[NLA] Government Misinformation - Summing Up

[Awilderast@aol.com]

Dear Catherine,

I disagree with your latest post on two points.

1)  Tom often but not always talks about statistics.  He is not talking about 
statistics when he questions the meaning of "learning the skills to succeed 
in family, work and community life today,"  and also "achieve their full 
potential."  In my opinion, both the literature on adult literacy and common 
sense (Am I achieving my full potential?  Are my friends?) don't, can't, 
support this.

BUT that literacy can change lives I have no doubt.

Another BUT, what about peole who live in extreme poverty....and are 
literate?  Taylor and Dorsey-Gaines took this question seriously enough to 
write an ethnography about some such people, "Growing Up Literate, Learning 
from Inner City Families."  I think it's really necessary to question the 
assumption of poverty = illiteracy.

2)  The EFF program on its face sounds as problematic, and for the same 
reasons, language that is global and vague.  Because I have read posts from 
teachers and administrators who are enthusiastic about the program, though, I 
think the reasons for their enthusiasm must lie in some other area, not 
covered by a gloss of the EFF language.   

I just don't think human experience can be reduced to role maps, so EFF 
presents as an interesting puzzle.  If it succeeds it must be succeeding on 
other grounds;  what are they?

Andrea                                                                        
        
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