NLA Discussion: A Thorny Issue

[Lloyd David]

I believe the discussion of teacher salaries, benefits, and preparation
is one of the most important issues facing the field of adult literacy.
J. A. Crandall presented a good synposis of the major reasons why the
field is in this predicament.  It is true adult literacy has been viewed
in the past as a "step child", however, I believe this could change in
the near future because of the economy and the changes in way people are
expected to work.  Today there are few jobs that do not require the
worker to use a computer to read job instructions.  This is true in
manufacturing, hospitals, restaurants, etc. Also jobs are constantly
changing and this requires workers who are literate and able to be
trained quickly.

I also feel that the adult educator can be blamed to a great extent for
the low salaries.  One of the previous respondents implied that teachers
who are part time were opposed to higher salaries because they might lose
their jobs. The employing agency would be foolish to offer $15.per hour
if the teacher is willing to work for $10. Historically wages follow
supply and demand.  A qualified person should know what he/she is worth,
and the hiring agency if it wants good people should pay a decent wage.

This brings up the other issue qualifications of teachers.  Most people
if they have been to school in this country and have not completed high
school have a learning disability.  This requires a trained teacher to
diagnose the problem and come up with an appropriate solution.  Most
volunteers even if they are college professors or professionals do not
have this type of training and cannot learn all about the myriad kinds of
learning disabilities in a few training sessions.  Volunteers are
necessary since our students require more assistance than is able to be
given in most classes which last a few hours per week. Often, however,
the volunteer is presented with a difficult situation for which he/she is
not trained and is expected to in essence perform miracles.

If we really believe that adult education-literacy is a field managed by
professionals, we should begin acting accordingly.

Lloyd David
Continuing Education Institute
108 Water Street
Watertown, MA 02172