressive left be able to take seriously the significance of
the legacy of the US constitutional and democratic traditions as an
important framing perspective for ongoing political and cultural
discussions even while maintaining a sharp critical analysis of any
current embodiment of it in pointing to the importance of its greater
realization?  Is there a collective will among a broad specter of neo
conservative, liberal, and progressive philosophers and educators  who
are willing to work out critical issues of US democracy that takes the
importance of democracy itself, however variously defined, as a
methodological grounding point for the framing of such a national
dialogue?

 Or is the call to democracy itself, a form of rhetoric that functions as
a "hidden curriculum" to mask other ideological forces that would place
current power arrangements and corporate interests ahead of the
strengthening of the democratic vitality of the republic of the United
States of America, which neo-conservatives are attempting so much to
reinvigorate, at least at the level of rhetoric, if not in fact?  

I believe that for coherent national discussion to go forward,
progressives and liberals of various ideological strands need to enjoin
the neo-conservatives in this discussion of American democracy,
particularly in pressing forward the call toward perpetually establishing
"a more perfect union" in these United States of America.  

In my humble opinion, neither a filiopietistic embrace of the founding
fathers as heroes or a cynical deconstruction of their intent or of what
they actually accomplished in the constructtion of the Constiutution and
the partial embodiment of democratic ideals in the midst, often, of
extremely difficult challenges, will do. 

 I believe there is a profound middle ground here which could lead to a
substantial political and cultural revitalization of an inclusive and far
reaching US democratic tradition, though such potentiality would need to
be enacted through various forms of sustained political discourse.  This
would not necessarily lead to easy agreement on all the particulars about
on what constitues a democratic culture and society, but it would help to
provide a coherent frame of reference to ground public discussion about
the trajectory of national life. 

It is within such a democratic discourse, too, which I believe the
potential revitalization of adult literacy as a form of national treasure
resides.  A coherent politics of literacy is currently lacking that could
inform a national vision not only about its own worth, but about its
potential role in helping (however humbly and modestly) to revitalize a
democratic political culture; hence, the contribution, at least
potentially, of adult literacy education to the public good.  

Are we so inclined?

George Demetrion
(Publius)

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