Dear Ms. Cooke,
 
You've articulated this situation very well. We'll all look for
opportunities that we can make things better in our field.
 
Best,
Kirsten
 
 


________________________________

	From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Sandra
Cook
	Sent: Sunday, May 04, 2008 1:36 PM
	To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
	Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2115] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	Importance: Low
	
	
	Dear Ms. Schaetzel--
	 
	Thank you so much for your response to my comments about Adult
Ed.  Yes, I concur that all of us need to stay abreast of techniques and
approaches to teaching this population, and it is because of this
compelling force to "be the best we can be", we constantly look for ways
to help our students.  I've often told my students that I am privileged
to teach them, as I constantly have to reaccess what I have taught them
by what they communicate to me through body language rather than formal
assessments.  My English Language transitioners have taught me more than
I have taught them.  That is the reward!
	 
	This is a strange "calling".  Even the DOL labels us a "poorly
paid, no benefits". Whereas I seek tools for reaching my students
effectively and ensuring that the skill they are learning are
trasferable, I am frustrated with my Educational Service Employer who
gives us required training opportunities, but then does not supply us
with any of the materals to present in class.  
	 
	For instance, I am an expert in Career Coaching (certified with
private clients), yet find the annual convocation we must attend with
Workforce Development employees frustrating.  To come away with
information on how to teach our students to access testing, career
tools, etc on the state websites is not new to me as I was a designer of
said systems at the state level, yet others cannot access these sites
because our computers are limited and often time "blocked" by the school
district.  And then.....WHEN will we teach these important skills?  Most
of my students cannot keyboard.  They cannot go to college....or even
get a job without these skills.  
	 
	We seem to pitch the little funding we have in the wrong
direction.  I believe sincerely that all we do is keep the people at the
top level employed.  I am not concerned for losing my job....I am one of
the few in our organization who steps forward to offer constructive
solutions.  Recently I had a discussion with our Executive Director in
his office (yes, I was called in for reprimand.....not following "normal
classroom procedure").  I responded with a reminder of his workshop
presentation of "thinking outside of the box", which helped him
understand that is what I have done for many years as a business trainer
and coach.  
	 
	All of us must increased our skills and knowledge base and
technique to become better instructors.  If we are passionate about this
work, it's something we do without prodding.  It's just about curiosity
and caring.  I believe that "Don't tell me what you know until you show
me that you care".  That should apply to the people who fund and hire
us.  
	 
	Any corporation will tell you that the most important people the
organization should value is its employees.  Only then, will those
employess be able to care for the consumers. That's why billions of
dollars are spent annually in training.  
	 
	I don't see that happening in this field.  I hope it will
change. I hope someday that when we look up "Adult Education
Instructors" on the ONET site, we will find reasons, other than passion,
that will encourage folks to pursue this career.
	 
