[AAACE-NLA] A Business Perspective on the Need for Literacy in Colorado

[Catherine B. King]

Hello David and Colleagues:

The Ownes article focuses well on the economic aspects of adult education 
and, as the heading of this note says, the "business perspective of the need 
for literacy . . ."  At the end of the article, Owens writes:
"Even better, boosting unacceptably low literacy levels shouldn't contain an 
ounce of partisanship. Republican and Democratic policymakers understand 
that literacy is the cornerstone of economic development and job creation. 
Unless we take this competitiveness challenge seriously, we run the risk 
that while companies want to grow here in America by focusing on R&D, 
lagging literacy rates will force them to focus first on teaching workers 
their ABCs."

Important also, however, is what is missing from it, and a healthy reference 
to the broader perspective--the one that takes us out of the 
business-economic perspective and into the broader, more inclusive 
perspective of the whole adult, and of the whole democratic culture we all 
live in and profess to adore. These more whole and larger perspectives are 
**also** served by the adult education mission in a democracy.

Just as there is a direct link between the economy of the nation, its 
businesses, and its worker-skills (as the article rightly states), so there 
is a direct link between the democratic-republican government, and the 
educational development of its constituents.  "Literacy" is only the 
**necessary**, but **not sufficient** basis of that constituency. 
"Constituency," of course, means that adults "constitute" the republic.  If 
so, then the less literate/educated we are, the less we can provide a 
well-formed constitution to foster and support the tenets of our 
Constitution.  The less education our constitutes have, the more arbitrary 
power shifts to our "leaders."

This larger more comprehensive view also relates directly back to businesses 
who also live and thrive in a free and democratic arena.  So the article is 
good, as far as it goes; but we as adult educators should be able to see 
beyond it in terms of our larger mission.

Further, we can relate these broader perspectives to our recent conversation 
with Lennox McLendon.  That is:

As educators in a democracy,we are not a lobby group or a faction in the 
same way that, say, Toyota is.  Again, our mission is identified with, or 
married to, the entire democratic-republican process in a way that, if we 
fail, the whole process goes into cardiac arrest.  For instance, look at our 
present situation and the news this very day.  Many in Congress are trying 
to explain to the American people, whom many seem to view merely in economic 
terms or as "workers," what the Constitution means, what the rule-of-law 
means, what breaking a principle means, what ethics means, what unchecked 
executive power means, what freedom means, etc.  If this isn't "cardiac 
arrest" for education in a democracy, what is?

Finally, the above relates to Lennox's note and the question of criticizing 
ourselves in public:

1)  I am insulted that anyone should suggest that any of us don't already 
employ self-reflection and restraint in publishing on this forum.

2) I feel the same way about being cautioned about our "audience" for 
critique as I and others did earlier about having these notes scanned by the 
political police before they go on this site.  It deadens the spirit of 
freedom and inquiry.  Nada.  And any librarian knows what I mean.

3) Again, Lennox is involved with real-politic; however, it is the height of 
political naiveté to think that today's real-politic is not a concrete 
result of someone's idea of the way things should be and, further, that 
tomorrow's real-politic cannot change through the good words and works of 
people on-the-scene.

4) Rather than quieting or quashing "internal" critique, educators are the 
best examples of how open self-edification works.  Everyone here knows that 
I don't agree with Tom Sticht in many things; however, I ask you what venue 
he or we can speak in (in today's environment) where "the wrong audience" 
cannot hear him or us?

Instead of tempering our self-other critique, Lennox and others should be 
fostering a future real-politic--an environment where our internal and 
external critiques are heard and examined as a part of our one democratic 
culture.  Instead, we act like we are intimidated by the powers that we, 
ourselves, are the keepers of.  Again, we are not a lobby group, but rather 
are editors of the life-blood of our nation; and if our internal criticisms 
are met with ignorance or with bad faith, isn't it the ignorance and bad 
faith, rather than the criticism that is the problem?  As educators, we 
don't have to visit Capital Hill to know this about the "big picture."

Regards,

Catherine King

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <DJRosen at TheWorld.com>
To: <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2006 7:18 AM
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] A Business Perspective on the Need for Literacy in 
Colorado


> AAACE-NLA Colleagues,
>
> "Turning a page on literacy gap," an op ed in the business section of
> Colorado's Rocky Mountain News on January 21st by a former deputy chief of
> staff and communications director to Gov. Bill Owens, has some interesting
> observations and recommendations, particularly since Colorado now spends
> no state dollars on adult literacy education.  This may be an opportunity
> for adult literacy education advocates in Colorado -- and possibly other
> states -- to approach their governors to look at the issue of funding for
> adult literacy education through a business perspective, addressing the
> need for a competitive state workforce.  Now may be the time for advocates
> in Colorado, and in other states, to call for a high level committee to
> look at the need (ideally demand) , the services currently available, the
> gap, and how much it would cost to fill the gap.
>
> Here are some excerpts from this piece which might be particularly :
>
> "...a recent national study shows is blunting Colorado's, and the
> nation's, economic competitiveness."
>
> "Above all, this literacy gap is a human tragedy because it robs millions
> of Americans of the chance to lead fuller, more successful and fulfilling
> lives. But beyond the loss to each individual, this gap is a serious and
> continuing loss to Colorado's - and the nation's - competitive edge. It is
> a deep wound to our ability to compete in the world economy since studies
> show that these literacy rates lag behind those of our key international
> economic competitors.
>
> In fact, there is significant anecdotal evidence that the need for
> widespread basic skills training was a key reason that Toyota recently
> decided to locate a manufacturing plant in Canada rather than in the
> United States. The automaker wanted to avoid the significant training
> costs its competitors Nissan and Honda were saddled with at their U.S.
> facilities because of inadequate literacy skills."
>
> "This means America's competitiveness has continued to erode. As author
> and globalization guru Thomas Friedman and others have chronicled in
> detail, the pace of technological change is so great, and the workplace
> demands of the high-tech economy have deepened so rapidly, that when we
> stand still, we're actually falling backward. And while there is, and
> should be, robust competition among the states - and Colorado is an
> aggressive and effective competitor - the real challenge comes from other
> nations."
>
> "This gap also has implications for governments - such as Colorado's -
> that are trying to survive the one-two punch of declining revenues and
> rising expenses. Federal statistics show that workers at the lower
> literacy rates earn, on average, $28,000 less per year than those who
> score at the "proficient" levels. This, of course, translates into reduced
> tax receipts. But, at the same time, those with lower literacy rates also
> are more likely to have higher health care costs, often borne by the
> government, and higher welfare costs. In fact, in health care alone, those
> with the lowest literacy rates have health care costs that are quadruple
> the national average."
>
> and, most important:
>
> "The legislature also should review the waterfront of Colorado literacy
> programs, public and private, to determine their effectiveness and the
> adequacy of their funding levels and to promote the best practices."
>
> "By taking a serious look at the state of literacy education in Colorado -
> what's good and what needs some help - policymakers would bolster the
> ongoing and aggressive efforts of chambers of commerce and economic
> development leaders to make our state a magnet for family sustaining
> jobs."
>
>
> The full op ed will be found at:
>
> http://tinyurl.com/8bkzz
>
>
> David J. Rosen
> Adult Literacy Advocate
> DJRosen at theworld.com
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