[NLA] learner leadership/NIFL board

Fri Nov 30 17:18:34 EST 2001

Friends of the NLA and Gail - I have also been lurking as this conversation
develops.  If  you allow, let me just throw in my 2 cents worth.

You wrote:  "...it seems to me to be extremely important in the present
political climate to put forward candidates with the highest possible
visibility, clout, and political savvy--people committed to adult literacy
that Congress will pay attention to..." and then went on to add: "... I'd
hate to see us fall into 'fiddling while Rome burns.' "

I might be missing something since I'm way away from the Washington DC area,
but it seems to me that Rome is *already* burning.  But I'm with you also.
Yes, it *is* important, when it comes to having people in place with high
visibility and the means to accomplish the difficult task of keeping focused
on adult literacy for the future.  But we need just as *much*, I believe,
those who know the reality of adult illiteracy since it's such a well
hidden, shameful and embarrassing secret to so many who aren't even seeking
services.

Secondly, having had a limited number of experiences with elected and/or
appointed state/federal governmental officials where adult learners / New
Readers "rubbed shoulders with " (rather, gave input to) the official, you
can read the following accordingly, if you wish.  There is definitely a
benefit to having adult learners who have walked the walk, talked the talk
of illiteracy and survived.  I've had the advantage of seeing how intently
these officials listen to adults with limited literacy skills out of respect
for their strengths.  The most recent happened this week.  Here 'tis:

Our local, small city New Reader Committee walked the walk of how difficult
it is to vote "for people like me".  Three of them were seated at a
conference table in the state capitol in October.  Joining them at that
table were the Secretary of State, her Deputy and the Elections Supervisor.
Things happened!  FAST!  I felt as though I could have just as well not
*been* there.  At times I was the learners' interpreter to explain something
in Plain English, but the attention was on these adult learners and their
input.

Now, four weeks later, ahead of a Hearing at the Board of Elections meeting,
winter blew in on Monday.  It's snowing - all 13 inches of it fell in the
two days ahead of this 4 1/2 hour drive to the state capitol.  The Elections
Supervisor is on the phone with me on Tuesday as I tell him how awful the
weather is, asking him what it is going to do in the hearing process if the
learners can't get to me in *my* city to head to the capitol together the
next day.  [Two were snowbound "up North".]

He said - and here's the punch line -"Being seated that day last month at
the same table with your learners had a real *impact* on **me**."  Then he
added, "You can come alone, but I gotta tell ya, Nancy.  Do what you can to
get them here.  They will make a difference!"  And they do! And they did!

So the (past and present) adult learner's "clout" is their knowledge -- The
knowledge of the difficult struggle that they can share so vividly with
decision-makers -- much more vividly, face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball than
any practitioner or expert or researcher ever could.  NIFL's Board deserves
*more* than **one** adult learner leader to be seated there -- if the other
members are ready to listen and hear -- before they act.  Let the learner
leaders lead the way.  They can, you know.  That is -- if *we* give them the
tools!

Nancy Hansen
Ex. Director
Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council
Sioux Falls, SD
sfliteracy at mcleodusa.net

----- Original Message -----
From: Gail Spangenberg <gspangenberg at caalusa.org>
To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Friday, November 30, 2001 1:00 PM
Subject: Re: [NLA] learner leadership/NIFL board

> Friends,   I have been following this conversation for a while, and
> want to throw a different kind of thought into the hopper.  I think
> we'll be very, very lucky to get even a few ADULT literacy people on
> the new NIFL board.  So I'm inclined to think that our energies right
> now might best be directed toward the goal of retaining the "adult"
> in literacy as part of the NIFL agenda.  Whether the ADULT literacy
> members are students, or professionals from the field, or business
> leaders, or other good folks from other quarters, it seems to me to
> be extremely important in the present political climate to put
> forward candidates with the highest possible visibility, clout, and
> political savvy--people committed to adult literacy that Congress
> will pay attention to.  I guess I'm being Machiavellian, but the
> times seem increasingly unfriendly to adult literacy.  A colleague
> once said a very wise thing about advancing a desired goal in adult
> education and literacy; he said, "you've got to keep your eye on the
> target."   I'd hate to see us fall into "fiddling while Rome burns."
> Gail Spangenberg
>
> >Janet, et. al.,
> >It is my hope that the board will include a representative from the
numeracy
> >community.  The Adult Numeracy Network board includes several likely
> >candidates.  Please, expand the national vision of literacy....
> >Tricia Donovan
> >Curriculum Developer/Writer
> >TERC
> >Cambridge, MA 02140
> >
> >----------
> >>From: "hartman" <hartman at thebell.org>
> >>To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
> >>Subject: RE: [NLA] learner leadership/NIFL board
> >>Date: Wed, Nov 28, 2001, 4:25 PM
> >>
> >
> >>  Janet
> >>
> >>  The Bush Administration is currently in the process of selecting and
> >>  screening candidates for the NIFL Board.  The terms of all the current
> >>  members' have expired, and they are only serving until replaced.
> >>
> >>  Members of the Board will likely be selected based on both what they
> >>  know and who they know (or, at least, who advocates for them).  So, if
> >>  anyone has an idea of who should be on the Board, they need to act
> >>  quickly to get their candidate in the mix.
> >>
> >>  I think having an adult learner (current or former) would be a good
> >>  addition.  You would need to find a champion for the
candidate...someone
> >>  who has "traction" within this Administration.
> >>
> >>  Andy Hartman
> >>  Director, Policy and Research
> >>  The Bell Policy Center
> >>  1801 Broadway, Suite 280
> >>  Denver, Colorado   80202
> >>  hartman at thebell.com
> >>
> >>  -----Original Message-----
> >>  From: nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org
> >>  [mailto:nla-admin at lists.literacytent.org] On Behalf Of Janet Isserlis
> >>  Sent: Friday, November 16, 2001 3:59 PM
> >>  To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
> >>  Subject: [NLA] learner leadership/NIFL board
> >>
> >>  Colleagues,
> >>
> >>    I'm wondering if anyone is aware of the current status and
> >>  composition of the Board of Directors of NIFL.  As VALUE and other
> >>  learner-led organizations have gained expertise in working with
> >>  local, state and national literacy organizations, it seems that the
> >>  time is right for there to be representation of adult learner leaders
> >>  within those organizations, and particularly on the NIFL board.
> >  > Archie Willard, former president of VALUE, is one excellent candidate
> >  > that comes to mind.  I would like to see us take up the issue of
> >  > supporting the work of learner leaders, and particularly, hope to see
> >>  NIFL add those leaders to their board.   While there is still no
> >>  shortage of need for qualified  teachers to work with learners, I do
> >>  believe that the number of  learner leaders who are very capable
> >>  advocates has grown and that we  need to recognize, celebrate and
> >>  heed their voices.  In addition to asking out loud about the status
> >>  of the NIFL board, I'm also wondering if others on the list have
> >>  experiences to share around working with adult learner leaders -- and
> >>  especially hope that those leaders will share their own experiences,
> >>  too.
> >>
> >>  Janet Isserlis
> >>
> >>
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> >>
> >_______________________________________________
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>
>
> --
> Gail Spangenberg
> President
> Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
> 1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Floor
> New York, NY 10020
> 212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610
> _______________________________________________
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>
>

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