No subject
Sun Jan 8 12:31:42 EST 2006
a profound understanding of the human condition and human behavior --
and of nations and individuals -- came such messages as these:
HOPE -- Even in the midst of unimaginable horror...or
disillusionment...or disappointment there is reason for hope and for
being hopeful. Hope as an impulse will produce more positive
results than despair. GRACE -- No matter how oppressive
and distressing things get, it's important to stand up for what you
believe<i> and</i> to have<i> grace</i> in doing it. LEADERSHIP
-- Good leadership requires the conveyance of hope and grace.
Don't fail to recognize reality, they said, but don't be paralyzed or
blinded by it either. FOCUS ON THE LONG TERM -- Problems that face us
are best addressed if we can focus on the long term. STAY THE
COURSE -- In any worthwhile endeavor -- whether in politics, or war,
or education, or efforts to overcome world poverty -- it's important
to stay the course. <br>
<br>
Why share these two experiences with you? Partly because I was
struck by the similarity of themes. Partly because, at the time,
I'd been feeling the same sense of distress and disappointment that is
being expressed lately by many people on the adult literacy/ABE
listservs. These two experiences helped restore my perspective.
Perhaps an account of them will be helpful to others.<br>
<br>
We already know that the Bush nominations to the NIFL board include no
adult literacy/education professionals (though hopefully protests and
nominees being submitted by the field even at this late date will
change that). In the past few days I have also heard various
alarming other messages. For instance, plans are in the works to
reorganize the entire Department of Education-- and, while I don't
know the details, I have been told by a credible source that DAEL is
going to be pulled into the correctional education area (which, if
true, seems illogical on the face of it and could amount to a
substantial downgrading of the Division). I've also heard that
the permanent NIFL director will be a children's reading specialist
committed fully to phonics. Facts or rumors? I'm not sure
at the moment. But I got to considering a worst-case scenario,
and the conclusion I came to is that even if ABE were to disappear
entirely from the federal agenda (it won't!) it will be no less
important as an educational priority for the nation, and it will stay
a high priority -- because the need and good of the nation demand it
-- long into the future. The issues are the same today as they
were yesterday and they'll be the same tomorrow -- no matter how
things get organized or how this administration or that chooses to do
things.</font></div>
<div><font face="Geneva" size="+2" color="#000000"><br>
Sometimes it feels as though the sky is falling. But I don't
think it is. Heavy clouds, maybe, but they'll pass. The
great challenge, it seems to me, is to be deliberate, to keep on
standing up for what we believe and know to be true about adult
literacy, to keep ourselves focused on the goals of our own needed
planning and programs, to use all means available to make our case and
need known at the state level -- and even as we offer up alternate
candidates for NIFL or otherwise make our expectations and hopes known
at the federal level -- to keep a long-term perspective and be
prepared to stay the course I find strength in knowing that
there are hundreds of thousands of us across the country who know and
care, and that there is support in Congress and among state
legislators throughout the country.<br>
<br>
My apologies if I sound preachy -- it isn't intended. I simply
offer these admittedly private thoughts for whatever use they may be
to anyone else who has been feeling a bit gloomy of late. Let's
keep on keepin' on.</font><font color="#000000"><br>
<tt>--</tt></font><br>
<font color="#000000"></font></div>
<x-sigsep><pre>--
</pre></x-sigsep>
<div>Gail Spangenberg<br>
President<br>
Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy<br>
1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Fl<br>
New York, NY 10020<br>
212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610</div>
<div>http://www.caalusa.org</div>
</body>
</html>
--============_-1199425836==_ma============--
More information about the NLA
mailing list