There comes a time when I can no longer sit and simply listen to what is happening to family literacy in the U.S.  I have been engaged in one form or another with family literacy programs since 1991 when I was the first professional intern at the National Center for Family Literacy.  In those days, the profession (as I like to call it) was growing and there was much support from many public and private sectors.
 
The decision to remove the family literacy listserv further demonstrates the somewhat indifference this, just like the previous political administration, feels toward poor and illiterate families and those who try to serve them.  I am certain there is some rational being proposed by the feds to support the decision, but the facts speak for themselves.  Without the support the House of Representatives has provided to sustain the Even Start family literacy program during the past few years, there would be absolutely no evidence of any political body caring anything about helping the poor and illiterate families with their educational needs.  Maybe there is some feeling that "if we ignore them long enough, they'll simply fade away".   

Those of us who have fought to keep the Even Start program alive have faced some formidable foes - the President, Vice-President, Secretary of Education, The U.S. Senate, etc., etc.  Unfortunately, even with the change in administration that now claims to be champions for the low-income people in this country,  there isn't much evidence so far to support that claim in the area of education.  How many people have survived in the face of those odds?  And we are still struggling against those same folks - just different faces.  We have excellent data, based upon a tight research design, that demonstrates the benefits of Even Start to both parents and children in Texas, but nobody, except for some members in the House,  wants to read something that counters their prejudices.

I guess we need the money for the war (or wars - how many are there now?), so take it from the programs that support low-income families.  After all, they really can't fight back and the number of people who are willing to fight for them continues to dwindle, especially when budget cuts reduce their numbers.  That's quite a strategy, and really effective, as we have seen the past few years.  I would like to be more positive, but each year that becomes much more difficult, especially when I see and hear about the number of families who are on waiting lists for an opportunity to improve their lives.  After all, this is the "Land of Opportunity" - right????
 
Don Seaman


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: ktgm4 at aim.com 
  To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov 
  Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 3:31 PM
  Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 1582] Re: Whom do we serve?



  Hooray for you, Paul Rogers.  You spoke for many people it seems.
  I would love to have a copy of your CD - later -probably tomorrow I will send you a longer e-mail telling you about our program (earlier e-mail).
  Snail mail address is
  Kathryn Murdock
  Education Coordinator
  Housing Resource Center
  POB 1307
  Salinas, CA  93902

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Paul Rogers <pumarosa21 at yahoo.com>
  To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov
  Cc: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
  Sent: Tue, Sep 29, 2009 12:32 pm
  Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 1581] Whom do we serve?


        After  my last set of  message earlier today, I was beginning to wonder what impact they would have, if any, and it occurred to me that maybe no-one really reads these lists in the first place, so what was I doing?
        Then out of the blue I received a phone call from someone in a Family Literacy program in another state who called to thank me for a few of my messages. 
        It seems that she and the others in the program are members of the list, and at times discuss the content of these lists during meetings. My views on the "under-served' struck home, and she explained the particular situation that she and her colleagues faced, especially re: funding. You see, her program apparently does not get its fair share, so the teachers have to raise their own funds by hook or by crook.
        She explained that her progam had a waiting list of 150 families.
        Related to this is the point Michael Tate discussed, namely: "the priorities of most funders."
        I believe that Family LIteracy is or should be the most important aspect of Adult Literacy, and in my own way, as an individual, am promoting it as best I can. I teach in the homes of my students, usually low - income women, with kids.
        So, I would like to repeat an offer that I made before, but only for Family Literacy programs. If you are interested in receiving by snail mail copies of my cds and texts free of charge and copyright free, write to me off list. Copyright free means you can make copies with my permission. The cds are basic English and are bilingual. One cd is a copy of my website.
        Paul Rogers
        805-258-3310
        pumarosa21 at yahoo.com
        PUMAROSA.COM 


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