RE: [AAACE-NLA] Who's Accountable? Drop in HS/GEDs in AELS [faked-from]

[Brown, Charlene]

At a recent presentation of the census and other population studies, I heard
several eye opening statistics that were presented in a way that really made
you realize how very important the skills of every member of the community,
state, and nation are.  As our population ages, those who are currently not
interested in providing services for the lowest skilled adults will become
more interested when the tax-paying literacy students lose their ability to
compete in this great global economy. Who will provide the money to house
those old people in decent surroundings?  Certainly not those neglected
literacy level adult students who no longer have an income.  

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Marsha Watson [mailto:marshawatson at hotmail.com] 
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2004 1:23 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Who's Accountable? Drop in HS/GEDs in AELS
[faked-from]

 

I must have missed the posting on the Johns Hopkins Study, which sounds
quite interesting, and will look for a copy, but the need for literacy
education is Greenville is acute. A the need is equally shared across the
generations. I have lived here for 5 years and have been trying to revive
the Literacy Council but have had little luck. I began an adult education
program at the Salvation Army three years ago but it did not survive after I
left; however, the students followed me to another location where a
colleague and I have continued teaching as volunteers. 

Unfortunately there is little support or interest in students in desperate
need of literacy edcuation. Too often emphasis is placed on GED classes with
very short completion timelines - 12 - 18 months usually. But I refuse to
give up. After two years of talking, and trying to educate others, it looks
like the efforts may have paid off. I have a small group of about ten
volunteers and supporters who are committed to starting small group
instruction in literacy in 4 different locations - the Salvation Army, two
churches and a local community organization. The supporters include a drug
court judge and administrator, a Christian activist, a retired educator,
older members of the local chapter of a national sorority, a Workforce
Investment Act Monitor, and the leader of an organization rumored to have
it's roots in the "plantocracy" -(those of you from the deep South will
understand the term and its implications). Frankly, all I care about is that
students who are in desperate need of literacy (and I do not exxagerate)
will see the beginnings of a system that they can access for education
services. Oh and I have made it clear to all that I will not write grants
for salaries or to fund any organizations, I will write grants - and have in
the past - for student materials, volunteer training, and computer supplies.
I do not want to get bogged down in funder contraints and expectations. 

I would be interested in hearing from anyone who is in a similar
situation-trying to meet the needs of literacy level students with
volunteers. I'm very interested in what kinds of training folks have tried
and whether or not the efforts were successful. Please no studies (I'm
overhelmed by studies), just real life experiences. Please email me directly
if possible. Thanks.

>From: AWilder106 at aol.com 

>Reply-To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by
AAACE<aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org> 

>To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org 

>Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] Who's Accountable? Drop in HS/GEDs in AELS  

>Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 11:23:22 EDT 

> 

>Dear Gail, 

> 

>I talked with one of the people at Johns Hopkins yesterday who ran the data


>for the "Locating the Dropout Crisis" study yesterday afternoon and found
out 

>that the Greenville High School in Greenville, Mississippi, was included in
the 

>study.   It was a directed question--I have a book, "In the Deep Heart's 

>Core," by Michael Johnston, which describes his two years teaching in
Greenville. 

>  I then called Leeson Taylor, at Greenville high School, who was extremely


>cordial and welcoming, and invited me to visit the school if I ever were in


>Mississippi.  Mr. Taylor became principal after Johnston's time and after
two of 

>the years for which data was collected for the Johns Hopkins study.   I
linked 

>him up with the Johns Hopkins researcher I had talked with earlier, there
may 

>be possibilities for collaborative work, I hope so. 

> 

>The need for adult literacy, excluding ESL, is related in my view to the 

>issues described in the Johns Hopkins study and documented in the Johnston
book. 

> 

>Andrea 

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