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NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE (Vol. 12, #35; 8 September 2006)
by R. Bruce Craig (editor) with Emily Weisner (contributor)
NATIONAL COALITION FOR HISTORY (NCH)
Website at http://www.h_net.org/~nch/
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1. WEINSTEIN REPORTS ON DECLASSIFICATION INITIATIVE PROGRESS
2. PRESIDENT BUSH NOMINATES NEW DIRECTOR OF THE NPS
3. GOVERNMENT SECRECY REPORT ISSUED
4. HISTORY COALITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH IN FULL SWING
5. EDUCATION SECRETARY DECLARES NCLB LAW NEEDS ONLY "TWEAKING"
6. BITS AND BYTES: Attention Federal Employees; FRUS China Volume 
Released;
  Library of Congress Bookfest Scheduled
7. ARTICLES OF INTEREST: "Where's Mao? Chinese Revise History Books" 
(New York Times)

1. WEINSTEIN REPORTS ON DECLASSIFICATION INITIATIVE PROGRESS
In a meeting with representatives of the research community on 6 
September 2006, Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein reported 
on the progress being made in the effort to implement the "National 
Declassification Initiative (NDI)," a new set of policies, 
declassification practices, procedures, and organizational structures 
believed necessary to create a more reliable executive branch-wide 
declassification program for federal records. The Archivist said, "When 
we last met in April, I promised that the National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA) would act swiftly and responsibly to begin to 
address the very serious challenges that we face in coordinating with 
other Federal agencies in the realm of declassification." The meeting 
demonstrated that Weinstein's promise is being kept.

The new NARA initiative is in response to an April 2006 audit report by 
the Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO) entitled "Withdrawal 
of Records from Public Access at the National Archives and Records 
Administration for Classification Purposes." During the hour-long 
meeting that brought together representatives of the National Coalition 
for History, the American Historical Association, the National Security 
Archive, the Federation of American Scientists, and several other 
groups, Weinstein explained the objectives, milestones, and progress to 
date for the initiative that he hopes will serve as the catalyst for 
declassification reform among federal agencies. The Archivist stated 
that all federal agencies are being encouraged to participate in and 
support both of these declassification initiatives.

Weinstein reported that the steering group met on 28 August at which 
time representatives of the 12 executive branch agencies with major 
declassification responsibilities discussed various strategies required 
to ensure the NDI's success. The Archivist stated that in subsequent 
meetings, the executive steering group will develop and implement 
detailed work plans designed to ensure that agency equities are 
referred and resolved to allow the maximum feasible declassification. 
In addition, the steering group will focus on ensuring that common 
referral standards are developed, redundancies are reduced, and that 
records are adequately reviewed for declassification so that only 
information that must be retained for national security purposes is 
withheld.

According to Weinstein, the program will establish a better means for 
managing referrals of classified equities between executive branch 
agencies. As envisioned, the new NDI program will reduce redundancies 
in declassification review, will promote accurate and consistent 
declassification decisions, will improve equity recognition across the 
declassification community, will develop centralized priorities and 
management controls around the priorities, and will make the 
declassification process more transparent to the public. In order to 
realize these goals, an interagency executive steering group has been 
established.

The Archivist also gave a status report on specific audit items. 
Weinstein stressed that since the ISOO audit report was issued, 
notwithstanding the ongoing Department of Energy document review 
pursuant to the Kyl-Lott Amendment [in which materials relating to 
atomic energy and weaponry are being "re-reviewed" consistent with a 
Congressional mandate], the practice of withdrawing documents from open 
shelves "has been stopped in its tracks." Weinstein stated that 
"today,withdrawals are extremely rare" and in order for an agency to do 
so it "must demonstrate a compelling case." He stated that only seven 
new documents had been withdrawn in the last four months and that "all 
of these withdrawals have been carefully noted in the opened files so 
that their removal is transparent to researchers and all have been 
handled in accordance with the audit protocol." One of the documents 
(from the Truman Library) has been declassified and is now back on the 
open shelf and agency decisions are still pending on the other items 
which originated from the Carter presidential library.

