[NLA] BACK TO THE ACTION ALERT

[sissy kegley]

Jon, Thanks for your clarification. 

To be sure, we cannot allow ourselves to get distracted from THE URGENCY
OF THE CURRENT ACTION ALERT.

To the extent that I may have contributed to diverting that focus, I
recognize that my timing for delving into policy and vision was way off.
I absolutely did NOT intend for things to veer off to the detriment of
calling on folks to take  action now.

I also would like to clarify something in my previous message about
craving insight on policy themes. The last thing I am interested in
doing is undermining multilateral strategic planning on adult ed policy.
Likewise, I believe in respecting a process that has been developing
over a period of time. Suffice it to say that my knowledge of the big
picture is fairly limited, and I recognize that sorting that out on this
venue at this time is not helpful. 

So, yes, you're right--let's keep our eyes on the prize. AND STAY ON THE
SAME PAGE ABOUT SAVING OUR FIELD!


Sissy Kegley
skegley at us.net
301-588-4333


-----Original Message-----
From: nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of Jon Randall
Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 10:38 PM
To: NLA Listserv (E-mail)
Subject: [NLA] Discussion: Building Policy Vision

Re: policy vision ...  Please look at the Action Agenda for
Literacy. It has influenced the strategic planning of a
number of local, state, and national organizations,
including but not limited to TESOL and the National
Coalition for Literacy, Everyone that uses it prioritizes
its action items differently, but the idea here is that we
can all work from the same playbook. Let's build on the more
than two years worth of work and tens of thousands of
dollars that this field has already spent soliciting input
from the field to put this together.

Some would like to see its recommendations grounded in a set
of socio-political foundational principles. To those folks,
I say go for it if you have the energy and the time. I wish
I did. I think it's a worthy exercise. Those of you who do,
please DON'T do it <instead of> writing letters and making
phone calls to preserve our field. This is going to be a
very tough year and we will loose more ground that we've
ever lost before unless there is a massive commitment to
advocacy by folks like yourselves and everyone else you can
mobilize.

I am concerned that the many discussions on the NLA listserv
about the desire a common set of foundational principles has
had (for some ) the unintentional (I hope) effect of
throwing a wet blanket on the Action Agenda. It may not be
perfect, but we'd all better get on <some> same page here
pretty quickly - even if it is a work in progress - because
our long-term future depends on us all rowing in a common
direction.

The Action Agenda for Literacy is the genesis of the Omnibus
Literacy Legislation Concept Paper. The final version of
this paper will be available on the NCL web site by week's
end. It is the culmination of two years worth of work by the
NCL to put into draft legislation all of the recommendations
made in the Action Agenda that require new legislation or
changes in current law. It recommends changes in NINE public
laws. Look for it on the NCL web site later this week.

Best,
Jon


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

Action related to this communication is
provided pro bono by FedStrategics
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FedStrategics, LLC
8413 Park Crest Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Tel: (301) 588-5304   Fax: (301) 588-5353
jrandall at FedStrategics.com



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