[NLA] Discussion: Returning to the NLA List Focus

[David J. Rosen]

NLA Colleagues,

We have only a few days to respond to Jon Randall's important request
concerning appointment of a new Director of NIFL who needs experience 
and commitment to adult literacy. As in the last round of "Dear 
Colleague" letters to House members, I hope NLA list members will
focus now on:

1. *Faxing* a letter to each of your two Senators asking them to
cosign the Breaux-Hatch NIFL letter.
2. *Mailing* copies of your two letters to the Secretaries of
Labor, HHS, and Education
3. Calling both of your Senators early next week after you send your
fax to ask if they have co-signed the recommendation letter.
4. Urging others in your program to do steps 1-3.

It would be good if we could wind up some of the current conversations, 
perhaps returning to them later, in order to focus on this time-limited 
opportunity.

Congratulations to Shauna Brown, at Project Read, in Provo Utah, for
getting Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch (with Louisiana Democratic
Senator John Breaux,) to co-sponsor the Senate "Dear Colleague" letter.

A few weeks ago we did well in getting our Congresspeople to sign the
House letter.  Jon Randall gave us a goal, and we met it.  Jon, has now
given us a goal for Senate signatures: 30.  Each of us has two Senators
to write. Let's do it now!

Some of you may have questions about this.  Below are some of these,
and my answers:

1) Why is this so important to our field, and will this effort succeed 
if we reach enough Senators?

Adult literacy is a bi-partison issue,  that is, in both parties it is 
an equally low priority!  As Tom Sticht has pointed out frequently here, 
the federal public dollars for the Adult Education and Literacy System, 
in real resources, have diminished over several administrations.

2) Would a new NIFL Director with an adult education and family
literacy commitment turn this around?

Probably not. It's only one small step forward.

3) Would a new NIFL Director who re-focuses NIFL entirely on children
be bad?

It would set >adult< literacy back further.

4) If we don't succeed in getting someone as the NIFL Director with a 
strong commitment to adult literacy, will this effort to reach
legislators have been useless?

Not at all.  Most important is one-by-one, over time, getting every 
Senator and Congressperson to make adult literacy education a high 
priority issue.  That means Republicans, Democrats and Independents. 
This is a process which takes years, and is achieved by constituents 
like you convincing your own legislators that you care about adult 
literacy and that they need to pay more attention to it.  The NIFL 
Director appointment is an opportunity -- a good one for now, because
it does not involve asking for more money in a time of tight budgets
-- to reach legislators, engage in dialogue about adult literacy, and 
convince them of its importance.

Everyone on this list, those who are active contributors, those who
contribute occasionally, and those who listen in: please think about
why you have joined the NLA.  If it's to make a difference in adult 
literacy public policy, then now is a good time to act on that.
Even if your purpose is just to "listen in," now is the time to put
what have learned to work, to act.

Please fax your Senators today.  Then follow up with a phone call to
them.  When you know if they will sign on, e-mail me what they have
said at DJRosen at theworld.com  I'll post a list here of which Senators 
have signed on. You will find Jon's message, with a sample letter, 
archived at

http://lists.literacytent.org/pipermail/nla/2002/002006.html

and at

http://www.nifl.gov/nifl-nla/2002/1763.html

As Jon, said, Let's rock!

David J. Rosen
NLA List Moderator
DJRosen at theworld.com



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