As a result of the findings of the ISOO audit, the Archivist stated 
that he requested that agencies do another re-review of the documents 
withdrawn during the first re-review. This effort is ongoing and the 
National Archives expects the vast majority of records withdrawn to be 
restored to public access over the next several months. For example, at 
the end of their work, the Air Force expects that 95 percent of their 
records under re-review will be released in full or redacted. By way of 
another example, CIA is re-reviewing 55 boxes of State Department 
records and expects to release in full 85 percent of their records; 
release in redacted form 10 percent; and withhold 5 perpcent. 
Additional collections will likewise be reviewed for return to the open 
shelves. "We regard this as encouraging news and plan to continue to 
hold our feet to the fire to ensure that there is no backsliding," 
added the Archivist. "

2. PRESIDENT BUSH NOMINATES NEW DIRECTOR OF THE NPS
Mary A. Bomar, the current director of the National Park Service (NPS) 
Northeast region, was nominated by President Bush to replace Fran 
Mainella as Director of the NPS. Secretary of the Interior Dick 
Kempthorne praised the president's choice, stating that, "I greatly 
admire the passion that Mary brings to her work in the Northeast 
Region. I am confident that Mary is the right person to ensure that our 
national parks endure for the enjoyment of future generations."

Bomar was raised in Leicester, England, and became a U.S. citizen in 
1977. She is a career National Park Service employee, having worked at 
multiple parks throughout the United States. Bomar's NPS career began 
in Texas and includes stints as the superintendent at the Oklahoma City 
National Memorial, the acting superintendent at Rocky Mountain National 
Park, and the assistant superintendent at the San Antonio Missions 
National Historical Park. From 2003 to 2005, Bomar served as the 
superintendent of the Independence National Park in Philadelphia, 
considered the premier historic site in the park system. Under her 
supervision, a large-scale rehabilitation and revitalization project 
was completed, which resulted in an increase in park visitation by 35 
percent. As director of the Northeast Region, Bomar exercised general 
administrative authority over the region with the largest percentage of 
historic sites, parks, landmarks, and National Heritage Areas.

The current director of the National Park Service, Fran Mainella, 
announced her plans to resign in July, after serving as director for 
six years. Mainella cited personal reasons and her desire to spend more 
time "with my family, including my parents and in-laws who have been 
having health issues," as the reason for her pending departure. 
Mainella was the sixteenth director of the NPS and the first woman to 
hold the position. Assuming the nomination is confirmed by the U.S. 
Senate, Bomar will become the second woman to head the NPS.

3. GOVERNMENT SECRECY REPORT ISSUED
OpenTheGovernment.org handed out failing grades to the Bush 
administration in its "Secrecy Report Card 2006: Indicators of Secrecy 
in the Federal Government." Based on the findings disclosed in the 
Report Card, official government secrecy continued to expand last year. 
According to coalition director Patrice McDermott, while "every 
administration wants to control information about its policies and 
practices, the current administration has restricted access to 
information about our government and its policies at unprecedented 
levels."

The report highlights various indicators that secrecy has increased 
within the government, including Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 
requests from the public and the use of the state secrets privilege by 
the president. There was an increase of 65,543 FOIA requests since 
2004, a jump that has caused many agencies to fall behind in answering 
these requests. The state secrets privilege, which allows the president 
to withhold documents from the public, the courts, and Congress, has 
been utilized at least twenty-two times since 2001. This is a 
substantial increase in the average use of the privilege. In 
comparison, during the height of the Cold War, between 1953 and 1976, 
presidents invoked the state secrets privilege only six times overall.

OpenTheGovernment.org, of which the National Coalition for History is a 
member, is a coalition of diverse individuals and organizations ranging 
 from librarians and journalists to government and consumer groups. The 
coalition advocates for greater openness within the government in order 
to make the United States "safer, strengthen public trust in government 
and support [the United States'] democratic principles."

To view the entire Secrecy Report Card 2006, visit 
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2006.pdf .

4. HISTORY COALITION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SEARCH IN FULL SWING
Because Bruce Craig is relinguishing his directorship in January 2007, 
the National Coalition for History (NCH) is seeking applications for 
the position of executive director. This next week advertisements will 
appear in the CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION and the Capitol Hill 
newspaper ROLL CALL. Postings also appear in the current issue of the 
American Historical Association's PERSPECTIVES. The announcement also 
has been posted on the web pages of the National Coalition for History 
( http://www.h-net.org/~nch/ ) the American Historical Association 
webpage (www.historians.org) and other history-oriented web sites.

