NLA Discussion: A Thorny Issue

[TCORDELL]

In reference to the discussion about staffing salaries and benefits for
ABE.... While I participated in the Dept. of Ed's adult student focus
groups in Washington DC last month, I learned for the first time that
most teachers for Adult Education are part time.

 I was very surprised and felt hurt. After all, if the educators
available to help adult students are not valued, what does that suggest
about us?

 Debby D'Amico captured am important point. At the end of her 
E-mail. She said, "It is integrally connected to the image and
perception of the field, and its students, nationally."

The issue is not about "us" (adult students). It is education as a
whole.  While in North Carolina also last month, I saw large billboard
which was very simple and on target.  Just two words side by side. 

	Education = Future

However, each word had a circle around it with a slash through it.
So the message was 

       no education = no future. 

 It speaks volumes to me.  

Toni Cordell
New Reader Leadership Coordinator
tcordell at laubach.org
Laubach Literacy
1320 Jamesville Ave.
Syracuse, NY 13210
(315) 422-9121

>----------
>From: 	DEBBYDAM at aol.com[SMTP:DEBBYDAM at aol.com]
>Sent: 	Monday, October 13, 1997 8:48 AM
>To: 	nla at world.std.com
>Subject: 	NLA Discussion: A Thorny Issue
>
>
>David Rosen requested information regarding teacher salaries, benefits, and
>working conditions.  I refer you to a report I did for the Literacy
>Assistance Center in 1995, entitled Staffing Patterns in New York City Adult
>Literacy Initiative programs:  Data and Directions.  In it I review salaries,
>benefits, professionalization and unionization.  In New York City Board of
>Education adult education classes, teachers have parity with day school
>teachers, as they do at the Consortium for Worker Education.  The reason:
>unionization.  However, the fact that the field is largely part time is a
>larger issue involving the evolution of the field, the scheduling of adult
>education classes, funding, etc.  This is an issue the field must consider,
>and it is integrally connected to the image and perception of the field, and
>its students, nationally.  
>
>debby D'Amico 
>debbydam at aol.com
>
>