Serendipity and Intentionality: Both are Important

As a WASC commissioner, that is a member of the body that accredits colleges and universities in California and several other locales, I sat today beside one of the California State University campus presidents whom I've known from other contexts. Serendipitously, I learned during our conversation that he sits on the commission investigating the effects of NCLB.

Opportunely, I was able to tell him about the outpouring of teacher voices, in well reasoned statements, that came when NCTE last week asked for teacher responses to the influence of NCLB on their teaching and their students' learning. When he mentioned that the commission is hearing that some subjects are being neglected in favor of those subjects tested, I was able to tell him that English teachers know a great deal about how to incorporate literacy instruction in the teaching of other subjects. When I asked him how best to supply him and his commission colleagues with evidence from our NCTE members, he replied, "Put it in the form of data." I heard that as an invitation to quantify the numbers of teachers identifying various critical issues about NCLB for consideration by the commission.

I recount this happenstance opportunity to influence one policymaker's thinking because all of us must take any opportunity we have to explain the effects of NCLB on teaching and learning. But, we can't leave this important task to happenstance. NCTE members have been encouraged right now to talk with legislators while they are in their home districts, prime time for legislators to be influenced by their constituents. NCTE has an upcoming Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., where members can be informed about ways to talk with and influence legislators on the Hill---and then do that talking and influencing. Each of us can think of other opportunities in our own setting to supply evidence, both quantitative and qualitative, to those who have the power to lobby for change or to change features of NCLB that detract from rather than enhance learning. We must all take advantage of serendipitous occasions and create intentional occasions to make our voices as teachers heard.