[AAACE-NLA] What is purpose of AELS?

[George Demetrion]

I agree with what Tom says; though ideally, it's a both/and rather than
an either/or issue. I do think the upper echelon needs to be addressed
also as there are a lot of gaps there where many adults get left behind,
to coin a phrase. I say ideally because resources of time, money and
staff invariably influence programming.  Still, with Tom, addressing the
needs of those at the lower and intermediate ranges also remains
critically important.  

George Demetrion

-----Original Message-----
From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org
[mailto:aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of
tsticht at znet.com
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 1:11 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] What is purpose of AELS?

Aaace-nla colleagues: Some time ago I posted a message about how the
Adult
Education and Literacy System (AELS) seems to be being transformed more
and
more from an adult education system with the purpose of helping adults
meet
a wide variety of educational needs, to a second-chance K-12 system in
which the goal is to have adults learn what is taught in the K-12 system
to
move from secondary to post-secondary, college education. The recent
posts
by David Rosen and Hal Beder arguing for moving more adult learners from
the AELS into post-secondary education seems to be consistent with this
trend. To me this raises the important question of what services the
AELS
should be offering. I have always considered it an opportunity for the
hardest to reach, most underserved adults, with the greatest need for
adult
literacy education. Of course, the need for ESL (ESOL) has been and
continues to be an important component of the AELS, too. But I am
troubled
by the move toward having the AELS focus attention away from the most
difficult to reach and teach and to move to a college-prepatory program.
I
would like to know what others think. Tom Sticht