[NIFL-FAMILY:813] RE: Concern about federal support for Famil

From: Ted Rohling (tedr@instructors.net)
Date: Wed Feb 27 2002 - 21:42:01 EST


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From: "Ted Rohling" <tedr@instructors.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:813] RE: Concern about federal support for Famil
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Does anyone have information on the incidents of family literacy training in
the k-12 curriculum of teaching training institutions?  Do we actually train
the K-12 teachers to consider family literacy as part of the overall thrust
of education for todays students?

>From my experience as the father of six children who went through public and
private institutions, I have found that a lot of the teachers did not want
us around very much.  They had very little preparation to work with the
family, other than to suggest that our children were learning disabled.(A
little tongue in cheek here, but not very far in the cheek).

Maybe the government focus would change if we changed how we train our
teachers as well.  Just thinking out loud....

-----Original Message-----
From: nifl-family@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-family@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of
Virginia Tardaewether
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 6:36 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:811] RE: Concern about federal support for Famil


Dear Jeri
There has never been a law that disallowed K-12 from doing family literacy.
To me the key is partnerships...we have the resources between K-12 and Adult
Ed, Head Start and Human Services if we packaged them differently...there is
the sales job.

Virginia Tardaewether

Chemeketa {Place of Peace}
Outreach Instructor
Dallas, OR  97338

tarv@chemeketa.edu
503-316-3242



-----Original Message-----
From: Jeri Levesque [mailto:levesqjr@webster.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 4:06 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:810] RE: Concern about federal support for Family
Li


Good Tidings to All,

Recalling an old Republican mantra about reducing the size of the federal
government it is time look to our states for innovative ways to initiate and
sustain high quality comprehensive family literacy programs. After over a
decade of federal support, it is time to validate states' commitment to
family
literacy. One solution is to develop closer relationships with K-12 systems.
In
Missouri, a bill was just filed to allow public schools to establish family
literacy programs. Our strategy is to embed family literacy in the General
Funding Formula. Efforts like these are championed in other states
(Pennsylvania).

I'm sharing this information with hope that we can establish a data base of
efforts to institutionalize family literacy in state funding formulas,
educational and social services systems. Please add to our knowledge base as
we
all learn to do more with less.

Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.
Project Director, Missouri Family Literacy Initiative


http://www.senate.state.mo.us/02info/bills/sb1183.htm


Current Bill Summary

SB 1183 - This act allows public schools to establish family literacy
programs.
Additionally, the act adds funding for family literacy programs to the
priority
list of "Statewide areas of critical need for learning and development" and
makes family literacy personnel eligible to receive a portion of the funds
already allocated to address said statewide areas of critical need for
learning
and development. Also, this act allows local boards of education to include
family literacy programs in the "child at-risk in education programs" which
utilize moneys already distributed to school districts by means of the state
aid formula.

The act mandates that a portion of the state school aid appropriation to the
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall be distributed
by
DESE to establish and fund family literacy programs in school attendance
centers declared academically deficient or school districts declared
unaccredited or provisionally accredited. This amount shall be the lesser of
either: 5% of any increase from the total line 14 revenue
compared to the total line 14 revenue amount distributed to all school
districts in fiscal year 2002; or 1.5% percent of the total line 14
distribution. DESE will promulgate rules for the distribution of these
family
literacy funds.

Additionally, the act requires the State Board of Education to make an
annual report to the General Assembly and the Governor concerning
coordination
with other agencies and departments of government that support family
literacy
programs.

Lastly, this act adds family literacy programs to the definition of
"eligible
pupils".

Call to Action

The Bill intends to introduce permissive language into the law that will
open
for school districts, especially those with provisional or unaccredited
standing, to existing funding streams that will support family literacy. We
are
not asking for new funding (a bigger pie) but are accessing existing funding
streams for at-risk students. Obviously, the current state budget is facing
deep cuts, however, the Senator and other leaders feel the legislation is
essential for serving those children and their families most in need of
intensive, high quality educational services.

MOFLI is working with the Governor's staff to include the family literacy
provisions in the Governor's Education Package (also sponsored by Senator
Bentley). We are mustering support through out Missouri by leveraging the
communities currently served by family literacy programs.



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