Return-Path: <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id g13FmUu13902; Sun, 3 Feb 2002 10:48:30 -0500 (EST) Date: Sun, 3 Feb 2002 10:48:30 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <00a201c1acc1$214944c0$9d27a2d1@oemcomputer> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Mary Ann Corley" <macorley1@earthlink.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:709] Sharing Experience X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.50.4807.1700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5724 Lines: 100 The following is posted at the request of Gail Spangenberg. * * * * * Colleagues, Last Tuesday night I attended the McGraw Education Prize Dinner, an annual, nonpartisan "black-tie" event that recognizes three educators of high achievement. Most memorable about the evening were the remarks of the person for whom the awards are named, Harold McGraw, Jr. He spoke in a very touching way about how distressed and depressed he sometimes gets over the condition of schooling in the country. And he told how phone calls to his daughter in the middle of the night--she is a teacher--made him feel more hopeful. Her message to him, he said, is that no matter how huge the problems are and how intractable they sometimes seem, good and wonderful things are going on, too, as people across the country work with dedication day in and day out to make things better. Recognize the problems, she told him, but at the same time, also recognize that there are achievements, accentuate the positive, and be hopeful, because, she said, there is much to be hopeful about. What I found most moving was the depth of Harold McGraw's continued caring, indeed his passion -- remarkable for a man of his advanced years and sometimes fragile health. On Thursday night, I found myself watching the opening session of the World Economic Summit on C-Span. The panelists included America's Elie Weisel, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines, Jordan's Queen Ramia, Prime Minister Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Archbishop Tutu, and Canadian singer Bono. They were basically concerned about turning the worldwide coalition for the war against terrorism to a longer-term worldwide coalition for overcoming poverty, which they consider the root cause of terrorism. Their commentary and interaction was extraordinarily inspiring. From people who know first-hand what suffering is and who have 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 and to have grace 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. -- Gail Spangenberg President Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy 1221 Avenue of the Americas - 50th Fl New York, NY 10020 212-512-2362, fax 212-512-2610
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