[NLA] Re: Returning to the NLA List Focus

[Jon Randall]

To expand on what David asked and answered in his four questions last
Saturday ...

The National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) has been - and we hope it will
continue to be - an important advocate for our field to each Administration
and Congress. The outcome of the House and Senate NIFL letter campaigns is
an indicator of how much we value NIFL.

We hope to positively impact the selection of NIFL's next permanent
director. However, it is likely we will never know for sure the extent of
our impact on this process. What matters is that we advocate! This effort
has at least three collateral benefits:

1. It helps us determine who are the friends of literacy in Congress.
Through this effort, we have a list of names of legislators we can work with
in future efforts, such as appropriations and WIA reauthorization. Through
this effort, new connections have been made and existing ones have been
refreshed. This outcome alone is worth the effort, regardless of who is
selected as director. With the Department of Education (DOE) so narrowly
defining success in terms of reading gains, our connections to Members of
Congress are absolutely critical if we are to ensure the use of broader set
of appropriate indicators.

2. It demonstrates to DOE that the literacy field is organized for advocacy
and that we have connections. This may result in DOE officials becoming more
willing to engage literacy leaders as they develop future plans for adult
education and literacy.

3. It brings this issue to the attention of the Secretaries of Labor and
HHS -two-thirds of the Interagency Group that with the DOE select the
director and oversee the Institute. In the past, representatives from Labor
and HHS have for the most part deferred to DOE officials in matters related
to NIFL. We can hope representatives from Labor and HHS will be more
involved in the selection of a director and aware that NIFL has a vocal
constituency in the wake of our efforts.

However, the only way these benefits will accrue to our field is if we build
on our success in the House and secure an impressive number of Senate
co-signers for the Breaux-Hatch NIFL letter. There's very little time, so
don't delay!

Best,
Jon


Jon Randall
Public Policy Committee Chair
National Coalition for Literacy
www.natcoalitionliteracy.org

NCL policy efforts are supported in part by funding from ProLiteracy
Worldwide

FedStrategics, LLC
strategic advocacy & public affairs consulting
to charitable organizations
www.FedStrategics.com

8413 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: (301) 588-5304   Fax: (301) 588-5353
jrandall at FedStrategics.com



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