[NLA] Discussion: AELS and Higher Ed

[David J. Rosen]

NLA Colleagues,

Debbie Yoho wrote:

 >So I put it to the list:  What do y'all think?  Would those of us who 
 >are not already working alongside higher ed be better off if the AELS 
 > >money flowed through them, instead of K-12?

I have worked in adult education and literacy for a community college 
and/or a university since 1986,  but I would answer Debbie's question 
with an emphatic "no."  Here are my reasons:

1.  If public adult education and literacy funding is administered by 
state higher education, in all the cases I am familiar with, the funds 
go exclusively to higher education institutions, usually to community 
colleges.  This means that community-based organizations, public 
schools, volunteer organizations, faith-based organizations, and 
union-sponsored programs, among others, may not be eligible for funds. 
And this may mean that only people who are able or willing to go to a 
campus or a campus-sponsored agency can get adult education and literacy 
services.  That may leave out a lot of folks.

2.  Sometimes this means that the funds are not awarded competitively, 
that they are distributed to campuses in a state system as an 
entitlement, so the best programs may not be funded.

3.  Sometimes this means that adult education and literacy is focused on 
only work-related basic skills when, for example, community colleges 
only see adult basic education as part of a workforce development 
commitment.

4.  When push comes to shove in a state budget process, and higher 
education leadership must decide which line items to fight for, they may 
fight harder for services for enrolled college students.  Higher 
education is not likely to put the needs of "pre-college" before 
enrolled college students.  This means that at times of budget cutbacks 
-- now, for example -- higher education may not be a vigorous advocate 
for adult education and literacy services.

I do not want to be misunderstood, however, as arguing against funding 
community college or other higher education institutions as providers of 
adult education and literacy services.  Some of the best programs are 
located in these institutions, just as some of the best are located in 
CBO's, public schools, faith-based organizations, and volunteer 
organizations. Campus-based programs also offer adult education and 
literacy students the motivation to go on to higher education, an 
important added value.

My point is that the state agency responsible for adult education and 
literacy must demonstrate a commitment to provide the best services, to 
a wide range of provider agencies, to an open and competitive grant 
process, and to reaching a broad range of individuals with a wide 
variety of learning goals.

In my state, the only organization which has shown commitment to a broad 
range of adult students' goals and kinds of adult education and literacy 
providers is the State Department of Education.  Its mission is basic 
skills, through the high school level for children -- AND adults.  It 
funds adult education and literacy programs in higher education, 
community-based agencies, public schools, volunteer agencies, labor and 
workplace organizations and faith-based programs, among others.  But 
this was not always the case.  Sustained pressure from the adult 
education and literacy field demanded, and has supported, this kind of 
leadership from the Department of Education.  In states where the State 
Education Department does not show this kind of leadership the field can 
rise up and change this.

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at theworld.com

_______________________________________________
NLA mailing list: NLA at lists.literacytent.org
http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/nla
LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and goodies for literacy
http://literacytent.org