[AAACE-NLA] please post

[Linda]

Here is the text of a letter I just sent to my congressmen in support of
the WIA bill. I'm asking you to post it to the listserv in hopes that it
will facilitate or inspire others to contact their legislators. The Save
NIFL site (savenifl at yahoo.com) was very helpful:
 
As an adult educator in Idaho, I am interested in the reauthorization of
the Senate version of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) bill, now
moving through a joint House-Senate conference committee. I am
especially concerned that the final form of the bill supports the adult
literacy field and includes continued funding for the National Institute
for Literacy (NIFL). In addition to my legislators, I am contacting the
NIFL advisory board and Interagency Management Group members of the
Department of Education to share why this bill is vital to me. Adult
educators in rural states like Idaho already face the challenges of
overcoming geographic isolation and limited access to information and
opportunities for professional growth. We especially need the type of
resources NIFL has provided so well on adult-specific literacy issues,
such as family literacy, ESL, workplace literacy, health literacy, and
adult reading and numeracy.
 
Those of us who teach literacy and other life skills to adults in Idaho
greatly depend on such information. It's a vital part of our preparation
to review research and share ideas with other educators and professional
trainers in the field. I have found the NIFL online resources to be
uniquely helpful and efficient at keeping me up-to-date with the latest
educational studies on adult learners. Of particular help is the LINCs
library, which offers full-text online documents.  Through NIFL, I can
link to research and subscribe to discussion lists with other educators
working in workplace literacy, English as a Second Language, and
Equipped for the Future projects. 
 
I assist over 100 adult students each year with English basic skills as
an instructor at an adult learning center and in Boise workplaces such
as Micron and St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. The course
curriculum includes reading, but it extends far beyond alphabetic skills
to encompass the workplace and life skills adults need. In my work as a
state-wide professional development trainer, I also provide training in
teaching skills to as many as 150 teachers annually. I always recommend
NIFL sites, especially LINCS, to the teachers I train. For those working
in Idaho's remote outreach sites, quality electronic resources that
focus on the needs of adults offer the best (and sometimes only) access
to discussion and information about appropriate and current methods and
materials. 
 
Our ultimate goal is to strengthen the skills of adult learners, skills
they need to succeed in their roles as members of the workforce,
community, and family. More literate adults are more productive workers,
better informed and involved citizens, and parents who are better able
to support the education and literacy of their children.  NIFL resources
are some of the most effective tools I have to reach that goal. I hope
you will support continued funding of NIFL through the reauthorization
of WIA. Please share my views with Senator Mike Enzi, Chair of the
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness and Rep. Howard P."Buck"
McKeon, Chair of the Subcommittee on Employment, Safety and Training.
 
 
Linda Rytterager
Boise, Idaho
 
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