April Update from NCL Policy Director

The House and Senate Budget Committees are still negotiating over the Budget for fiscal year 2009. Once differences are resolved and the House and Senate pass the compromise budget resolution, the House and Senate Appropriations Committees will be able to begin the difficult task of determining funding levels for programs such as adult education and Even Start for the upcoming fiscal year. The state directors did submit testimony to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education in support of additional funding for adult education and Even Start consistent with the numbers agreed to by the Coalition. In addition, the Coalition, working with the Research Committee, developed a paper on the need for a research center for adult education. This document was forwarded to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education. Mark Laisch, the staff person responsible for our programs, had expressed an interest in receiving additional information on the need for a research center. We will continue to monitor activity in this area and provide you with updates as information becomes available.

As in the past few months, there is little to report on the reauthorization of adult education or Even Start. Although some discussions are being held, there are no current plans to actively consider the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act. While the Senate still appears interested in moving a bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (currently known as No Child Left Behind), again there is little to report.

This month the Coalition did send a letter to Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) regarding recommendations from the White House for new members of the NIFL Advisory Board. The letter requested the Senator to withhold confirmation of any new members until a new Administration was in place. A letter was also sent to the White House, expressing concern about the lack of credentials in adult education of those individuals recently recommended for appointment to the NIFL Board. Both the state directors and COABE sent similar letters to Senator Kennedy.

Lynn Selmser

NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND PROPOSED CHANGES

The National Coalition for Literacy submitted the following proposal to modify the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The major purpose of the proposal is strengthen the relationship between programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and adult education and family literacy programs and improve parental involvement by strengthening the literacy skills of parents in order to allow their full participation in the education of their children.

The Role of the National Coalition for Literacy

The Public Policy role of a membership organization like the National Coalition for Literacy is to:

1. Become the Collective Voice.
The ability to speak with one voice is a major asset. Too often in the past public policy makers especially in the Congress could point to the contrasting views from the field as a rationale for not acting in our behalf.

2. Valuing the Accomplishments of its Constituents.
The Coalition supports and encourages the activities of its constituent agencies, such as the CAAL occasional papers and conferences such as COABE and VALUE.

3. Promote investment in adult literacy by the general public. Sponsor planned events and reports.

4. Work with special interest groups that have a stake in adult literacy such as welfare associations, employers and labor groups, health professionals, family educators and technology experts. Connecting with associations that represent these groups such as CLASP (the Center for Law and Social Policy), the Workforce Alliance, and the American Medical Association.

5. Work with key Congressional Committees on upcoming legislation in which adult literacy has a stake. For example, WIA and TANF, Higher Education Act, Perkins Vocational Technical Education, and Head Start. Being a resource to Congress by providing both solicited and unsolicited information, being especially vigilant and timely with respect to solicited information so that we are viewed as a valuable resource leading to more frequent communication.

6. Examining administration proposals and working with OVAE on their efforts to involve the full range of agencies that have a stake in raising the adult literacy level.

7. Examining and commenting upon proposed regulations that implement newly enacted legislation.

8. Last – but definitely not least – keeping members and the field informed of developments, initiatives, and concerns by published minutes of Public Policy Committee meetings and by occasional papers devoted to high profile issues. Within the limits imposed by law seeking grass roots support for positions taken by the Coalition.