[AAACE-NLA] Reach Higher, America and Hope for Change

[tsticht at znet.com]

Colleagues: In the Reach Higher, America report I did not see much about the
personnel who work in the Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS) of the
United States, what their employment situation is, and what it should be
under a new system as envisioned in the Reach Higher, America report. So
here are some thoughts along these lines.

In 1997-98 there were 177,943 personnel working in the Adult Education and
Literacy System (AELS) of the United States. Of these, 69,129 (38.8%) were
part-time, 22.890 (12.8%)full-time, and 85,924 (48.2%) were volunteers.
There were 4,020,550 enrollments, about 23 enrollments per personnel.

After implementing the National Reporting System in 1999, by 2004-05
personnel had dropped 19% to 144,169, with 70,923 (49.1) part-time, 22,155
(15.3%) full-time, and 51,891 (35.9%) volunteers, and enrollments dropped
35.8% to 2,581,281, about 18 enrollments per personnel. I have not found
information about the wages of the part- or full-time personnel.

Some thoughts about how AELS personnel might be paid come from the American
Federation of Teachers (AFT). It estimated that in 2004-05 the average wage
for teachers in the K-12 system was $47,602, while that for beginning
teachers was $31,753.

If the beginning level teacher wages of $31,753 were applied to the 144,169
personnel of the AELS in 2004-05, this would have required funding of some
$4,577,000,000. Instead, combined federal and state funds for the AELS came
to around $2,250,000,000, or approximately $15,600 per personnel, less than
half what a beginning K-12 teacher would have earned in 2004-05.

If the AELS were to serve 10 million adults in the year 2020, just half of
what the Reach Higher, America report calls for, then assuming the
enrollment to personnel ratio stayed constant at 18 enrollments to one
personnel, then the AELS would require some 550,555 personnel. If they were
paid the wages of a beginning K-12 teacher, then funding of  $17,640,537,915
would be needed. Assuming a wage increase of 2% a year from 2005 to adjust
wages for inflation, then in 15 years the total of wages would have to be
multiplied by 1.30 which would come to $22,932,699,290. Of course more
funding would be needed if a significant percentage of the personnel were
paid the average wage for K-12 teachers.

If the goal of providing a world-class lifelong learning adult education and
literacy skills enhancement system that is on a par with the K-12 system is
to be realized, then it seems reasonable that full-time, wage earning
educational personnel should staff the system. Otherwise it would appear
that the United States does not take the education of generally socially
isolated, marginalized, undereducated men and women seriously. I hope that
changes!


Tom Sticht