An Interview with J. David Edwards, Ph.D.

Two years ago, I was offered the unique and exciting opportunity to take my language advocacy and professional board work to another level. FLENJ asked me to attend the Joint National Committee for Languages/ National Council for Languages and International Studies (JNCL-NCLIS) annual Legislative Day in Washington, DC. As a teacher, business owner, federal scholarship recipient, mother, and multilingual citizen, I relished the chance to be a part of this advocacy process in a more “hands-on” way.

What I didn’t know, was that the people I would meet and the experiences ahead would have a profound effect on me and bring me both back to my roots as a language learner and forward to my new and thrilling role as an active legislative advocate for language learning.

JNCL-NCLIS Legislative Day is a unique and truly eye-opening experience for language educators involved with professional organizations across the country. We have the opportunity to go to Capitol Hill and meet with legislators and their staff members to advocate for language education policy. While JNCL-NCLIS works all year to ensure that language policy is clearly on the agendas of pivotal political players, legislative day is truly the best way for our profession to take ownership by seeing firsthand the process of passionately advocating for our states, our schools, and our students to have the education they deserve. JNCL-NCLIS has provided this chance for its members for many years and surrounds it with invaluable meetings, speakers, and training opportunities that empower language educators to pave the way and truly make a hands-on difference in their states.

During my first experience at JNCL-NCLIS Legislative Day I immediately saw just how much can happen in Washington when groups of voices are heard. J. David Edwards, Executive Director of JNCL-NCLIS, had invited Representative Rush Holt of New Jersey to speak to representatives from language associations around the country. His words and actions inspired all of us. My colleague, Ana Lomba, and I had the distinct pleasure of joining Representative Holt for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear the President of Mexico speak before a joint session of Congress. Words fail to describe the sense of true honor, humility, and awe I felt during and following this experience.

“As a resident of the USA for many years and a relatively new citizen (2007), I marvel at the American democratic system with such a vibrant dialogue between regular folks and the politicians that govern. It is amazing to see the time, energy, and passion that many advocates demonstrate, but it is even more amazing to me that American politicians actually listen and actively engage in the dialogue. The JNCL-NCLIS summit is a phenomenal experience that I will always remember and treasure.” Ana Lomba, Owner, Ana Lomba Early Languages LLC

Inspirational is the perfect word to describe the time I have spent working with JNCL-NCLIS and more specifically soaking up as much knowledge and guidance as possible from Dave’s trove of experience. JNCL-NCLIS has grown to be an incredible organization that fosters multilingualism and gives language educators a platform for advocacy. The backbone of this essential connection to our legislative bodies is J. David Edwards, whose leadership and knowledge are only matched by his uncanny ability to perceive, react, and liaise with people everywhere he goes.

Dave is the real catalyst for the creation and development of the JNCL-NCLIS model we know today. His vision to work in collaboration with educators and legislators to build possibilities and open conversations on the topic of language education for the last 31 years has truly changed our aptitude to build meaningful relationships in our federal government.

“Dave has built his reputation for advocacy and support for the foreign language field “the old fashioned way.” He has EARNED it, not as a hired-gun (of which there are many now), but through collaboration with a field and by building strategic coalitions across key organizations in the field to get the key players in the associations and the leaders of field talking among themselves, identifying, and often times actually AGREEING among themselves about shared national priorities. For any educational or academic field, socialization is important and valuable. For effective advocacy on the Hill and across the executive branch and on the level of the state legislatures, the ability to make common cause is ESSENTIAL.” Dr. Dan Davidson, President, American Councils for International Education

This year, after decades of prolific discussion, advocacy, testimony, mentoring, and connection building, Dave will be leaving his post as the Executive Director of JNCL-NCLIS. In my opinion, the stories he has shared, the pathways he has forged, and the way he has taught educators to engage our voices and educate our legislators are invaluable. Dave, who is a doctor of political science and a true expert on the way government works, has a passion for the field of world language education. He truly treasures each piece of work or policy development.

“I look at FLAP as my 24 year old son and they are starving him right now and they killed him or they’re trying to kill him. They’re starving him right now, is what they’re doing. They’re not giving him a damn thing to eat. And with the reauthorization process, they may actually kill him.” Dr. J.David Edwards, Executive Director, JNCL-NCLIS.

Dave is, for all intents and purposes, the institutional memory of not only JNCL-NCLIS, but of all of the political and legislative progress in language education. He is the repository of knowledge of the challenges and relationships that have helped put our profession on the national stage. Recently Dave has been honored by the Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, The National Language Museum, and The Language Flagship Program. His impact on our profession is immeasurable as it has shaped our ability to relate to the political world in Washington, DC in a meaningful and effective way. I have been privileged to learn from him.

“What Dave developed was a commitment to consensus. He accepts that we will almost always disagree on at least some points, but that we can always find common ground. He trusts that those who must compromise on one issue will see their views prevail in another. Dave’s vision of and for JNCL/NCLIS offers a collegial and pragmatic ideal that turns the zero-sum approach on its head: in his vision, none of us can win if any one of us loses.” Becky Kline, Executive Director, Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.

I recently sat down with Dave to reflect on the past, present, and future of language education policy and advocacy. In just a few hours, Dave imparted more than I could have imagined. His inspiring vision of a bilingual future comes through in his words, which speak for themselves.

Amanda: What were the biggest organizational challenges back when JNCL first started and how do they compare to challenges you face now?

Dave: The biggest challenge then was there was nothing. That was also the huge advantage. Anything we got was an addition. The only thing we had was what was left, the bones and the dregs and the crumbs from the National Defense Education Act, which Lyndon Johnson had changed in ’64 when he turned it into the Higher Education Act and the elementary and secondary education schooling, at least turned that into essential two different pieces, elementary and secondary, we got nothing for languages. And it was the thinking in the country right then among our people as well, very much among our people, that this was a high school subject; that you did it for four years in high school and that was language training, and then if you were serious about academics, you maybe did it for two years in college.

And that was what language was all about – I as an outsider, I came in seeing an awful lot of this stuff looking at it and thinking, you know it’s unbelievably stupid, except for one thing. It’s probably good education theory. They’re treating language not as a tool; they’re treating language as a learning tool. And that’s six years of learning. And that was probably the time this field most recognized language for its cognitive contribution and its contribution to a discipline, and as a discipline to the learning process. We have since turned it into a tool.