National Coalition for Literacy

Thank you to everyone who got involved with the State of the Union Address for adult education and family literacy! On Tuesday, January 24, the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) was invited to the White House to tweet live during the State of the Union (SOTU) address and participate in an interactive, open questions event with senior administration officials afterwards. We had the chance to ask questions about the speech and share questions from our followers on Facebook and [ Read More → ]

By Marty Finsterbusch

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

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By Ellen Fern and Jackie Taylor

In this month’s update, learn more about the status of the budget and appropriations process for FY2012 and what this means for adult education; find updates and breaking news on extending Unemployment Insurance (UI) employment benefits and how it may impact undereducated workers, new jobs legislation that includes adult education, and see more progress made on WIA reauthorization in the House.

• Budget and Appropriations
• UI Alert
• WIA Reauthorization
• Pathways Back to Work Act
• Adult Literacy Advocacy – What this means for you

[ Read More → ]

We are proud to announce that Southwest Airlines is now the official airline of the National Coalition for Literacy! Southwest Airlines, through its dynamic Community Affairs and Grassroots philanthropic work, gives back to the community by championing causes that matter most in the daily lives of their customers. Southwest recognizes the importance of adult literacy in shaping virtually every major issue important to adults and their families in the United States.

Nationally, one in seven adults will not be able to complete a job application, an elections…

The National Coalition for Literacy is hosting its Quarterly Meeting on December 8, 2011, at the Phoenix Park Hotel (Georgian Room) in Washington, DC. We’re thrilled to welcome several presenters as well as legislative staffs joining us for a Hot Topics Legislative Panel.

The Meeting fee is $30.00 to help cover the cost of the meeting space.

RSVP Here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NCLMtg-LegPanel

Please RSVP by November 28 to reserve your seat, after which we will open the legislative panel up to others who would like to attend.

NCL Quarterly Meeting…

—Guest Blog Post, Advocate Voices from the Field

Billie Izard is the Executive Director of the Certified Literate Community Program in Georgia. She blogs about Georgia’s amazing story of how adult literacy advocates put a stop to the increase in GED test fees. She has joined us on the NCL Advocacy Blog as a guest and is happy to respond to your comments or reactions.

Have a story to share? The National Coalition for Literacy is pleased and proud to feature blog articles about individuals’ experiences advocating for adult education and family literacy. Submit

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Hello CAEPA Participants!

We are thrilled to be here in Denver, Colorado, at the CAEPA Rendezvous October 21-22, 2011. We are presenting a couple of workshops: “Using Social Media for Grassroots Advocacy” and “Public Policy Advocacy and YOU!”. We are posting e-files of our handouts here. Please comment in the box below and tell us something that has stood out to you during either of these sessions. And let us know what you plan on implementing or trying out when you return home.

Also, here are some photos we took while in Denver:

Here is the…

The National Coalition for Literacy will be presenting several interactive public policy advocacy sessions at the US Conference on Adult Literacy (USCAL) in Houston, Texas, November 2-5, 2011. We hope you will join us! Come share your experiences and recommendations in advocating for adult and family literacy and have a voice in strengthening NCL’s advocacy nationwide. Leave armed with resources for strategically developing your advocacy campaigns.

Add a preconference to your schedule: Register today for our day long preconference on Effective Advocacy Strategies. Early registration has been extended until October 21. Register here.

[ Read More → ]

By Jackie Taylor with Ellen Fern and Heidi Silver-Pacuilla

WIA Reauthorization

On June 17, 2011, the National Coalition for Literacy and several adult education and family literacy organizations submitted their recommendations for the Senate Discussion Draft of the Workforce Investment Act of 2011. Many adult education advocacy groups, such as the Association of Adult Literacy Professional Developers (AALPD), Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE),…

—Education Advocates Stay Vigilant, Engaged

By Washington Partners and Jackie Taylor

ESEA Reauthorization

With the House of Representatives in recess, Capitol Hill was relatively quiet last week. Before leaving town for a district work period, House Education and the Workforce Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee Chair Duncan Hunter (R-CA) introduced the first installment for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which would make good on one of the first Republican promises regarding reform of this law—making it smaller and less costly. The bill repeals the authorizations…

—NCL is Awarded $150,000 Grant to Continue Technology and Advocacy

By Marsha Tait

On Thursday, May 12, The Dollar General Literacy Foundation notified the National Coalition for Literacy (NCL) that we have been awarded a $150,000 grant for the coming program year.  The grant will allow NCL to continue to develop our on-line advocacy toolkit, blog, web site and use of social media to reach, train, and inform adult education advocates.

