[NLA] Discussion: AELS and Higher Ed

[Boston Adult Literacy Fund]

excellently put.  thank you, David.
J
-- 


> From: "David J. Rosen" <DJRosen at theworld.com>
> Reply-To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
> Date: Tue, 03 Dec 2002 23:09:57 -0500
> To: nla at lists.literacytent.org
> Subject: [NLA] Discussion: AELS and Higher Ed
> 
> 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
> 
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