NAGT Advocacy Committee Meeting Agenda & Minutes

June 22, 2016 @ 4:00 pm EDT/3:00 pm CDT/2:00 pm MDT/1:00 pm PDT

Agenda:

  1. Brief introductions - Claire Branigin - summer intern
  2. Revision plan for Draft Advocacy Principles (click to access).
    1. General comments on current draft:
      1. Some bullets mix apples and oranges
      2. Big ideas should be separated from logistical issues
      3. Keep the total number of major principles small - no more than seven. (We're about right on this now).
      4. A few other notes are included in the draft linked above.
    2. Determine next steps that assure we'll have a near final draft to share for August meeting.
      1. Who will do what by when?
      2. Can we find a little time to meet face to face at the Rendezvous? (Don will only be there Saturday to Wednesday).
  3. Develop committee structure:
    1. We are currently an ad hoc committee but should (?) move to a regular committee.
    2. What's the structure of other NAGT committees?
      1. I hope to look into this before we meet. If someone else gets to it first, it'd be great if you could stick in a link or two.
      2. What structures/processes of existing committees work well?
      3. Are there structures/processes that should be avoided?
    3. What is the charge of the committee?
      1. How are action items selected?
      2. How do we monitor emergent issues that are appropriate for us to engage in?
      3. What are the range of things you can do to address an issue?
      4. How to address rapid responses with limited information?
        1. Call on collaborating partners, especially those who initiate actions.
    4. How many members?
    5. How is membership determined?
    6. How long are terms?
    7. Officers?
  4. Other business
    1. Claire's role
    2. Care and maintenance of position statement
      1. Climate change statement is out of date
    3. Listserve: nagt_advocacy@serc.carleton.edu
    4. AGU's Position Statement Task Force is requesting feedback here. The survey closes July 8.
    5. The Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN) is drafting a "Joint Statement on Climate Change Education." The goal is a statement that will advocate for teaching of climate from an interdisciplinary perspective, with a wide range of signatories. I expect NAGT will be asked to sign on.

Draft NAGT Advocacy Principles:

NAGT advocacy shall:
  • serve the organization's vision;
    • Align with organizational vision and societal goals of sustainability, justice and equality; (or similar grand challenges – like new UN Sustainable Development goals?
  • Maximize the impact of NAGT work on behalf of members and all geoscience teachers.
    • Collaborate with other organizations on advocacy generally and position statements specifically (where appropriate)
    • monitor emergent issues at federal, regional, and state levels
    • Advocate for all levels of geoscience education including K-12; higher education, and continuing education
  • be framed from a systems perspective
    • that anticipates unintended consequences;
    • that are attentive to feedback delays within the system
    • clearly be framed as for a particular action or set of actions.
    • While the advocacy may be in opposition to a particular course of action, alternatives will be offered
  • Support initiatives by local, state, national, and international entities, including professional organizations, non-profits, and government institutions.
    • In supporting the initiatives of other entities, we leverage their institutional experience and capabilities for vetting. We strive to increase their awareness of our goals related to geoscience literacy and education.
    • Where appropriate, collaborate with other organizations through joint position statements, and in lobbying efforts.
  • promote (geo)scientific literacy based on the best available research
    • avoid false equivalency as is sometime provided in controversial areas such as evolution and climate science
    • Encourage the use of geoscience information in public decision making at all levels, including local, state and federal

Logistics of Managing Advocacy

Kinds of activities:

  • Recommend development of position statements or white papers, either as stand-alone NAGT documents or coauthored documents with partner organizations; or recommend endorsements of statements authored wholly by other organizations.
  • Author, coauthor, or sign letters of support for initiatives (e.g. legislation, public comments, non profit programs).
  • Respond to requests from other organizations, and from NAGT sections and divisions.

Procedures:

  • The NAGT Advocacy Committee makes recommendations to the Presidential Track
  • Ad hoc committees can be designated as needed by this committee. This allows the leveraging of individual member strengths.
  • Seek feedback as appropriate from sections & divisions.

Related questions:

  • How do we monitor emergent issues that are appropriate for us to engage in?
  • What are the range of ways you can do to address an issue?
  • How to address rapid responses with limited information?
    • Call on collaborating partners, especially those who initiate actions.
  • How shall the committee be structured?
    • How shall membership be determined?
    • What are the length of terms on the committee?
  • What role(s) will sections & divisions have?

Current Committee Membership:

  • Don Duggan-Haas, Committee Chair(ish), 2nd Vice President of NAGT dad55@cornell.edu>
  • Tamara Ledley ,
  • Sherry Oaks ,
  • Mike Phillips
  • Randall Richardson ,
  • David Szymanski ,
  • Wendy Van Norden ,
  • Wendi Williams ,
  • Erica Zweifel
  • Claire Branigin braniginc@carleton.edu> (Intern, summer 2016)

Draft of this document is here, with some additional notes.