The grant will also underwrite the costs of the NCL Literacy Leadership Award event in Washington DC on September 14, and…

Save the Date!

May 12, 2011 will be a day to explore innovative approaches to adult literacy solutions!

Mark your calendars to attend the NCL Quarterly Membership Meeting in Washington, DC in the morning and a special Hill briefing in the afternoon, co-sponsored by the National Coalition for Literacy and the House Adult Literacy Caucus.

Confirmed speakers:

Jennifer K. Foster, Senior Director for Adult Education and Family Literacy/State Director for GED Testing, presenting on the Shifting Gears work in Illinois

• Shifting Gears, funded by the Joyce Foundation, is

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The Commission on Adult Basic Education and the National Coalition for Literacy are pleased to bring you the Public Policy Advocacy Strand, hosted at the national COABE Conference, San Francisco, CA, April 17-21, 2011.

To add a preconference to your existing registration,  modify your registration or contact the COABE office if you need assistance (888-442-6223 or info@coabe.org).

Presentations and handouts will be posted here as they are made available.

Effective Advocacy Strategies

Sunday, April 17, 2011

PreConference 8:30 – 11:30 am

Presenters:

• Kathi Medcalf, Past President, Maine Adult

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By Jackie Taylor

The National Coalition for Literacy recently launched a social media campaign to grow the grassroots advocacy base for adult education and family literacy. On February 14, the Coalition began by launching a redesign of its main website, folding the Advocacy Clearinghouse and Toolkit and its blog under one umbrella web presence.

The website provides resources for the general public to quickly access in understanding why adult education is important and how to take action. It also provides a policy one-stop for legislative staff in locating critical public policy updates,…

By Marsha Tait

The National Coalition for Literacy is pleased to announce that it will hold two public policy advocacy symposia this spring with generous support from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The first event will be held in Nashville, TN on March 15, 2011 in partnership with the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Adult Education, and the TN Association of Adult and Community Education.  Newly appointed Commissioner of the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Karla Davis, will speak.  The event will take place at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. We are pleased to…

By Jackie Taylor

Today’s economic climate demands bold, innovative strategies to advance effective policies for adult education and literacy. Adult education advocates have historically relied on email as a mainstay communication vehicle for sending and receiving advocacy alerts and galvanizing action. However, research shows nationally that email open rates have declined 63% from 2004–2008. With the rise of social media, cell phones and Internet access, some would even argue that there is not a digital divide.

We must also look at the sheer volume of messages going in to Congress each day as a…

By Marsha Tait and Jackie Taylor.

Symposia

The National Coalition for Literacy is pleased to announce that it will hold two public policy advocacy symposia this spring with generous support from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The first event will be held in Nashville, TN on March 15, 2011 in partnership with the TN Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Division of Adult Education, and the TN Association of Adult and Community Education.  The event will take place at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. We are pleased to be offering this…

By Jackie Taylor

Friends and colleagues,

We are up against a tough Congress that has strong momentum for cutting spending. Additionally, NCL heard that WIA reauthorization is likely to be one of the first items to be considered in the new Congress. Does your Member of Congress have the most recent information on adult education in your community? It’s time to update the 112^th Congress about the importance of adult education before they are faced with difficult decisions that will impact it.

Action Request:

Who: Program

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By Jackie Taylor

We have the important task ahead of us for 2011 in educating a new Congress, protecting adult education and family literacy funding at the federal level, and advocating for the priorities we want to see included in a new WIA reauthorization bill.

Here are 11 ways you can recommit to adult education advocacy for 2011. Take our poll in the right column (scroll down) to select your top three:

1. 5 Minutes, 5 Alerts: Commit to responding to 5 alerts on adult education issues in 2011. The

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By Jackie Taylor

Vote! Key Legislators and Midterm Elections

Several key legislators who support adult education are up for re-election. See Midterm Elections: what are they? What is at stake?. On page 10, Art Ellison, NH State Director and NCL Executive Board Member, discusses what adult education advocates should know for the coming election. He also lists key House and Senate Members running for re-election.

If you haven’t yet, see Project Vote Smart’s “Vote Easy” website. Vote Smart is a non profit, non-partisan organization helps you sort…

By Marsha Tait

NCL held its second 2010 public policy advocacy symposium in Little Rock, AR this month. More than 85 participants were introduced to the NCL Advocacy Toolkit, blog, and Twitter. Speakers included AR State Director of Adult Education Jim Smith, State Senator Shane Broadway, Dr. Charles Allen, and legislative aides from US Representative Vic Snyder’s and Governor Mike Bebe’s offices. Local panelists Patricia Bates, Ray Pool, and Randall Whitmore discussed the collaborative W.A.G.E. project, a state-wide effort to credential workers’ skills.

