[NLA] Discussion: Media and Adult Education LONG

[Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council]

To all NLA subscribers, especially David Hayes:

- RATHER LONG -
David, on Dec. 30th you made "quick points" about the "Media and
Adult Education" topic David Rosen initiated for discussion.

Although there has been further comments made regarding this topic of media
since I wrote this at home over the weekend, I wish to address this email -
even though I'm "a day late & a dollar short" as the old expression goes.

David Hayes wrote:
 >> First, while the generalization of the term "return on investment" may
 > suggest a capitalist-heavy cultural tendency (we do this all the time --
 > witness the myriad uses of militaristic words like "war" "task force",
 etc.) ...>>

I believe that those authority figures/funders/federal mouthpieces --
whatever you will define "them" to be -- outside the AELS feel we *must*
show
*them* what they are "getting for their money".  Is this called Jumping
through Hoops?

What *I* feel they are saying is: "Document your adult learners'
progress/achievement/accomplishment so you will make our 'investment' worth
making.  And, by the way, use the tools of the NRS or the TABE assessment.
Include the steps outlined in the Margins to Mainstream document."  These
truly do not state what an adult student lacking literacy skills
accomplishes/achieves/progresses toward in a literacy program.  "Just tell
us
it was worth it" is what they are saying, in my opinion, even if the tools
are ineffective.

>> ...and that we should indeed be critical of the words we choose to use, I
> have to agree with David Rosen -- in this case we are specifically
discussing a
 > campaign to convince the public that the ongoing education of adults is
 > somehow "worth"  an investment of tax dollars. >>

You are right, David, about "choosing the right words", but as much *that*,
I wish the focus that David Rosen suggested would stimulate ideas!  Folks
throughout this network should put in their 2 cents worth about what they do
successfully for promotion using the media.  Promotion/Publicity is a strong
need, *I* feel.  In order for us all to 1)  have viable outreach programs
that touch the conscientiousness of the people in the community-at-large
that
services are available and to *use* those services;  and 2) to gain
community
support for our mission of teaching illiterate adults basic reading, writing
and spelling skills.  The secondary purpose of #2 is to assure the defined
"ongoing worth" is In The Eye of our elected officials so they can *see* the
need for AELS in their individual states. You know?  Like a sty that won't
go
away unless treated properly?

> > Personally, I get the strong sense that Adult Education simply isn't
 > something "mainstream" America thinks about very much at all.  ....
 > people ... struggle to access the opportunities and rights that are
 > largely invisible to those who have them.   It isn't a mainstream issue.
>>

There's the kicker -- just as you stated, the community does *not* "Get It".
They can't picture the dilemna, asking, "How could this have *happened* that
a
child could grow into adulthood, going to school and never ever learn to
read?" -- until we as providers and learners show and tell them.  In my
little community-based literacy program, we have had this question asked
repeatedly at presentations given to civic, gov't or United Way gatherings.
It just doesn't matter what the socio-economic group *is*.  The question is
there. But *I* believe we all must beat them over the head with it.

You see, I think the story of adults lacking literacy skills and no money to
provide adequate programming isn't even in the "margins" anymore.  I believe
the literacy effort has "gone underground".  Tell me if I'm wrong, lurking
NLA subscribers who are literacy providers.  Or *have* the programs
*specifically* for illiterate adults died completely? Mine hasn't.

Funding resources that are reliable year after year have STILL not been
identified here in SFalls.  I'm discouraged.  It's a hundred dollars here
and, my gosh,
I just about *lost* it when a $400 corporate check arrived!  How can
programs
operate on funding bases that are *that* small?  Not very strongly nor
broadly, that is for sure!

David Hartman suggested the following as a focus for publicity:
>> ..... the appeal would do well to go initially to an issue which
Americans are
 > familiar with and already embrace, such as equal opportunity.  While they
 > may not be aware of the range of barriers in place which limit access to
the
 > social and economic opportunity they enjoy (and uncomfortable or
ambiguous
 > about eliminating some of them), mainstream Americans are probably
largely
 > in agreement that equal opportunity is critical to our national
well-being... >>

Rather than tie adult education and literacy to "the issue of equal
opportunity", I think it would be more beneficial to the AELS system if the
mainstream Americans were shown the *barriers* related to "priviledges" the
general public enjoy and don't even *view* as "priviledges".  As examples:
Project the question into the workplace training environment: "Did you know
that
one out of (?) new employees, who will be exceptional employees with the
right start, cannot easily read this manual even though they have the manual
dexterity and skills to perform the job?"  Or relate it to the right to vote
via understandably formatted ballots written in "Plain English".  How about
adequate
healthcare with verbal explanations instead of printed brochures and
workplace
safety as related to printed safety notices etc. instead of verbal
announcements.

