[NLA] Strategic use of resources

[Eileen Eckert]

(Once more into the breach--carefully...)
In a response to David Rosen's proposal for a state-level AELS, I focused on 
the teacher certification point and asked about the intended and unintended 
outcomes. From the responses that have been posted, I am coming to the 
conclusion that while certification may not, in some cases, do harm (e.g., 
Andrea's comment that certification didn't get in the way of her 
development), in other cases it does do harm (e.g., JCretella's comment that 
in Connecticut good teachers left because of certification requirements). I 
haven't seen any messages that talk about how teacher certification improves 
the quality of education for learners. Maria Elena's comment that 
"certification, or lack of, is not...what makes a good or a bad teacher" 
sums up the general message I'm getting from the discussion.

So why use resources of time and energy creating a process and outcome that 
are at best benign but not influential in improving the quality of literacy 
education and at worst a barrier to effectiveness? Is the drive for 
standards, certification, and professionalization part of the quest for 
legitimacy? Do we really want to buy in to the idea that legitimacy lies in 
giving up the ability to exercise individual expert judgment at the program 
level in favor of acquiescence to the authority of a system? (By the way, a 
colleague in my doctoral program is examining the effect of continuing 
medical education standards on competency in physicians. The question arose 
for her from her work within the system. We're not the only ones questioning 
the value of certification-type standards and processes.)

Given the perpetual shortage of resources in adult literacy, I believe we 
need to use those resources we have strategically where they will do both 
the most good and the least harm (something that looks like it can do "most 
good" can also do a lot of harm because it has lots of unanticipated 
consequences). Of course, many programs, agencies, and organizations operate 
strategically now, but I don't think it's a characteristic of the field as a 
whole. So, new questions to list subscribers:

1. a. What are two or three key facilitators of effectiveness in your 
personal (or you and your colleagues') experience?
b. What could be done at the state or federal level to enhance your ability 
to benefit from those "key facilitators"?

2. a. What are two or three major barriers to effectiveness in your 
experience?
b. What could be done at the state or federal level to remove or reduce 
those barriers?

Could the answers to these questions contribute in some way to policy 
advocacy?

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