Wednesday, February 1, members of the House-Senate Conference Committee met to further discuss issues and work out their differences surrounding the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, H.R. 3765. According to Roll Call, a newspaper which covers Capitol Hill, legislators “…still find themselves on shaky ground after their second meeting, with broad agreement on where to go but little agreement on how to get there.”

Legislators discussed the education requirement at great length, which was proposed by House Republicans as part of an earlier…

State of the Union Address, Presidential Elections, Budget and Appropriations, House Adult Literacy Caucus Briefing, Unemployment Insurance (UI) Extension, ESEA Reauthorization, and Raising the Debt Ceiling

By Ellen Fern and Jackie Taylor

State of the Union Address

Both chambers of the Congress were in Washington this week following an extended recess. President Obama greeted them with a lengthy State of the Union (SOTU) address that was—not surprisingly—praised by Democrats and panned by Republicans. Now…

By Washington Partners

Next Tuesday evening President Obama officially kicks off the budget and appropriations season and his re-election campaign with his State of the Union Address.  In his remarks he will not only provide his assessment of where we stand as a nation, but also outline his legislative and spending priorities for the coming year.  Given the tone of his recent remarks about the Congress and the fact that their approval rating hovers at nine percent, well below his, you can expect a combative speech, critical…

How Adult Education Leverages Multi-System Partnerships

for Student Success

February 8, 2012

1539 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC  20515

2:45 pm — 4:00 pm

At least 30 million adults in the U.S.  do not have the education or English language skills needed to compete for today’s jobs.  These adults commonly turn to adult education programs to boost their basic skills and obtain employment or prepare for further education.  Due to an increasing demand…

House Republicans are expected to once again push for a condition that would “…deny UI benefits to any worker who lacks a high school diploma or GED and is not enrolled in classes to get one or the other—regardless of how long the person worked or whether he or she has access to adult education,” according to a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).…

The following article was originally published on the Florida Literacy Coalition’s Blog, January 10, 2012. Thank you to FLC for allowing us to cross post.

Those who know me, know that I do not like to write unless I have to.  That being said, when the Florida Literacy Coalition, asked me to write this blog, I was hesitant to say yes. Even today, it’s very hard work and time consuming for me. They asked me to write what it means to me to be the first adult learner to be voted as President…

Regina Suitt is an Adult Education Advocate in Tucson, Arizona. She blogs in tribute to Gabe Zimmerman, former legislative staff to Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who died in the tragic shooting on January 8, 2011. She has joined us here as a guest and is available to respond to your comments or reactions.

Have a story to share? The National Coalition for Literacy features blog articles about individuals’ experiences advocating for adult education and family literacy. Submit your story by emailing your article, a brief bio, and photo

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2011 has been a very productive and energetic year with the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL). I believe our advocacy helps to make adult literacy a greater priority in this country. Here is a recap of NCL’s accomplishments for 2011 and ways you can become involved in 2012:

• For the first time in the National Coalition for Literacy’s history, an adult learner is now the president of it. Those most impacted by literacy issues should be directly involved in the solution. Marty Finsterbusch, executive director of Voice of