[AAACE-NLA] COABE Policy Session

[Jackie A. Taylor]

Hi Tom and All,

 

Actually, we had someone on the panel with experience at the state level.
Unfortunately travel was an issue and he had to cancel unexpectedly.

 

However, Jeff Fantine, State Director of Adult Education, Maine Department
of Education, will be joining us to share his perspective with respect to
the debate topics.

 

Thanks for your interest!

 

Best.Jackie 

 

Jackie Taylor

COABE Policy Chair

NCL Policy Co-Chair

jackie at jataylor.net 

 

-----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: Thursday, March 04, 2010 4:48 PM
To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org
Subject: [AAACE-NLA] COABE Policy Session

 

Colleagues: I found the quote down below on the schedule of concurrent

sessions for the COABE/ProLiteracy conference in Chicago later this month.

I was struck by the fact that this is being chaired and assisted by folks

from community based organizations with no indicated direct representation

in the program leaders from the state directors of adult education which

operate the vast majority of education programs for adult learners in the

nation through the Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS). The latter

refers to the 3000 or so programs that are funded in part by federal funds

from WIA Title 2: The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

 

 

The two topics indicated in the extract from the COABE program deal with two

very important topics: the funding for learners at the lowest level of

educational achievement and if the AELS should be under the jurisdiction of

the Dept of Education or the Dept of Labor at the federal level.

 

 

In a paper entitled The Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS) in the

United States: Moving From the Margins to the Mainstream of Education

(February 2, 2000)I outlined four steps I thought should be taken to move

the AELS from the margins to the mainstream of education. The fourth step

that I called for was given in the following quote from the paper

 

 

"Step 4. Symbolic Moves. First, we should agree upon a name for the system

that I have been calling the Adult Education and Literacy System (AELS). I

have used this name because that is the name of the federal government

office that administers the AELS system at the national level. This name

also emphasizes that the system aims to help those with the least literacy

skills to develop their skills, and to provide continuing education to

those with other needs.

 

 

Second, given that we have agreed upon the name as used herein, the

Workforce Investment Act (WIA) should be renamed the Adult Education,

Literacy and Workforce Investment Act (AELWIA) to recognize the many

returns to investment in adult education and literacy development beyond

the very important, but limited goal of improving the employability and

productivity of the workforce. As data presented in this report have

indicated, the adult education and literacy system helps millions of adults

become more effective as parents, it helps their children do better in

school, it helps adults become better managers of their own and their loved

ones health, and it assists adults in becoming more active in the civic

activities of their communities. Given these many different returns to

investment in adult education, the AELWIA legislation should reflect the

primary and more encompassing goal of investing in adult education and

literacy development to achieve all of the important outcomes that the

system presently delivers, including workforce development."

 

>From the foregoing I think you can see that I believe that the AELS should

be regarded as an education system not a labor development system and

therefore I think the AELS should be located within the Dept of Education.

Further, I think the AELS should be regarded as an adult education SYSTEM

not a PROGRAM. I don't know of anyone who refers to the higher education

system in the nation as a "program" nor is that the way we talk about the

K-12 system. I think we should move toward a greater recognition of the

AELS as the third leg of a three-legged stool of education: the pre-K-12

system, the higher education system, and the Adult Education and Literacy

System.

 

 

Here is the extract from the COABE list of concurrent sessions:

 

"For the first time ever, the COABE, ProLiteracy and the National Coalition

for Literacy are hosting a town hall meeting and public policy debate on

hot policy issues that affect adult education in the US today. This lively

discussion will explore diverse points of view, including yours! The debate

will be moderated by David Harvey, President and CEO of ProLiteracy. Marsha

Tait and Jackie Taylor (National Coalition for Literacy Public Policy

Committee Co-Chairs) will assist. Topic 1: whether and to what extent

should federal and state monies be invested in the lowest level of learner

in an economic and political climate that is focused almost entirely on

jobs creation economic stimulus. Topic 2: whether, in the context of the

current political and economic climate, adult education should be a

stand-alone program under the jurisdiction of the US Department of

Education, or whether it should be re-focused as a fully integrated

workforce skills program under the jurisdiction of the US Department of

Labor."

 

 

Perhaps some of the subscribers to this discussion would like to express

their views, too. Particularly those who may not be able to get to the

COABE meeting.

 

Tom Sticht

 

 

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