[AAACE-NLA]Adult Learner Leadership

[Chris Francisco]

Archie,

I applaud your efforts for adult learning and the enterprise of Adult 
Literacy.  I have heard you speak more than three times at conferences 
concerning the many challenges and obstacles that our American society 
has.  You speak and write from the heart.  You are a leader.  I will be 
speaking to the graduates at Carl Sandburg College's GED graduation on 
Wednesday.  I know that I will see Manly Bowman.  Your post to the 
AAACE-NLA will be in my pocket to be shared with the many friends in the 
Illinois New Readers for New Life.  May your triumphs be great and 
constant.  I admire you.

Peace,

Chris Francisco
Education and Training Coordinator
The Center for Adult Learning Leadership
Bloomington,
Illinois


At 07:01 PM 5/11/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>Adult Learner Leadership
>
>This past week I attended a meeting conducted by the Iowa Secretary of
>State. This meeting was held to review the draft of the state plan
>required for each state in order to receive federal dollars from the
>Help America Vote Act (HAVA). HAVA is intended to improve the voting
>systems in all the states. Among attendees at this meeting were people
>from many different areas of our state government, people who
>represented different types of disabilities, and others. I was invited
>to represent the New Readers of Iowa. The New Readers of Iowa had met
>with the Secretary of State in the past to try to help him make voting
>in Iowa more understandable for everyone.
>
>As the group went over the wording of the draft of the state plan, a
>lawyer from the Iowa Attorney Generals Office recommended that the
>language used be as close as possible to that used in the HAVA. I asked
>her if the law required things to be written in that kind of language or
>if things could be written in plain English. I explained that one of the
>reasons that people with literacy problems (and many others who donut
>have literacy problems) donut become involved is because they cant
>understand documents written at that level. I said that because the
>state is required by law to hold public hearings on this state plan
>people will need to be able read the plan and to understand it, so it
>needs to be written in plain English. Everyone agreed that it should be
>written as plainly and clearly as possible. I was asked to go over the
>final document with the writers to give them input. This is a big step
>for me and other adult learners.  It shows that if we as adult learners
>keep working hard we can have input on how things are written and done.
>It also shows we have a chance for our voices to be heard if we can get
>through the door.
>
>The lack of adult learner leadership is hurting adult literacy today.
>Adult learner leadership needs to be seen and heard in all areas of our
>country. That's why the VALUE Leadership Conference June 26 - 28 in
>Tampa, Florida is so important. I encourage you to support and send
>representatives to this conference. When you help adult learner
>leadership you help the whole literacy field. We are lacking adult
>leaders to help move literacy forward in this country. A lot of things
>need to be fixed in adult literacy today and adult learner leadership is
>one of them. For starters, we need leadership in the areas of voting and
>health-literacy. If we are going to make changes we are going to need
>strong leadership in voting. If society is going to understand that
>there are literacy problems and we want to get their attention, we can
>point out that there are health problems caused by poor literacy skills.
>
>For information on the VALUE Leadership Conference:
>
>  http://literacynet.org/value/
>
>Archie Willard
>Adult Learner
>
>
>
>--
>Archie Willard
>millard at goldfieldaccess.net
>URL - http://www.readiowa.org/archiew.html
>
>
>
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