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<TITLE>RE: [NLA] Discussion: AELS and Higher Ed</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=2>David,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>There are some pearls in your post, but they can be missed in your deliberation.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Although you supposedly state with an "emphatic no" that AELS should not be placed under higher ed., you also say</FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>I do not want to be misunderstood, however, as arguing against funding </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>community college or other higher education institutions as providers of </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>adult education and literacy services. Some of the best programs are </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>located in these institutions, just as some of the best are located in </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>CBO's, public schools, faith-based organizations, and volunteer </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>organizations. Campus-based programs also offer adult education and </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>literacy students the motivation to go on to higher education, an </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>important added value.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Most of the reasons you give for not locating services with higher education can also apply for not locating services with the state department of education.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>AELS can be the neglected stepchild in either area. And we see that all across the country.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>You then go to give a good framework that an effective and equitable AELS system should use:</FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>My point is that the state agency responsible for adult education and </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>literacy must demonstrate a commitment to provide the best services, to </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>a wide range of provider agencies, to an open and competitive grant </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>process, and to reaching a broad range of individuals with a wide </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>variety of learning goals.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>The real big pearl you offer is the following:</FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>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 </FONT></P>
<P> <FONT SIZE=2>Education Department does not show this kind of leadership the field can </FONT>
<BR> <FONT SIZE=2>rise up and change this.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I would like to see more conversation on this listserv about how to best organize ourselves to have meaningful impact on local, state, and national levels. We cannot sit and hope that the leadership in state higher ed, state department of ed, the white house, etc. will be responsive. We must effectively organize to convince policy makers at all levels with quality data and research, not "you should do this because it's the right thing to do...".</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I have been inspired by the letter writing campaign regarding NIFL leadership. Let's keep the process going. And our national literacy organizations need to disseminate and organize best practices for impacting public policy. </FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Carl Guerriere</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Executive Director/Literacy Advocate</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Greater Hartford Literacy Council</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>99 Pratt Street</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Hartford, CT 06103</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>(860) 522-7323 (522-READ) NEW NUMBER!</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>www.greaterhartfordreads.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Fax: (860) 722-2486</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: nla-admin@lists.literacytent.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>[<A HREF="mailto:nla-admin@lists.literacytent.org">mailto:nla-admin@lists.literacytent.org</A>]On Behalf Of David J. Rosen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 11:10 PM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: nla@lists.literacytent.org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: [NLA] Discussion: AELS and Higher Ed</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>NLA Colleagues,</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>Debbie Yoho wrote:</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2> >So I put it to the list: What do y'all think? Would those of us who </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> >are not already working alongside higher ed be better off if the AELS </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2> > >money flowed through them, instead of K-12?</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I have worked in adult education and literacy for a community college </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>and/or a university since 1986, but I would answer Debbie's question </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>with an emphatic "no." Here are my reasons:</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>1. If public adult education and literacy funding is administered by </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>state higher education, in all the cases I am familiar with, the funds </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>go exclusively to higher education institutions, usually to community </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>colleges. This means that community-based organizations, public </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>schools, volunteer organizations, faith-based organizations, and </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>union-sponsored programs, among others, may not be eligible for funds. </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>And this may mean that only people who are able or willing to go to a </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>campus or a campus-sponsored agency can get adult education and literacy </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>services. That may leave out a lot of folks.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>2. Sometimes this means that the funds are not awarded competitively, </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>that they are distributed to campuses in a state system as an </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>entitlement, so the best programs may not be funded.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>3. Sometimes this means that adult education and literacy is focused on </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>only work-related basic skills when, for example, community colleges </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>only see adult basic education as part of a workforce development </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>commitment.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>4. When push comes to shove in a state budget process, and higher </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>education leadership must decide which line items to fight for, they may </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>fight harder for services for enrolled college students. Higher </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>education is not likely to put the needs of "pre-college" before </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>enrolled college students. This means that at times of budget cutbacks </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>-- now, for example -- higher education may not be a vigorous advocate </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>for adult education and literacy services.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>I do not want to be misunderstood, however, as arguing against funding </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>community college or other higher education institutions as providers of </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>adult education and literacy services. Some of the best programs are </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>located in these institutions, just as some of the best are located in </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>CBO's, public schools, faith-based organizations, and volunteer </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>organizations. Campus-based programs also offer adult education and </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>literacy students the motivation to go on to higher education, an </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>important added value.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>My point is that the state agency responsible for adult education and </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>literacy must demonstrate a commitment to provide the best services, to </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>a wide range of provider agencies, to an open and competitive grant </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>process, and to reaching a broad range of individuals with a wide </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>variety of learning goals.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>In my state, the only organization which has shown commitment to a broad </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>range of adult students' goals and kinds of adult education and literacy </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>providers is the State Department of Education. Its mission is basic </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>skills, through the high school level for children -- AND adults. It </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>funds adult education and literacy programs in higher education, </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>community-based agencies, public schools, volunteer agencies, labor and </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>workplace organizations and faith-based programs, among others. But </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>this was not always the case. Sustained pressure from the adult </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>education and literacy field demanded, and has supported, this kind of </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>leadership from the Department of Education. In states where the State </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Education Department does not show this kind of leadership the field can </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>rise up and change this.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=2>David J. Rosen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>DJRosen@theworld.com</FONT>
</P>
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