A consortium of over 75 organizations, the NCH concentrates on issues 
involving federal funding and policies that have an impact on 
history-related programs, research, and teaching. These include policy 
issues related to the support of historical research and public 
programming,federal historical offices, archival policies, FOIA and 
access to government information,copyright and intellectual property 
issues, and historic preservation.

Description of Position: The executive director serves as the 
organization's voice on Capitol Hill. In addition, the executive 
director is responsible for maintaining the organization's webpages; 
writing and publishing this weekly electronic newsletter -- the NCH 
Washington Update -- that is distributed via H-NET to professionals 
across the nation; and encouraging cooperation and, when appropriate, 
united action among member organizations.

The NCH is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) charitable organization that is 
overseen by a 20-member policy board; the executive director, who is 
the only paid staff person, is a registered lobbyist. The NCH operates 
out of an office in the American Historical Association's headquarters 
on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Candidates interested in the 
position are urged to visit the organization's web page at 
http://www.h_net.org/~nch/ where past annual reports and the 
organization's 2000-2005 strategic plan may be consulted (an updated 
strategic plan will be posted in the near future).

Preferred Qualifications: The NCH seeks candidates with qualifications 
in a history-related field (an advanced degree in history or archives 
is preferred), advocacy experience, effective communication skills 
(particularly the ability to write concise and clear prose under the 
pressure of deadlines), expertise in relevant policy and legislative 
issues, background of working with boards and professional 
associations, demonstrated ability to work with a diverse constituency, 
administrative capabilities, and facility at performing disparate 
tasks. Salary is negotiable and commensurate with experience and 
qualifications.

Application Procedure: An application letter; resume; names, addresses, 
and telephone numbers of three references; and a short writing sample, 
should be sent to: Chair of the Search Committee National Coalition for 
History, 400 A St., S.E., Washington, DC 20003.

Inquiries about the position should be directed to Arnita Jones at 
[log in to unmask], president and chair of the NCH Policy Board. 
Review of applications will begin 1 October 2006, and will continue 
until the position is filled. Interviews will be conducted beginning in 
mid-October. The anticipated start date for the successful candidate is 
negotiable but 1 January 2007 is the target; there will be a short 
overlap with the current executive director.

5. EDUCATION SECRETARY DECLARES NCLB LAW NEEDS ONLY "TWEAKING"
At an informal press conference last week, Secretary of Education 
Margaret Spellings stated that the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is 
"99.9 percent pure", and that "there's not much needed in the way of 
changes." Spellings also believes that the federal government "has done 
about as much" as it can and all NCLB needs is a little tweaking, 
others, including some historians, would challenge her assertion.

NCLB has drawn criticism from members of the academic and historical 
community regarding its lack of attention to subjects such as history, 
literature, and the arts. To begin to address the issue from the 
perspective of historians, teachers and educators, the National Council 
for the Social Studies is sponsoring a two-day conference later this 
month to discuss aspects of the NCLB law in anticipation of its 
upcoming reauthorization.

The law strives to improve the quality of teachers and provide more 
control over educational funds on a local level, making it the 
responsibility of the state to distribute money where it is most 
needed. The NCLB also stresses the need for accountability, a principle 
that is judged through state assessment tests required of every child 
in primary grade levels. If a school is unable to meet the state's 
reading and math goals for two consecutive years, the school is 
categorized as "failing." Consequently, many educators believe that 
they are forced to "teach to the test," thereby creating a situation 
where subjects not tested are deemed less important to teach. The NCLB 
guidelines require testing in math and reading skills, leaving other 
subjects such as history out of the equation.

The current debate centers on the lack of attention for history in the 
classroom. Some historians argue that adding history to the NCLB 
required curriculum would effectively ensure that the subject is 
emphasized in schools. Others believe it may be a mistake to place 
history under the rigid testing standards; they also assert that 
standardized testing often fails to adequately assess students' 
knowledge of history and historical processes. One thing that both 
sides of the debate would agree on, however, is that something must be 
done to remedy the disappearance of history from the curriculum and 
lesson plans, an unintended consequence of NCLB and its narrow focus.

