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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thank you Art for vocalizing my own dismay.
My disbelief at the lack of criticism of this policy actually made me wonder if
some of the messages were "tongue in cheek". I guess not.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Maria Elena Gonzalez</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Adult Literacy Resource Institute, Boston,
MA</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr
style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=AEllison@ed.state.nh.us
href="mailto:AEllison@ed.state.nh.us">Ellison, Art</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=nla@lists.literacytent.org
href="mailto:'nla@lists.literacytent.org'">'nla@lists.literacytent.org'</A>
</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 07, 2002 2:40
PM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: [NLA] literacy and homeland
security?</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">To the
list,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> I am stunned
by the immediate responses on the list to the news that </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">VISTA</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> has become another
link in the battle for homeland security. So far we have suggestions that
range from using literacy </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial color=navy
size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">VISTA</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">'s to teach the
dangers of biological attacks to a refocusing of WIA to a workforce
development program that emphasizes "the teaching of knowledge useful in
homeland security job training". </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> These seem
like very tentative and incremental steps which only prolong the inevitable.
Fortunately, we are in the enviable position of being able to rewrite the
current WIA legislation within the next year. In order to consolidate all of
these many efforts perhaps the field could recommend that the new WIA be
changed to something like Defending the Homeland Through Literacy Act with
accompany changes to the NRS system that would show measurable gains in such
things as skill in designing bomb shelters, air filtering systems and the best
firearms to use in protecting your property from other citizens who did not
plan ahead. Art Ellison</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">-----Original
Message-----<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B>
LVAILL@aol.com [mailto:LVAILL@aol.com] <BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Monday, October 07, 2002 12:20
PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B>
nla@lists.literacytent.org<BR><B><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> Re: [NLA] literacy and homeland
security?</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">In a message dated 10/5/2002
9:55:50 AM Central Standard Time, alcdgg@langate.gsu.edu
writes:<BR><BR><BR><BR></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">received a letter from the Vista
office stating that if they cannot draw a link between the work being done in
the literacy program and homeland security, the Vista workers would need to be
pulled from the </SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 0.5in"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR><BR>We have not seen that in
Illinois, but every state is different. Illinois' Corporation for
National and Community Service (CNCS) office has always had a focus on
education in VISTA and that continues. However, the Illinois CNCS office
is also requiring a cost match of $10,000, the cost of the living
allowance. CNCS estimates their contribution of an educational award,
health insurance and initial and in-service training for members to be $10,000
as well. That is limiting the number of agencies that want (or can
afford) VISTA members. <BR><BR>The Corporation for National and Community
Service (CNCS) has become a favorite agency to run administration
initiatiatives through, especially when they don't get congressional approval
for something, i.e., America Reads. After that as program operators we
dealt with Colin Powell's Promise and had to incorporate one of his first four
promises into our annual objectives and were all required to do the fifth
which is to provide opportunities for youth "to give something
back."<BR><BR>The RFP's for AmeriCorps grants (not VISTA that is a different
system) are due out this week . Those go to states and "national direct"
progams. States have some latitude in writing their own calls for
proposals and setting their own priorities, but we are told there will be a
focus on homeland security and a preference given to those applicants.
How much of a focus and how much preference we're not sure. <BR><BR>There's
been talk about all AmeriCorps grantees and sub-grantees doing at least one
homeland security objective. Our state commission (Illinois
Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service) had a planning retreat two
weeks ago, and we recommended that rather than having all programs involved
with homeland security that CNCS set a target for the number of members they
want involved in such an effort say 10%, 25%, 50% and let states implement
it. I also liked the idea of giving non-homeland security type programs
extra points in review if they were able to effectively incorporate homeland
security or those such issues in their programs. Our Commission also
asked CNCS to more clearly articulate what they consider homeland security
issues. At this point it is broad and includes civil defense, law
enforcement including community policing, and a range of public health topics
and issues. <BR><BR>In addition to a focus on homeland security, it
appears that CNCS will also be seeking to advance the Leave No Child Behind
programming. There will be specific training requirements for members
who are tutoring children and at this point they are saying that they want
those members to have an Associate's Degree as well. There are also a
variety of changes being made on "allowable activities" for members, and in
the future members can be involved with fundraising and capacity-building
activities. <BR><BR>Now that states will have the federal guidelines,
they will be developing their own RFPs. Though each state sets
their own guidelines and processes for funding, most will be announcing
three-year funding opportunities this fall with a submission date most likely
in the spring. Anyone interested in sponsoring AmeriCorps programs
should follow that process with their State Commission on Community
Service. It varies as to where the Commission is "housed" in each state,
but it can be accessed through the national membership organization for state
commissions - America's Service Commission at <asc-online.org>.
<BR><BR>Dorothy Miaso<BR>Executive Director<BR><BR>LVA-Illinois<BR>30 East
Adams Street, Suite 1130<BR>Chicago, IL
60603<BR>312/857-1582<BR>312/857-1586 (fax)<BR>literacyvolunteersillinois.org
(web site)</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>