	Thanks!
	Sandye Cook, San Antonio, TX
	 
	> From: kschaetzel at cal.org
	> To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
	> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2090] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	> 
	> Hello, Ms. Cook,
	> 
	> I am very sorry to hear about your troubles and your story of
work in
	> adult education (no health insurance, no job security). As we
all know,
	> the "norm" of work without benefits and job security is not a
good one
	> for the many highly qualified and dedicated people who work in
adult
	> education. Cristine Smith and Marilyn Gillespie give an
excellent status
	> report on the working environment for practitioners in adult
education
	> in their article
	> 
	> Smith, C. & Gillespie, M. (2007). Research on professional
development
	> and teacher change: Implications for adult basic education.
Review of
	> Adult Learning and Literacy, 7. Available:
	>
http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/ann_rev/smith-gillespie-07.pdf
	> 
	> 
	> In this working environment, the idea of certification seems
like an
	> additional burden to many, as you so aptly state. However,
	> professionalizing our field to those who are not part of it is
one way
	> of trying to get better working conditions. Those who fund
adult
	> education programs, both government and private foundations,
may be more
	> likely to increase funding if we can better explain what we do
and the
	> dedication we have for our work. Professionalization efforts,
such as
	> program, content and teacher qualification standards, and
certification
	> and credentialling, are one way of helping those outside adult
education
	> see us for the professionals we are. If they can better
understand who
	> we are and what we do, then possibly more funding will be
dedicated to
	> adult education and programs will be able to offer full-time,
stable
	> employment with benefits. 
	> 
	> The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition's latest
brief
	> discusses the reasons for professionalization efforts such as
	> standardization and credentialization for teachers of adult
English
	> language learners. This might be of interest to you and others
and can
	> be found at
	> 
	> http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/briefs/tchrcred.html
	> 
	> Again, I am sorry for your situation and for many who work in
adult
	> education without job security and benefits. I'm glad that
you've been
	> able to get health insurance and MANY congratulations on
surviving
	> cancer!
	> 
	> Kirsten
	> 
	> Kirsten Schaetzel, Ph.D.
	> Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
	> Center for Applied Linguistics
	> 4646 40th St. NW
	> Washington, DC 20016
	> Telephone: 202-355-1523
	> Fax: 202-362-3740 or 202-373-7204
	> 
	> 
	> -----Original Message-----
	> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
	> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
Sandra
	> Cook
	> Sent: Sunday, April 13, 2008 11:38 AM
	> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion
List
	> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2079] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> Hi. This is an old email as I don't get to this mailbox very
often. To
	> address the point of certification in adult ed, in Texas we
don't need a
	> certificate to teach. I'm Texas certified in 3 areas (Music,
Special
	> Ed, ELA), but that is moot. Why would one want to get certfied
in Adult
	> Ed when most regions/adult ed departments never allow teachers
to work
	> the 18.75 hours required to get benefits (health insurance or
	> retirement)? 
	> 
	> Statistics tell us that the majority of the uninsured folks in
the U.S.
	> are uneducated. I'd like to know if anyone has ever done a
study on the
	> number of higly educated people in the education field are
uninsured.
	> This would include adult ed, substitutes, college adjunct
faculty,
	> temporary teachers (I'm one) in homebound departments, and a
multiple of
	> "consultants". 
	> 
	> I have a masters degree. I would venture to say there are many
of us
	> who are highly qualified and have post graduate degrees who go
without
	> benefits. So what's the point in attaining further
certification? I
	> posed this question to the college department head who
developed the
	> adult certification program and she concurred. Quite frankly,
no one
	> has addressed this. 
	> 
	> I am a breast cancer survivor ('03), had no health insurance,
taught 18
	> hours weekly, and lived from year to year in fear of
recurrence.
	> Fortunately, I'm now a Medicare beneficiary, and take comfort
in the
	> fact that while my employer didn't care, the federal
government did.
	> How many of us are out there? 
	> 
	> Sandra Cook,
	> San Antonio, TX 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> ________________________________
	> 
	> From: tjdclaire at cox.net
	> To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
	> Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 13:44:19 -0700
	> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1828] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> I agree. In fact, in Arizona, one only needs a bachelor's
degree and a
	> program that is willing to hire you in order to get
certification. The
	> process goes much faster if one has certification to teach any
other
	> subject or grade level...but that is not a requirement.
	> 
	> As I recall, as of 12 years ago, in New York there was no
specific
	> certification for adult ed. A certificate in any other field
	> automatically qualified one to teach adult ed. I haven't heard
of any
	> changes, but then I've been a few thousand miles away most of
that 12
	> years.
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> ________________________________
	> 
	> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
	> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
	> Tyskiewicz, Andy
	> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 12:23 PM
	> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion
List
	> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1827] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> I am not aware of a national certificate. In fact, not all
states
	> require a certificate of any kind.
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> -----Original Message-----
	> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
	> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
Jody
	> Angelone
	> Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 8:07 AM
	> To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
	> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1825] Re:
ProfessionalDevelopment
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> I am sending this request on behalf of this young lady who
contacted me
	> locally, but is not a part of this list serve. If anyone has
any
	> information that would be helpful, please respond to the list
and I will
	> forward the information to her or feel free to contact her at
her email
	> address:
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> To Whom It May Concern,
	> 
	> 
	> Having been a volunteer at the Main Library where I was first
introduced
	> to literacy I am greatly interested in seeing how to get a
national
	> certificate as an Adult Literacy Educator (instructor.) Could
you
	> please direct me to local colleges (Ohio or distance education
options)
	> where I could obtain this from as I would like this for a
career.
	> (By-the-way, I do have a BA.) Thanks so much. Please feel free
to
	> contact me: allison2200 at lycos.com
	> 
	> 
	> Sincerely,
	> 
	> 
	> Allison Gilman
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> Jody L. Angelone
	> NW ABLE Resource Center
	> Owens Community College
	> (w) 567-661-7355
	> (c) 419-204-5013
	> (f) 567-661-7662
	> jody_angelone3 at owens.edu
	> 
	> 
	> The documents accompanying this fax or e-mail transmission,
including
	> any attachments, are for the sole use of the intended
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	> contain confidential health or other information that is
legally
	> privileged. The authorized recipient of this information is
prohibited
	> from disclosing this information to any other party unless
required to
	> do so by law or regulation and is required to destroy the
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	> after its stated need has been fulfilled. If you are NOT the
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	> recipient you are hereby notified that ANY disclosure,
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	> via facsimile in error, please notify the sender immediately
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	> received via e-mail and you are not the intended recipient,
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	> 
	> y e-mail message. .
	> 
	>
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	>
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