Your point is well taken!  We, as educators, too frequently will not think outside the box and too often enforce our values on others.  I have found this particularly true when working with inmates. The difference in going back to the same job upon release is often a difference in hourly rate with or without the GED. 
This is particularly true for people who are in the 35 to 45+ age bracket.
Ann Burruss
Literacy Volunteers of Gloucester, Inc
Corrections Educator and 
Retired Public School teacher.


 ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Will Fagan 
  To: specialtopics at nifl.gov 
  Sent: Saturday, August 04, 2007 10:28 AM
  Subject: [SpecialTopics 500] Re: Two days left for GED outcomes discussion


  While the discussion may be over, I feel I should respond to Katrina  
  Hinson, who raises some very interesting and realistic questions. Too  
  often "educators"  think in terms of their values and goals framework  
  instead of the values and goals framework and economic context of   
  GED participants. There are many reasons why a person may enroll in a  
  GED prep program and complete the certificate. Who are educators to  
  judge that these are not valid and relevant for them? I raised a  
  question earlier  which was similar to Katrina's. I have two  
  participants who are currently "competent" in a work area but need a  
  GED or high school diploma to obtain the "qualifications".
  Bill Fagan




  On 3-Aug-07, at 11:25 PM, Katrina Hinson wrote:

  > I don't know if this will get answered or not because it's late on  
  > Friday and  I've been away all week at a Basic Skills/Family  
  > Literacy conference and only returned today. I'm still trying to  
  > get caught up. I've skimmed some of the post but not read all of  
  > them completely yet. I do have another question though:
  >
  > All this research - as detailed as it is, does it consider the  
  > actual labor market itself?  There are a lot of factors that  
  > contribute to salaries and wages depending on the industry one  
  > works in. Is it really that easy to say that GED candidates that  
  > complete - aren't being successful without also considering where  
  > those GED graduates are? Do GED graduates in urban areas make more  
  > money that those in rural and under developed regions of the US? If  
  > so, wouldn't that also skew the data a bit in terms of implying  
  > that GED graduates on the whole earn less than those with a diploma?
  >
  > Granted, I think they do earn less  but I know from the region I am  
  > in, that jobs are scarce - there are no factories of any scale, and  
  > the only available jobs are in high end, high tech, medical jobs or  
  > in low skilled, low skilled jobs in retail or fast food.  
  > Occasionally,  there are city or county government jobs in  
  > sanitation etc...; There are few jobs in the middle.  I'm in a  
  > region that is medical center rich and education rich, but those  
  > are not necessarily jobs that anyone can just get. For students  
  > whose primary goal is to put a roof over their families head or  
  > food on the table etc..it's not necessarily the GED credential  
  > itself that causes them to have low wages but the economic  
  > conditions in which they live.  The student may or may not want to  
  > relocate even though relocation would be better for them economically.
  >
  > What research has been done to look at the data related to the GED  
  > and earnings potential and the actual economic conditions of the  
  > regions in which those GED candidates exist? Shouldn't that  
  > information be looked at as well?
  >
  >  Perhaps there are bigger issues to look at other than just helping  
  > students get a post secondary degree.  The reality is that some GED  
  > candidates don't want to go to college  necessarily but would  
  > prefer non degree certifications in welding, automechanics or  
  > construction...etc. Trade Skills rather than purely academic.  
  > Additionally, the data doesn't seem to take into account that some  
  > GED candidates only their GED later in life for personal  
  > satisfaction or to be an example to a younger family member, a  
  > means to say "look, if I can do it, so can you."
  >
  > Regards,
  > Katrina Hinson
  >
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  > Email delivered to wfagan at mun.ca

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