[NLA] building policy vision

[Eileen Eckert]

Art asked, "How do you suspect that the political machine might reintroduce 
the "need" for education back into the subset of our society, millions 
strong, who currently are unable to generate the will to get there."

Okay, Art, I'll give it a try. First, who is that "subset of our population" 
that doesn't understand the need for education? Do you mean the millions who 
are eligible for our programs and whom we're not serving? Or do you mean the 
millions who stand on the sidelines while education funding is cut and 
education (at all levels) is re-defined to mean the technical skills needed 
for specific jobs, and nothing else? Or both?

Either way, I'm not waiting for "the political machine" to do anything about 
it. I seem to remember David Rosen articulating a very strong case for why 
grassroots advocacy and action is needed, and I agree wholeheartedly--maybe 
he could re-post it or jump back in here. The only thing I'd add to that is 
that grassroots advocacy is most effective when the advocates can themselves 
articulate their understanding of what they want and why, and how it all 
fits together.

You also asked, "OR, is this a product of capitalism that dictates a 
separation between educated entrepreneurship and uneducated labor that will 
continue to refine itself."

If enough people abdicate their civic responsibility to participate in a 
democracy, the ones who are left may very well set up the separation you 
describe, and act as if it were true and meaningful. Personally, I take 
issue with the idea that there is an "educated entrepreneurship"--a 
"credentialed" or "degreed" entrepreneurship maybe, but to call it 
"educated" implicitly accepts the idea that it's okay to reduce education to 
technical skills tranmission. It also promotes the idea that the only 
education comes from participation in schooling. "Uneducated labor"? I'm the 
first in my family to have a college degree, but I'm not the only educated 
person in my family.

Eileen










From: Art LaChance <arthur at ellijay.com>
Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [NLA] building policy vision
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 2003 13:51:13 -0500

Catherine/Eileen,


Art


Art LaChance
Gilmer Learning Center
Ellijay, GA





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