I'm happy to hear that Patrick Kennedy is involved.  I've heard him speak in the past at national literacy conferences indicating his frustration of being in the "minority" party and not being able to get anything done in regard to literacy problems.  I shared that frustration.  Since he is no longer in the minority, let's see what he can do.  He'll still need a lot of help and the groups you mention can definitely have some influence on policy-makers in both parties.  My concern is that this entire effort might get caught up in the discussion and debates in regard to immigration issues  and get tabled or delayed as has happened in the past.  Let's hope that doesn't happen, but immigration will once again be an issue that the new administration and congress will have to face in 2009.

Don Seaman


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Gail Spangenberg 
  To: The Family Literacy Discussion List 
  Sent: Sunday, June 29, 2008 6:42 AM
  Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 1141] Re: National Commission on Adult LiteracyFinalReport


  Perhaps we actually have a chance on the policy and funding fronts. At the release event on Capitol Hill on June 26th, Congressmen Patrick Kennedy and Ruben Hinojosa spoke about their intent to introduce legislation to bring about the change called for in the Commission report. In the event press release, Rep. Kennedy noted that he looks forward "to working with other leaders on this issue to bring appropriate attention to this large and growing problem." Once the legislation is introduced, hearings will follow with plenty of opportunity for input by all interested parties.  On this and other fronts, members of the National Commission intend to stay actively involved in the comings months in various ways, and activities are in the works to engage governors, business and labor, provider groups, philanthropy, and others. 


  Congressmen Kennedy's remarks and presentations by the entire June 26th panel will be available in a few days in DVD format on the Commission's website, for those who are interested. The press release and other materials are available now.








  On Jun 27, 2008, at 7:12 PM, Ujwala Samant wrote:


    Excellent question!
    Reports, standards, all get published but have so
    little impact on policy and funding.
    Ujwala
    --- Don & Ann Seaman <acs8716 at suddenlink.net> wrote:


      How much did this report cost?


      Don Seaman




      ----- Original Message ----- 
      From: "gspangenberg at caalusa.org"
      <caalusa at earthlink.net>
      To: <aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>;
      <library-lit at ala.org>; 
      <assessment at nifl.gov>; <englishlanguagge at nifl.gov>; 
      <familyliteracy at nifl.gov>;
      <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>; 
      <technology at nifl.gov>; <workplace at nifl.gov>
      Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 5:22 AM
      Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 1137] National Commission
      on Adult Literacy 
      FinalReport




        Colleagues,


        On behalf of the National Commission on Adult
      Literacy, its study director 
        Cheryl King, and its chairman David Perdue, I am
      pleased to alert you to 
        the final report of the National Commission on
      Adult Literacy, titled 
        Reach Higher, America: Overcoming Crisis in the
      U.S. Workforce. Please 
        note that this report was released at an event at
      the U.S. Capitol in 
        Washington, D.C. yesterday. You may obtain a PDF
      copy, related materials, 
        and instructions for ordering a hardcopy from 
        www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org.


        Gail Spangenberg
        Commissioner, National Commission on Adult
      Literacy
        (President, Council for Advancement of Adult
      Literacy)
        1221 Avenue of the Americas - 46th Floor
        New York, NY 10020
        212-512-2363
        www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org
        www.caalusa.org


      ----------------------------------------------------
        National Institute for Literacy
        Family Literacy mailing list
        FamilyLiteracy at nifl.gov
        To unsubscribe or change your subscription
      settings, please go to 


      http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/familyliteracy
        Email delivered to acs8716 at suddenlink.net






      ----------------------------------------------------
      National Institute for Literacy
      Family Literacy mailing list
      FamilyLiteracy at nifl.gov
      To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings,
      please go to
      http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/familyliteracy
      Email delivered to lalumineuse at yahoo.com










    ----------------------------------------------------
    National Institute for Literacy
    Family Literacy mailing list
    FamilyLiteracy at nifl.gov
    To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/familyliteracy
    Email delivered to gspangenberg at caalusa.org


  Gail Spangenberg
  President
  Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
  1221 Avenue of the Americas - 46th Fl
  New York, NY 10020
  212-512-2362, F: 212-512-2610
  www.caalusa.org








------------------------------------------------------------------------------


  ----------------------------------------------------
  National Institute for Literacy
  Family Literacy mailing list
  FamilyLiteracy at nifl.gov
  To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/familyliteracy
  Email delivered to acs8716 at suddenlink.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/familyliteracy/attachments/20080629/eb399323/attachment.html