[NLA] Discussion: Building Policy Vision

[George E. Demetrion]

Thanks Jon:

Your points are well taken.

I also have contacted my congressional reps in holding the line on
funding. The future looks far from rosy, but persistence is important.

I'm familiar with the excellent papers on ESOL and health literacy that
came out of the Action Agenda.  I also hear you on "let's build on the...
work and tens of thousands of
dollars that this field has already spent soliciting input  from the
field to put this together."  The operative phrase here is "build[ing]
on."

In terms of grounding advocacy in a set of socio-political foundational
principles, my assumption is that core social, economic, cultural, and
political principles are operative, in any event, whether or not they are
formally articulated.  So, it's not a matter of adding these, but getting
a better grasp on current operational frameworks and discerning whether
or to what extent some fundamental adjustment in the value system at the
level of political culture is needed or desired (at least for the longer
haul).  On that point, I hear Sissey Kegley on the importance of
"multilateral strategic planning on adult ed policy," which would include
juxtaposing various shorter, intermediate,  and longer range efforts (and
knowing the difference between them).

In terms of more philosophically-oriented discussion on the NLA on such
topics as educational theory, assessment, accountability, and political
culture, if one looks at the depth and range of the discourse housed in
the archives since 1997, overall, one would find a very high quality of
discussion and the articulation of critical issues confronting the field
from a range of perspectives and ideologies.  In terms of its quality and
depth, I would suggest it represents among the finest of exchanges of
view that perhaps exists throughout the field anywhere.  What is missing
is some pulling together and organization of the NLA discourse in some
meaningful frameworks and categories that potentially could have impact
in the policy arena as well as in other venues.  This represents
important potentially nearer (or intermediate) term work that such
entities as NCSALL or other literacy think tanks or universities with a
strong adult education/adult literacy component could take on.

 I believe it's important for a high level of discourse on the NLA on a
broad range of issues related to policy  to continue.  Aat the same time,
I agree with you and many others that the forum also focus as a mechanism
for direct advocacy at state and federal (and perhaps local) levels.  Let
me suggest this:  neither one of these is intrinsically more important
than the other.  They both inform each other in critically important
ways.

In my original post on this topic and here, I am suggesting a "both and"
and not an "either-or" approach, upon  which I believe the vitality of
the field depends.

Short-term strategic action is important for a number of respects,
including that of serving as a vehicle for field mobilization over highly
concrete and specific issues.  Given the work of the Action Agenda, the
paper forthcoming on the NCL website and the broader work of the NCL, a
good deal of intermediate-range action is underway.  The work of values
clarification at the level of political culture (which also has been
ongoing) is also important for the long-term viability of the field. 
That's all I'm suggesting, but I'm suggesting nothing less than that,.  I
agree, though the timing of how these various components (short,
intermediate, and longer-range work) fit with each other always has to be
discerned within the specific contexts of the work before us.

In terms of broader socio-political, cultural, economic grounding, there
is a wide body of literature that speaks to these issues, though its
impact on policy formation (thus far) has been quite limited.  Many of
the NLA discussions are reflections and distillations of this literature
base, which to neglect, would represent a profound neglect.

George Demetrion
sophocles5%juno.com


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