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Archie
<br>I greatly appreciate your ideas and feel that you can contribute much
to the direction of adult education. I have one problem and that
is that I do not have the faith in the system that you have. That
is why I am not surprised at the recent actions in Massachusetts, my birth
state. But this is a subject for another time.
<p>The reason I feel compelled to respond is your statement "If an adult
learner was appointed to this board, I feel a message would be sent to
Congress and to society that things <b><i>are</i></b> working in adult
literacy." My fear is that this massive organization will exploit
you for their purposes. They will attempt to say that the past support
has been adequate, which we all know is not true. They will show
case the success while cutting funding in the back room.
<p>This is not to say that an adult learner should not be appointed.
It is my suggested position that adult learning <b><i><u>can</u></i></b>
work and that too many people are having their lives destroyed now because
of a lack of national commitment. It is also necessary that all of
the others on this list support an appointee actively. It will take
a person of courage to go into this mess. The rest of us have to
push and support an appointee like a rugby scrum. Because of the existence
of this list it is possible to provide the required support.
<p>We should also recognize that if the above is recognized by those who
possess the power to control, such an appointment may be blocked.
That is why it is necessary that there be a scrum meeting of those who
support the appointment to assure that the appointment is made.
<br>
<p>Archie Willard wrote:
<blockquote TYPE=CITE>Although I recognize and appreciate the thoughts
and concerns about the current climate regarding adult literacy, I feel
strongly about adult learners’ being involved. Somehow I would hope we
live in an America where people who have literacy problems and have worked
hard to better themselves can represent the very same kind of people with
literacy problems on the NIFL advisory board. If Congress, our leaders,
and the literacy field view adult learners who have gone through the adult
literacy system as people who cannot speak for themselves, then I think
things are wrong. I hope our country is a better place than that
and we cannot accept that only highly visible people and people with clout
can represent others. If an adult learner was appointed to this board,
I feel a message would be sent to Congress and to society that things <b><i>are</i></b>
working in adult literacy.
<p>Archie Willard
<p>--
<br>Archie Willard
<br>millard@goldfieldaccess.net
<br>FAX - 515-448-3213
<br>URL - <a href="http://www.readiowa.org/archiew.html">http://www.readiowa.org/archiew.html</a>
<br> </blockquote>
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