Following a role play about “how…

Thank you for attending today’s workshop on Effective Advocacy Strategies, held at the COABE Regional Institute in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We are happy to be here with you and we look forward to hearing from you on what’s needed to improve advocacy for adult education locally and nationwide.

Please post an introduction in the Comment box below. Tell us your thoughts on one or more of these questions:

• How do you plan to begin or improve advocacy efforts for adult education locally?
• What’s needed to improve advocacy for adult education in your state or nationwide?
• How might you better incorporate

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Arkansas Advocates!

Thank you for attending today’s symposium on Building Effective Local Partnerships and Collaborations here in Little Rock, Arkansas. We are happy to be here with you today and we look forward to exploring how we can work together to build partnerships in advocating for adult education and literacy.

Our speakers include State Director Jim Smith, newly elected NCL President Heidi Silver-Pacuilla, Senator Shane Broadway, Dr. Charles Allen, Senator Tracy Steele, and many local panelists and presenters. We are looking forward to an outstanding day packed with valuable…

—Raising Awareness and Recruiting Advocates

By Jackie Taylor

September 13 – 19, 2010 is National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. This is a time to celebrate adult and family literacy learners and their successes. Yet we must also take a hard look at the state of adult and family literacy nationwide and ask ourselves, What are we going to do—and do differently—to raise the priority of adult education and family literacy in our country?

Adult education and family literacy is by-and-large an invisible issue advanced by a small group of committed advocates, largely from within the field. We must…

—An NCL WIA Reauthorization Priority

Article by Art Ellison,  Policy Committee Chair,  National Council of State Directors of Adult Education

An annual federal appropriation of at least $1 billion for adult education would represent the lowest possible figure that would indicate a serious commitment to the needs of undereducated adults in this country. The state grant appropriation level of $614 for FY11 contained in the budget submitted to Congress by the Obama administration would need to be increased by Congress to $386 million in order to reach the $1 billion level for next year.

A [ Read More → ]

By Marsha Tait and Jackie Taylor

National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week—Thank You Congressman Polis!

June and early July have been deceptively busy in the public policy arena!

For the second consecutive year, Congressman Jared Polis has led the U.S. House of Representatives in passing bipartisan legislation (H Res. 1472) supporting the designation of the week of September 13, 2010 as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. The resolution, authored by Congressman Jared…

By Marsha Tait

In June, NCL was pleased to award three advocacy “mini-grants” to attendees at the NCL/Dollar General Advocacy Symposium that took place in Columbus, Ohio, April 21.

Awardees were: The Ohio Literacy Network, for their Collaborative Advocacy Project Proposal; the Ohio Association for Adult and Continuing Education for their Statewide Advocacy Symposium for Adult Basic and Literacy Education proposal; and Parma Adult Education Services for their Coalition for Advocacy for the Life‐long Learner (C.A.L.L.) proposal.  All three…

After the North Carolina Grassroots Advocacy Symposium held in fall 2009, advocates find strategic and innovative ways to move adult literacy advocacy initiatives forward.

Earlier this year, two organizations from North Carolina were awarded $5,000.00 Advocacy Grants from the National Coalition for Literacy: Reading Connections and Wake Technical Community College. The purpose of the grants is to support initiatives designed to build the capacity for adult literacy advocacy in the field and increase the impact of the Dollar General Presentation Series. To be eligible for…

NCL held its second public policy advocacy symposium this month in Dublin, OH in connection with the state-wide Partnerships in Transition conference. The symposium was planned by NCL in collaboration with the Ohio Association for Adult and Continuing Education, the Ohio Literacy Network and the ABLE Resource Center Network. Speakers included Jackson Routh from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, Dr. Peter Waite, president of NCL, Aketa Marie Simmons, Press Secretary and Education Staff for Congresswoman Fudge, Ed Roberts, Congressional Aide to Senator Brown, representatives of local partnerships and collaborations in OH, and adult student Dawana Martin.

Did you go to Conference? Share what you learned on public policy and advocacy so other adult literacy advocates can benefit from your ideas. Advocacy is a team effort! Tell your colleagues who stayed home to bookmark this space and watch for updates.

If you did not go to Conference, this Blog offers a way you can benefit from the conference afterwards. Session handouts you can download are now available! Just click on the title of the session that interests you and you will find the handouts linked there. Share your comments/questions for any of the…