6. Bits and Bytes:
Item #1 -- Attention Federal Employees; Please Donate During Upcoming 
CFC Campaign: Once again, the National Coalition for History (NCH) will 
be participating in the federal government's annual Combined Federal 
Campaign (CFC). The CFC is the once-a-year opportunity for federal 
employees to donate to causes and charities that are important to them. 
The NCH is composed of over 70 institutional members and has no 
individual members, however, it is possible for readers who are federal 
employees to support the important activities and programs of the 
history coalition, including publication and free distribution of the 
NCH WASHINGTON UPDATE to subscribers throughout the country. If you are 
a federal employee and wish to support the NCH with an individual 
contribution during the CFC campaign this year, please take note that 
our four-digit agency code for CFC donation this year will be #2351. 
Last year over $8,000 was contributed to the history coalition through 
the CFC and we hope to exceed that total this year!

Item #2 -- FRUS China Volume Released: The U.S. State Department issued 
a new volume on the Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS). This 
volume is dedicated to exploring the relationship between the U.S. and 
China between the years of 1969 to 1972 in which "engaging the People's 
Republic of China (PRC) in a dialogue is perhaps the most dramatic and 
far reaching decision undertaken by the Nixon administration." The 
volume contains many interesting documents, including a 1972 memorandum 
sent to Henry Kissinger from NSC staffer John H. Holdridge which 
expressed unease about the efforts of the Federation of American 
Scientists and its President Jeremy Stone, to encourage scientific 
exchange with China. Holdridge believed that the Chinese were 
undercutting the Committee on Scholarly Communication with the PRC by 
urging Stone to promote this scientific exchange. The full text of the 
new FRUS volume is available at: 
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/frus/nixon/xvii/index.htm .

Item #3 -- Library of Congress Bookfest Scheduled: Taylor Branch, Doris 
Kearns Goodwin, Bob Woodward, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Douglas Brinkley 
and Robert Remini are among the many historians, authors, and poets 
participating in the 2006 National Book Festival. The Festival, which 
is organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress and hosted by 
First Lady Laura Bush, will include over seventy well-known authors of 
all genres, including children's literature, fiction, biography and 
poetry. The National Book Festival is now in its sixth year and allows 
visitors to meet their favorite authors and learn about reading 
programs and library resources around the country. Additionally, the 
Library of Congress is offering many online resources for those who 
cannot attend the event. A podcast series is available for free 
download and offers interviews with authors participating in the 
festival, including Poet Laureate Donald Hall and historian John Hope 
Franklin. A series of online chats will also be held prior to the Book 
Festival. These chats feature several historians, notably Kai Bird and 
Martin Sherwin, the authors of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize Winning 
biography "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert 
Oppenheimer." The podcast series is available at www.loc.gov/bookfest 
and a schedule of online chats is posted at www.washingtonpost.com. The 
National Book Festival will be held in Washington D.C. on Saturday, 30 
September from 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. on the National Mall, between 7th and 
14th streets. It is free and open to the public. For more information, 
visit www.loc.gov/bookfest .

7. ARTICLES OF INTEREST
One posting this week: In "Where's Mao? Chinese Revise History Books" 
(New York Times) 1 September 2006, high school students in Shanghai 
will have new, revised history books for the upcoming school year. 
These books focus on concepts such as economic growth, foreign trade, 
political stability and social customs, largely excluding a history of 
war, revolution, and Communism. For the article, go to
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/01/world/asia/01china.html?ref=asia .

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Who We Are...
The National Coalition for History (NCH) is a nonprofit educational 
organization that provides leadership in history related advocacy; it 
serves as the profession's national voice in the promotion of history 
and archives, and acts as a clearinghouse of news and information of 
interest to history related professionals. Membership in the history 
coalition is open to organizations that share our concern for history 
and archives. For information on how your history/archive organization 
can become a member, visit our website at http://www.h-net.org/~nch/ 
and click on the "Join the Coalition" web link.

Contribute and Support this publication...
Individuals are invited to help support the NCH by sending a donation 
directly to the NCH at 400 A Street S.E., Washington D.C. 20003, or, by 
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contributions are tax deductible.

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