[NLA] building policy vision

[George E. Demetrion]

My sense is that a two-pronged strategy is needed:

1.  Continuation and strengthening of the on-going work of operating
year-to-year, without which the field could lose a great deal

2.  Long-term envisioning/planning that may or may not be directly
correlated to the first objective.

I agree with you, Sissy, that with all the important work of putting out
fires and saving the field from imminent demise, year-after year, there's
little time or energy for longer-term focusing and positioning.  And
given all the energy needed to accomplish objective # 1, it's easy for a
sense of unreality and skepticism to overwhelm serious efforts at long
term, out of the box thinking.

I think that part of the answer is that a different set of folks need to
be in the leadership front for objective # 2, but there has to be a good
deal of synergy and trust between those in leadership positions for both
efforts and a need for a lot of bridge building.

Other comments?

George Demetrion
sophocles5 at juno.com


On Sun, 26 Jan 2003 14:46:33 -0500 "sissy kegley" <skegley at us.net>
writes:
>Eileen,
>I can appreciate your inquiry. 
>Personally, my response would be that advocacy cannot be sustained or
>effective without the bigger picture. I suppose that goes for the 
>range
>of adult ed & literacy & many other issues as well.
>
>As far as adult education and advocacy is concerned, I see 2 things:
>One is, as someone intensively involved with
>'on-the-job-learning-as-we-go' advocacy, I CRAVE more insight on the
>themes and principles underlying policy issues in adult education,
>across the board.
>
>Secondly, I get the sense (but I do not have the whole picture) that 
>the
>folks who do represent the leadership in terms of advocacy in adult
>education, are so stretched and limited (and, undoubtedly, frustrated)
>by the continuous need to 'put out fires' that there's seldom the
>opportunity to engage in bigger-policy-issue planning. 
>
>Granted, I'm not part of any group of behind-the-scenes strategizing;
>I'm speaking as an individual who, for lack of a better image, feels a
>bit like the little rubber ball bouncing around the pinball machine
>randomly crashing into local-then-state-then-national-on-and-on 
>advocacy
>issues.
>
>I assume part of this is the result of the economy crashing at all
>three, local state and national, levels.
>
>Speaking of that, I would think the Chisman report could be a starting
>point in a discussion about identifying unifying themes and 
>principles.
>
>Sissy Kegley
>skegley at us.net
>301-588-4333


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