If we instead project the image of education being "an equal opportunity
critical to our national well-being", as you stated, we stand the chance of
losing needed support from one segment of the community -- the typical
public
education system.  I avoid at all costs answering directly the question shot
out of the media gun, so to speak, about fault-finding the school system in
our community.  I do *not* want the learner who has joined me in the media
interview to have their child "suffer the consequences" because the schools
were blamed for not offering equal rights and their parent put them in the
crossfire.

D. Hartmann also wrote:
 > Another avenue of appeal to an idea already familiar with mainstream
America
 > would be focusing on the payoff to children.  This was the angle seized
upon
 > by RI Education Commissioner Peter McWalters during a recent interview on
our
 > local NPR affiliate.  While the focus of the discussion with McWalters
was on
 > improving K-12 performance, he made the connection for listeners that
 > education for adults is critical to creating home environments which
foster
 > education for children.  This is a notion many Americans have heard
before in
 > some form (via campaigns appealing to parents to read to their children,
for
 > example). >>

A question for those of us who don't live on the East Coast:  What is a NPR?
Next, I agree that addressing the issue of family and quality of life
(cautiously) is a good approach.  Hurray for Commissioner McWalters!  The
adult who is unable to read in Rhode Island may even feel as though they
could ask for support from the child's instructor, if the elementary school
teacher allows for a supportive environment to admit a parent's lack of
literacy skills and get help.  I said "cautiously" because of your last
sentence.  Do you realize how painful it *is* for a dad who canNOT read to
his child to *see* **repeatedly** via the media just how important it is to
read to his child and gives him the feeling he's a bad dad because he
*can't*?
That sure would give dad an incentive, though, to change his life with his
child.

NOW ... FURTHER MEDIA SUGGESTIONS:
The most successful "campaigns" we have done with the media's support has
been about specific events.  I think what you will find in working with the
media is they are not going to publish/air an article/feature that doesn't
have something to focus on locally other than a "did you know adults can't
read?" lead paragraph. Our best media to reach the learner are the
electronic
media - TV and radio.  Posters and newspaper articles may be read by an
advocate, but the non-reader will never sees the message.  Guess why?

I'd encourage our nat'l literacy organizations to do more with International
Literacy Month and produce PSA's.  When I began in 1990, Project Read must
have bought nat'l network TV-time because periodic PSA's aired on our
television stations.  The focus was *on* the barriers non-readers have to
overcome.  I "rode the PSA's shirt-tail" by taking a packet of information
in
to the TV community affairs person and asked her/him to "tag" those messages
with a brief "You can get help here by calling ...."  One station asked me
to
do the voice over.  Another wanted their own professionals to do it.  I got
more calls on those :20 PSA's than anything else that was done nationally.

ELECTRONIC MEDIA:
It used to be that TV stations were required to do a certain amount of
public
service.  They don't have to anymore, so it takes a goodly amount of effort
to gain (and *keep*) our media's attention here.  So what I have found the
most effective is this:
* Play the game they are *playing*.  If they have an afternoon "talk show",
get an appt. with the person in charge of that media opportunity and "sell"
the event you have coming up.  (Yes, Kathleen and Art, it's about
"selling".)
* Be prepared to meet *their* schedule.  They will *not* give you a lot of
lead-time.
* If it's a radio/TV station that will allow the production of PSA's, call
them and ask for their help.  What do they prefer -- local script by the
AELS
staff or the local TV talent/production crew, nat'l spots (and in what
form),
or interview of staff, volunteers, adult learner (if you have those who are
willing to help) and then do what they want.

We have done a couple half-hour TV programs with the help of a high school
TV
production program.  Again ... we had to be at the ready when they were.
Plus they liked having our adult learners included in the program and
production was, of course, during the school day.  AND an event to promote.

