AleCampaignQandA

From LiteracyTentWiki

National Save Adult Literacy Education Campaign Strategy Q & A

February, 2005

Q1. Is now a critical time to spend some capital?

A1. Getting the adult education and literacy issue out ahead of the crowd (there are so many cuts to so many important line items!) is important before February school vacation. This is one of the critical times for two reasons:

1. getting on Congressional radar early is good, and
2. equally important, we need to test out the state networks early. Some state advocacy networks are strong. Others are non-existent. Many need building or mending.

Q2. Does a continuous campaign mean that we should be taking action every week from now through the summer?

A2. No. We need to be strategic. Push to get as many letters and phone calls as possible right now -- by as many people in your state as possible. Then -- in coordination with the national campaign -- respond to two or three more calls-to-action between now and the fall. Many advocates have found that they cannot successfully ask those in the field to contact their legislators more than three times in a season.

Q3. What is the most important thing for us to be doing in addition to getting out calls and letters/faxes?

A3. Build your network. Organize your state using e-mail and faxes (if anyone doesn't have e-mail.) Also organize a phone tree.

A call-to-action goes out over the electronic list (e-list.) One list should be announce only -- no discussion, just broadcast. Some states also have a second e-list for discussion. The call-to-action is followed up by phone calls. The state is organized into regions. In each region a person agrees to be the organizer for that region and calls a contact at each program in the region. A well-organized state has:

1. At least two contacts at each program (a main and a back-up)
2. A regional contact and back-up person for each region
3. An active statewide coordinator
4. An active state organizing committee, which meets regularly (in person, by videoconference, by-email andd/or phone conference.) It has an agreed-upon plan of action.

There must also be good organization at the program level to get the call-to-action out to practitioners, volunteers, students, graduates, board members, friends of literacy and others. Students, graduates and volunteers are very important in this process; their voices are the most persuasive in meetings with legislators and their aides.

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