[AAACE-NLA] Literacy President petition: what have we learned?

Thu Dec 27 03:46:41 EST 2007

David, I think that the main reason we did so well in Pennsylvania is  
that we have a history of grassroots advocacy and multiple ways-- and  
multiple people-- to nudge our adult educators and students to  
respond. We also have a few programs that we can always count on to  
get the ball rolling.

PAACE lets us know what we need to do by sending emails to all PAACE  
members through our discussion list. PAACE also has representatives in  
three regions of the state who reiterate the reminders and ask people  
in individual programs to participate.

I'll use my program as an example of what happens then: I send an  
email to all staff. Another staff member puts a request for action out  
to volunteers  and students through our enews letter. Our executive  
director sends information about our need for advocacy to the board.  
Our advocacy committee starts to galvanize our students into action.

Our receptionist is a former student and the most active member of our  
committee. In this instance she noted that responding to an online  
survey was difficult for many students so she printed the petition on  
paper and then distributed it to students in our classes. She asked  
that the students interested in signing the petition do so after class  
and then drop it off at the front desk. She collected the signed  
petitions and entered the students names for them on line.

In other parts of the state, students who had class in or near a  
computer lab could just use a computer that was set to the site  
address. Again this eased the process for many students.

Basically, a good advocacy effort is just about the communication  
system that a state has in place. It has to reach program directors,  
instructors and students.

Karen Mundie
PAACE  Advocacy Committee
Associate Director
Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
kmundie at gplc.org

Students who have

On 2007-12-26, at 13:20, DJRosen at TheWorld.com wrote:

> Colleagues,
>
> I am beginning to get some responses from those who worked to get  
> Literacy
> President petition signatures, but I haven't heard yet from Delaware,
> Pennsylvania and Illinois. Of course I would like to hear from all the
> states that were involved in trying to get signatures on the petition.
>
> • What did you learn from this?
> • How did you get participation?
> • What were your strategies?
> • What were the challenges?
> • How did you overcome the challenges (if you did) ?
>
> If you want to send your responses to me, if I get enough I'll  
> compile a
> summary stripping out specifics that would identify comments with
> individuals or states.
>
> I know that some states and programs were challenged in helping adult
> learners get access to -- and learn how to use -- computers to  
> answer the
> survey.
>
> • What were the specific challenges?
> • What did you do to address them?
> • What will you do to prepare for petitions in the future so that more
> adult learners have the choice of signing them?
>
> David J. Rosen
> Adult Literacy Advocate
> djrosen at theworld.com
>
> -----
> On Dec 19, 2007, at 10:30 AM, I wrote:
>
> Hello Jon and others,
>
> Although we did not reach the goal, this number of signatures is
> respectable especially since, as far as I know, it is the first time
> that any organization has tried a national petition from our field.
> Congratulations to VALUE for providing the leadership and thank you,
> Jon, for posting the updates and reminders here.
>
> Let's hear from Delaware, Pennsylvania and Illinois especially, but
> also from other states: how did you get the participation?  What were
> your strategies? We can all benefit from your experience so that we
> can apply it next time to reach a 10,000 signature goal.
>
> David J. Rosen
> Adult Literacy Advocate
> DJRosen at theworld.com
>
> On Dec 18, 2007, at 8:33 PM, Jon Randall wrote:
>
>
> The signatures have been downloaded and document prep is underway for
> tomorrow's in-person delivery to 2008 Presidential candidates with
> offices in Washington, DC. All candidates will receive electronic
> versions of the petition.
>
> The final count ... 5,796 persons have signed the Literacy President
> Petition, urging all of the 2008 Presidential candidates to answer 5
> questions regarding what their adult literacy policy will be, once
> they
> are elected President. Thank you to everyone who signed the
> petition and
> encouraged others to do so too.
>
> Final state tallies ...
>
> Delaware poured it on in the final days, ending up with 994
> signatures!
> Pennsylvania came in second, with 562. Illinois came in third, with
> 514.
>
> The second tier includes: New York (376); Kentucky (371); Tennessee
> (362); and Massachusetts (352).
>
> The third tier includes: Arizona (189); North Carolina (166); the
> District of Columbia (161); California (143); New Hampshire (127); New
> Jersey (124); and Vermont (119).
>
> In the basement, with fewer than 100 signatues since the petition was
> launched on November 3rd ...
>
> (level A, 75-99) ... KS = 97; MO & RI = 88 each; MD = 81
>
> (level B, 50-74) ... FL = 69; ME = 68; SC = 66; WA = 60; ND = 56; IA =
> 52; MT = 51
>
> (level C, 25-49) ... IN = 44; LA = 38; VA = 33; TX - 32; CT = 27; GA =
> 26; WV = 25
>
> (level D, 1-24) ... NM = 23; SD = 22; CO & MN = 19 each; MI, OH & WI =
> 18 each; NV = 15; AK = 14; HI = 11; AL & OK = 10 each; UT = 9; AR &
> OR =
> 7 each; WY = 5; MS & NE = 4 each; ID = 3
>
> The final petition will soon be on the VALUE web site as a PDF
> document.
> We will also post pictures of VALUE staff and Board members
> hand-delivering the petition.
>
> Thanks for all of your efforts.
>
> - Jon
>
> Jon Randall
> VALUE Consultant
> jrandall at valueusa.org
>
>
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>
>
> David Rosen
> DJRosen at theworld.com
>
>
>
>
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