[AAACE-NLA] NIFL Petition?

Tue May 12 11:56:52 EDT 2009

HI: As a once teacher and observing the NILF it had its dollars go for adm. and not to the front lines or the trenches so to say. Half million for rent etc. I think the feds look at that. ESL seems elusive and community colleges try but not in a organized way. They count beans to get more funding for the future. I think they are interested in number of clients etc and a few tests thrown in to look good. They don't advertise for ESL. it comes from faith based and grass roots where they say we need some classes for these adults.

Friend to Fossils
Merle Ayres
412 8th St. North
Humboldt, Iowa 50548
515-332-4630

From: fmumford45 at hotmail.com
To: gdemetrion at msn.com; wrmuth at vcu.edu; aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Date: Tue, 12 May 2009 08:04:03 -0400
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL Petition?

Once the President announced in his speech that NIFL is gone, it was a done deal.  We cannot expect a "bail out" and, I don't believe our time would be well spent in this arena.  

I believe our time would be better-spent to create a Center for Innovation and Research in Adult Education.  Adullt Education has lost two entities designed to provide assistance to our field.  We have nothing left to enable us to learn about Best Practices in Adult Education.  We need an entity that lets us know what is working and working well.  There is a place for OVAE, but OVAE cannot tackle it alone.  

How do we know what the most effective ways are to provide education and work-related skills to help our adult learners become qualified for jobs, especially middle skill level jobs?  What practices help parents learn so that they can translate their learning to their children in developmentally appropriate ways?  What specific practices are most effective with ESL learners to gain English skills?  These are the questions we need to have answered.  

We need research related to innovative practices -- a cross between a Research Center and a Best Practices knowledge base.  The Center would be the "bridge" between the knowledge AND practice gap.  The Community Colleges have such an enetity; one of their explorations is to examine the effective delivery of developmental studies.  It has sparked action research studies well beyond their walls to learn about promising practices.  Data is pooled from multiple participating community college.  In some cases, they are pooling their own resources to tackle common issues/problems and to expand their information pool.   

This is the type of information I need; am I alone in my need? 

Fran  

From: gdemetrion at msn.com
To: wrmuth at vcu.edu; aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Date: Mon, 11 May 2009 07:46:05 -0400
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL Petition?

Hi Bill, and thanks,

I think your recommendation needs consideration here.  An initial challenge is a more focused discussion on the pros and cons of making the case for NIFL in wehich its demise is anything but a done deal at that point.  I have not yet heard the clarion call from our policy leadeship who are pretty effective at organizing field-wide campaigns as we've seen when funding cuts have been on the table and effectively turned back.

Where is the policy leadership on this pivotal issue?  Working behind the scenes?  Accepting "reality," figuring out what to do?  

For any and all. What's up?  is NIFL worth fighting for or is it a dead horse?  Let's get these views right out here on the open airwaves.

I vote for a revitalized, highly streamlined NIFL focusing on adult and family literacy as in its original vision, but perhaps with sharpened visiion and addiitional resources.

George Demetrion

To: gdemetrion at msn.com; aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL Petition?
From: wrmuth at vcu.edu
Date: Sat, 9 May 2009 14:26:52 -0400

George (and all), 
Thank you for your excellent insights and ideas for fighting this. Once an argument/position is framed, how should it be carried forward? Beyond writing our representatives and hoping our individual voices are heard above the din, should we use a  free website like Care 2 Petition   http://www.thepetitionsite.com/?s_kwcid=petition|1066986990   to pull our voices together? 
Bill 

George Demetrion <gdemetrion at msn.com> 
Sent by: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org 05/09/2009 11:42 AM 

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Subject
Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL

Good evening David and other fine colleagues

I think Gail S. had mentioned that the fate of NIFL is not yet a done deal, so we should not act like it is.

I think what would be valuable as well is a detailed listing of NIFL's real accomplishments particularly in the 1990s.  The agency survived the Bush administration.  That's an accomplsihment in its own right and preserved some theaters of autonomy for the field, especially with the listserv, but a lot more as well. The professed standard by which the Obama administration is evaluating NIFL for its $6 million ios nothing short of absurd.  No entity is going to bring unity to a highly dispersed field but can help, as it has, to establish powerful collaborative network and stimulate and support compelling and importamnt projects.

I believe a dual strategy is needed at this point:

1.        To make a strong a case as possible for the continuation of NIFL, including the possibility of a renewed focus and detailing its many accomplsihments and what the future could look like with an invigorated, perhaps more tightly focused agency 
2.        Laying out an OVAE based framework that would incorporate and perhaps improve upon existing services that NIFL provides. 

Whether there are third alternatives such as an increasing central role for Proliteracy in light of its linkage with COABE I'm in no position to say, but such alternatives may also be worth a serious look.

George Demetrion 

Date: Thu, 7 May 2009 15:07:12 -0400
From: dharvey at proliteracy.org
To: yohogclc at earthlink.net; aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: Re: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL

Debbie & Colleagues, 

No -- ProLiteracy and members of the National Coalition for Literacy did not see this coming!  Do note, however, that the funds are proposed to be transferred to OVAE and combined with the national leadership grant program.  Also note that Obama is requesting an approximately $72 million increase for Title II of WIA to correct an administrative error in the formula that had many states losing funding this year.  This is GREAT news and in fact, represents the first funding increase for Title II of WIA in over a decade.  In other bad news, Obama has proposed to eliminate funding for Even Start -- although many are working on creating a new program for Even Start under ELSEA or possible Title II of WIA. 

More to come with additional details by others. 

David Harvey 
ProLiteracy 

From: aaace-nla-bounces at lists.literacytent.org on behalf of Debbie Yoho
Sent: Thu 5/7/2009 10:51 AM
To: scale-list
Cc: Peter Waite; David Harvey; PROLITERACY LIST; aaace-nla
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] NIFL

Holy Mackerel!  I am right this minute listening to the President, and he just specifically mentioned the National institute for Literacy as one of the programs on his list to cut or eliminate! (He spoke of a $6 million cut and that the functions could be done within the Dept. of Ed.) Since I support this administration, on the face of it I assume there are good reasons for this and the overall mission of NIFL will be maintained.  ProLit people, did you see this coming, and what comments do you have about it?  Thanks, Debbie Yoho

Division Director
Turning Pages/VOAC
Columbia, SC
office:  803-765-2555
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