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:
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Brief introductions - Claire Branigin - summer intern
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Revision plan for Draft Advocacy Principles (click to access).
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General comments on current draft:
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Some bullets mix apples and oranges
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Big ideas should be separated from logistical issues
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Keep the total number of major principles small - no more than seven. (We're about right on this now).
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A few other notes are included in the draft linked above.
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Determine next steps that assure we'll have a near final draft to share for August meeting.
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Who will do what by when?
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Can we find a little time to meet face to face at the Rendezvous? (Don will only be there Saturday to Wednesday).
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Develop committee structure:
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We are currently an ad hoc committee but should (?) move to a regular committee.
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What's the structure of other NAGT committees?
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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.
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What structures/processes of existing committees work well?
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Are there structures/processes that should be avoided?
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What is the charge of the committee?
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How are action items selected?
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How do we monitor emergent issues that are appropriate for us to engage in?
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What are the range of things you can do to address an issue?
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How to address rapid responses with limited information?
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Call on collaborating partners, especially those who initiate actions.
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How many members?
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How is membership determined?
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How long are terms?
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Officers?
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Other business
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Claire's role
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Care and maintenance of position statement
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Climate change statement is out of date
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Listserve: nagt_advocacy@serc.carleton.edu
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AGU's Position Statement Task Force is requesting feedback here. The survey closes July 8.
- 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;
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Align with organizational vision and societal goals of sustainability, justice and equality; (or similar grand challenges – like new UN Sustainable Development goals?
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Maximize the impact of NAGT work on behalf of members and all geoscience teachers.
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Collaborate with other organizations on advocacy generally and position statements specifically (where appropriate)
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monitor emergent issues at federal, regional, and state levels
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Advocate for all levels of geoscience education including K-12; higher education, and continuing education
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be framed from a systems perspective
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that anticipates unintended consequences;
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that are attentive to feedback delays within the system
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clearly be framed as for a particular action or set of actions.
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While the advocacy may be in opposition to a particular course of action, alternatives will be offered
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Support initiatives by local, state, national, and international entities, including professional organizations, non-profits, and government institutions.
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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.
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Where appropriate, collaborate with other organizations through joint position statements, and in lobbying efforts.
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promote (geo)scientific literacy based on the best available research
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avoid false equivalency as is sometime provided in controversial areas such as evolution and climate science
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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:
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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.
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Author, coauthor, or sign letters of support for initiatives (e.g. legislation, public comments, non profit programs).
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Respond to requests from other organizations, and from NAGT sections and divisions.
Procedures:
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The NAGT Advocacy Committee makes recommendations to the Presidential Track
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Ad hoc committees can be designated as needed by this committee. This allows the leveraging of individual member strengths.
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Seek feedback as appropriate from sections & divisions.
Related questions:
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How do we monitor emergent issues that are appropriate for us to engage in?
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What are the range of ways you can do to address an issue?
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How to address rapid responses with limited information?
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Call on collaborating partners, especially those who initiate actions.
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How shall the committee be structured?
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How shall membership be determined?
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What are the length of terms on the committee?
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What role(s) will sections & divisions have?
Current Committee Membership:
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Don Duggan-Haas, Committee Chair(ish), 2nd Vice President of NAGT dad55@cornell.edu>
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Tamara Ledley ,
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Sherry Oaks ,
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Mike Phillips
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Randall Richardson ,
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David Szymanski ,
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Wendy Van Norden ,
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Wendi Williams ,
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Erica Zweifel
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Claire Branigin braniginc@carleton.edu> (Intern, summer 2016)
Draft of this document is here, with some additional notes.