[AAACE-NLA] Community Partnerships for Learning

[Thomas Sticht]

David: Continuing the conversation about advocacy for adult literacy. I
asked about community coalitions Quote"> Do they advocate for adult
literacy education per se or for the adult > literacy> education
SYSTEM?"Unquote

You then answered, Quote"At the community level they should not advocate
for funds for a  particular program. They should advocate for a system of
adult
education and literacy (and related support) services for the whole
community. They would advocate for this with the state legislature, the
administration (Governor, various state agencies), with the Workforce
Investment Boards, and with city and town government representatives."Unquote

Taking up this point about advocating for a SYSTEM of adult education and
literacy services for the whole community, I’m wondering how in your
thinking the local system would articulate with a state-wide system and a
nation-wide system. For instance, suppose a national advertising campaign
could be mounted across the nation to advocate for a national system of
adult education and literacy that could be accessed in each state and in
local communities, what would be the name of this system? We have visited
this issue before and came to no resolution in my recollection.

Another issue that has not been resolved, I think, is how this system
should be considered in relation to other systems of education, most
especially those of the K-12 and higher education systems. Should the
adult education and literacy system of services be considered as a real,
identifiable, and distinct, coherent, articulated, interrelated system of
education for adults? Or is it be considered as a part of the secondary
education system because it includes many local public schools and school
systems? Or is it be considered as a part of the post-secondary, higher
education system because many community colleges and even four year
colleges may offer adult literacy provision?

So these are two questions for discussion:
(1) For purposes of national, state and local articulated  advocacy what
should the name of this national, state and local community set of adult
education and literacy provision programs be called?

(2) How should this system be considered in relation to other systems of
education, particularly the K-12 and post-secondary, higher education
systems?

All thoughts appreciated!

Tom Sticht