So, what events have we promoted?  We have several focuses during the year.
Each event had specific media whom I approached.
* I tie tutor training to Literacy Month in September.
* Family Literacy Day is promotable because here they do a Dr. Suess Day in
our schools.  A TV station did a feature because one of their reporters read
in the schools that day.  A media volunteer(?) -- Yes, it happens.
* A couple civic groups AND volunteers from a radio station helped us with
our "Read to a Child" in childcare centers event.
* We host an annual Literacy Breakfast.  The local newspaper has done a
couple really great features about our learners who spoke at those events.
And
we ended up on the editorial page as well.
* I wrote a Letter to the Editor centered around a local focus of family
literacy for our daily newspaper. (They suggested the topic - oh!  and by
the
way ... it doesn't hurt to have your media on your Board of Directors.  We
do.)
*  We jumped on our United Way bandwagon and helped to promote their new
Dolly Parton free book program ... they have yet to distribute the books so
I
 am hoping there will *also* be parent referrals come out of THIS one!

Our Barnes & Noble Bookseller allows us to do promotion of our agency's
mission and we hosted two different storytellers to come into their store to
tell stories to their customers' kids while as a council we had volunteers
present to promote available services.

Hope these ideas aren't so long that you didn't make it to the bottom.  I
feel *media partnerships* are incredibly important to the ongoing AELS
programs'
ability to grow.

Nancy Hansen
sfliteracy at mcleodusa.net
Sioux Falls Area Literacy Council
(605) 332-BOOK
Sioux Falls, SD


----- Original Message -----
From: <PDRNRI at aol.com>
To: <nla at lists.literacytent.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2001 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: [NLA] Discussion: Media and Adult Education


> Everyone,
>
> I would like to make a few quick points in regard to the ongoing
discussion
> of Media and public perception of the need for AE investment.
>
> First, while the generalization of the term "return on investment" may
> suggest a capitalist-heavy cultural tendency (we do this all the time --
> witness the myriad uses of militaristic words like "war" "task force",
etc.)
> and that we should indeed be critical of the words we choose to use, I
have
> to agree with David Rosen -- in this case we are specifically discussing a
> campaign to convince the public that the ongoing education of adults is
> somehow "worth"  an investment of tax dollars.  What it may be "worth" to
> Corporate America, of course, may be radically different from what it may
be
> worth to, say, a Latino community action organization, or a workers'
rights
> organization.  Thus, a campaign to create a real groundswell of public
> support would have to be constructed around a clear understanding of why
> "mainstream" America thinks lifelong education is or isn't worth the
> investment, and what would make it seem worthwhile in the eyes of
> "mainstream" America.
>
> Personally, I get the strong sense that Adult Education simply isn't
> something "mainstream" America thinks about very much at all.  Even among
> educators, I am regularly asked to explain what Adult Education "is".
Adult
> Education tends to work in the margins, with people who struggle to access
> the opportunities and rights that are largely invisible to those who have
> them.   It isn't a mainstream issue.
>
> The possibility that AE isn't even on the radar for mainstream Americans
> suggests that a public awareness campaign would need to make an issue out
of
> something that isn't an issue to them already (contrast this with, say, an
> antismoking campaign). Thus, the appeal would do well to go initially to
an
> issue which Americans are familiar with and already embrace, such as equal
> opportunity.  While they may not be aware of the range of barriers in
place
> which limit access to the social and economic opportunity they enjoy (and
> uncomfortable or ambiguous about eliminating some of them), mainstream
> Americans are probably largely in agreement that equal opportunity is
> critical to our national well-being, and that education lays the
foundation
> for equal opportunity.  By painting a picture of the opportunities denied
to
> people of all ages, races, and beliefs -- and with an equally wide range
of
> reasons for not having been well educated in the K-12 system -- we can
> generate public support for the idea that people who have not been well
> educated deserve to be educated because it is as much their right as
anyone
> else's, regardless of whether they are over 18 or under 18.
>
> Another avenue of appeal to an idea already familiar with mainstream
America
> would be focusing on the payoff to children.  This was the angle seized
upon
> by RI Education Commissioner Peter McWalters during a recent interview on
our
> local NPR affiliate.  While the focus of the discussion with McWalters was
on
> improving K-12 performance, he made the connection for listeners that
> education for adults is critical to creating home environments which
foster
> education for children.  This is a notion many Americans have heard before
in
> some form (via campaigns appealing to parents to read to their children,
for
> example).
>
> David Hayes
>
>
>
>
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