[NLA] NIFL board nominees (pretty long posting)

[Amy Prevedel]

I wanted to send along a copy of the letter I wrote on 2/27 to Sen. Boxer's 
education person, Tanya Clay.  She contacted me yesterday and asked me how 
quickly the timeline was moving on this.  I told her I didn't know myself, 
and then I gave her names and contact information of people who might know 
more about this:  David Rosen, Gail Spangenberg and Andy Hartman.  I gave 
out these names simply because I had copies of letters they had posted to 
the listserv right in front of me.  I also gave her info on how to get to 
the NLA archives.

So...I'm apologizing in advance if I should have given her other people's 
names--it really was completely random whose info I had at my fingertips.  
And also--David, Gail and Andy--I'm belatedly asking your permission to 
possibly be contacted by Tanya Clay, and I hope that's okay.

Also...I talked with Jane Oates (202-224-5501) in Sen. Kennedy's office on 
2/27 about the NIFL board and about the importance of the EFF initiative.  
She is the person knowledgeable about this issue for Kennedy's work on the 
HELP committee.  Jane echoed what someone else had posted to the list here:  
basically, she thinks that adult ed. has larger battles to face right now 
that involve lots more money and long-term consequences, and she doesn't see 
this as a winnable battle to choose.  The silver lining in all of this is 
that 3 board positions are 1-year appointments.  She recommends our field be 
ready to lobby for our own choices next year.  She said we should think of 
republicans to suggest who are active in adult literacy.

Also, I asked if she'd be interested in being on the NLA list.  She said yes 
(I'm sure she doesn't get enough e-mail as it is) and I will mail her the 
address.


Here's the letter to Boxer's office:

tanya_clay at boxer.senate.gov
Hello Tanya--

Thank you for your time yesterday talking about the nominees for the 
National Institute for Literacy advisory board.  I am asking that Senator 
Boxer's office contact HELP committee members, Rod Paige, Rob Muller, Carol 
D'Amico, Elaine Chao and Thomas Thompson, to emphasize the importance of 
including adult literacy professionals on the NIFL's advisory board.

As you requested, I am sending along the names of Bush's nominations to the 
NIFL advisory board.  If you like, I can get their resumes from Rod Paige's 
office for you as well.  Although the following people are solid 
professionals in their own fields, none of them brings background and 
expertise in the areas of adult or family literacy--the statuatory and 
historic focus of the National Institute for Literacy.

Last year California's library-based adult literacy programs served over 
25,000 adult literacy learners.  Our programs serve adults at the lowest 
skill levels who are not yet ready to access other parts of the adult 
education system, which makes the NIFL's adult literacy-focused initiatives 
all the more critical to programs like ours.

Presently, the NIFL maintains its focus on adult learning needs.  These 
needs include reading skills as well as other skills and knowledge areas 
critical to supporting adults in achieving their potential as family 
members, workers and community members.  A shift to an exclusive focus on 
reading would be a disservice to adult learners whose real-life learning 
needs demand skill development that supports them in their adult roles.

The NIFL Board needs to reflect the importance of adult literacy education 
specifically, by giving adult education researchers, practicioners and 
students a voice in the future of the NIFL.  Only this kind of inclusion 
will preseve NIFL's unique mission of supporting access to quality literacy 
education across the lifespan.

Bush Nominates to the NIFL Advisory Board:

Carmel Borders of Kentucky
Douglas Carnine of Oregon
Blanca Enriquez of Texas
Carol Gambill of Tennessee
William Hiller of Ohio
Phyllis Hunter of Texas
Robin Morris of Georgia
Juan Olivarez of Michigan (president of Gran Rapids Community College)
Jean Osborn of Illinois
Mark Yudof of Minnesota (president of the University of Minnesota).


Thank you for your work on this!

Amy Prevedel
Library Literacy Program Coordinator

Berkeley Public Library
1125 University Avenue
Berkeley, California  94702

510/981-6274







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