Citizens’ Congress – June 23, 2010

The Citizens’ Congress event was conceived midway through the AIF project cycle.  Rather than the Mathews Center choosing the AIF issue for 2010 – 2011, Mark Wilson suggested that the Center bring a large group of concerned Alabama citizens together to think through an issue of public concern with table facilitators.

The Center decided to ask the following question to citizens all across the state: “What are a couple of things that people in your community should come together to address?” By asking this question to hundreds of Alabama citizens, the Mathews Center could determine what issues are currently concerning the public.

After several street interviews, workshops, surveys, and conversations, we were able to determine that Alabama citizens are most concerned with the high school dropout rate. Close to 1,000 citizens answered our question, and the dropout rate was the most frequently mentioned next to unemployment. In fact, our question was included on the Ask Alabama survey, and of the 600 that participated in the survey, 64% chose the dropout rate.

At the Citizens’ Congress event, we decided to ask the attendees to help us think through the dropout rate, rather than actually choose the AIF issue for 2010 – 2011. Mark, Bob, and I decided that it would be far too overwhelming to have over 100 people deliberating on a list of five issues. Instead, we thought that the Citizens’ Congress event could serve as a large scale naming and framing workshop. Mark quickly suggested that we ask a representative from the Alabama State Department of Education to present some strategic facts to the group, and, thankfully, we were able to find Dr. Kay Achison Warfield. Dr. Warfield is in charge of the Governor’s program on Graduation Rate Success and Dropout Elimination. She agreed to make a 15-20 minute presentation on strategic facts related to the dropout rate in Alabama, and her presentation was fantastic.

We had over 170 people in attendance at the Citizens’ Congress on June 23, and the level of participation by the attendees was incredible. I asked 20 Mathews Center associates, staff members, and interns to assist as table moderators, and, using a list of eight questions, we were able to work with everyone attendance to start the naming and framing process. I have dozens of pages of notes taken by staff and table facilitators from the Citizens’ Congress, and I plan to use these notes at the follow up framing workshop. At this workshop, our goal will be to create an issue map on the dropout rate in Alabama.

- Chris McCauley