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From: "Margarita Oliver" <pegtoliver@earthlink.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1262] Re: Education Group Calls for Revised Law
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I've long felt that the biggest challenge we face, constantly, is neglect
of the undereducated in every poor community, One-half of all adults and
older youth in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, for example, lack a high
school diploma or equivalency, and one-third or more "speak English not well
or not at all." However, only 200,000 or fewer are served with minimal,
measly state and federal funds, the only regular funding, of course, while
more than 5 million Texas residents are in need of such services.
Nonprofit organizations, trying valiantly to "fill in the cracks,"
come and go. Board members, without the passion of the instigators and
innovators, soon decide that there's too little money to continue.
Meanwhile, the government-funded programs are becoming increasingly
restricted -- in the name of "accountability,".without any accountability
for the fallout.
State boards of education are ratcheting up the "standards," aided
and abetted by Business in Texas ("We're the ones who made Math harder!),
again, without any responsibility for the devastation to students and their
families and with no attention to the fact that, as education becomes more
important, there's less attention to enriching the "soil" in which children
grow and thrive and fewer opportunities for the too-many who drop out.
I think it's more careless classism or cluelessness than racism, and
it obviously doesn't hurt ANYONE in the wallet. Not a single local or
state leader speaks out about this
I believe that the undereducated are seen as that "able-bodied man who
doesn't work," and those who don't speak English are pitied (but not
taught), while the giant Food Bank is constantly begging for food.
Fortunately, they don't advertise "END Hunger" any more, but raising the
literacy and education levels of the poor is, somehow, never seen as any
part of the solution!
Peg Oliver
-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Ann Corley <macorley1@earthlink.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
Date: Friday, October 17, 2003 10:40 PM
Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1259] Re: Education Group Calls for Revised Law
>Thanks, Andrea. I appreciate your feedback!
>
>Allow me to ask for your help and that of all subscribers to this list:
>
>I think this list has potential for us to discuss changes to our literacy
>programs that would make them more culturally responsive to all learners,
>but I continue to struggle with how to get a really good discussion going
on
>the list. I would love some help from subscribers! So let me pose some
>questions and invite subscribers either to comment on these or to pose your
>own questions.
>
>Here are some of mine:
>
>What are the issues related to poverty (or of classism) and racism and
their
>connection to literacy that sparked your interest in subscribing to this
>list?
>
>What do you struggle with in your classrooms/programs related to issues of
>poverty and racism?
>
>How do you see institutional racism playing out in our literacy
programs--or
>do you?
>
>What do you think of the usual textbooks that are used in literacy classes?
>What alternatives can you suggest or are you using successfully?
>
>How can we incorporate culturally responsive instructional strategies into
>our teaching to reach all learners? What have you tried and would
recommend
>to others?
>
>There are other questions like the above that we could be discussing, but
we
>don't quite get there--perhaps because, as list moderator, I'm not sure how
>to ask questions that will spark discussion. These are tough topics, and
we
>aren't often provided with a forum for discussing issues of poverty and
>racism, so many of us may be uncomfortable speaking about these issues.
But
>these issues represent (at least in my opinion) perhaps the most important
>challenges we face in our literacy work, so we must discuss them.
>
>Please jump in and help get the discussion moving!
>
>Many thanks!
>
>-Mary Ann
>
>---- Original Message -----
>From: <AWilder106@aol.com>
>To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-povracelit@literacy.nifl.gov>
>Sent: Friday, October 17, 2003 10:44 AM
>Subject: [NIFL-POVRACELIT:1258] Re: Education Group Calls for Revised Law
>
>
>> Dear Mary Ann,
>>
>> Thanks for your articles and news updates, I find them really useful in
>keeping alert to what is going on, what others are thinking, educational
>trends and critiques of public policy.
>>
>> Andrea
>
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