Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i1IIoVI28607; Wed, 18 Feb 2004 13:50:31 -0500 (EST) Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 13:50:31 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <003601c3f64f$8db87070$1800000a@kimball.albanyparkcommunitycenter.org> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "John Kamplain" <john_kamplain@albanyparkcommunitycenter.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9931] Re: Staff Diversity in ABE ESOL Programs X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.4024 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 4172 Lines: 106 I always thought that teaching (like anything else) wasn't based on a person's skin color but how well they teach? > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf > Of m.white > Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2004 12:27 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9930] Re: Staff Diversity in ABE ESOL Programs > > > Dear Maria, > > This is not a non-issue. I brought this subject up at a > recent strategic planning meeting for adult education here in > Kentucky. The state is serving an increasingly more diverse > adult population, but that diversity is not relected in the > overall staffing patterns - this includes the administration > and the people in the field. However, there are currently > efforts in progress to address this issue. > > As an African-American of mixed heritage, and the ESOL > professional development specialist for adult education in > Kentucky, I am keenly aware of the situation. Over the last > year of conducting a variety of training workshops for ESOL > practitioners and program supervisors, I have had the > pleasure of working with hundreds of wonderfully dedicated > professionals - two of them have been Hispanic and one of > them has been African-American. > > There are many good reasons why people are drawn to this > field, and as was mentioned by another respondent, there's an > equal number of reasons why this profession does not top the > "1st choice" list. For adult students of color, this means > there is a paucity of professional who they can fully > identify with. We know how this may affect motivation, > retention, and success in our programs. > > These are just a few thoughts. A growing group, one of the > caucuses of TESOL is International Black Professionals & > Friends in TESOL. Diversity among ESOL professionals is at > the forefront of their agenda. I'll pass on the names and > email addresses of the current chair & co-chair of IBPFT: > > Shondel Nero, Chair neros@stjohns.edu or > snero@earthlink.net > Khadar Bashir-Ali, Co-Chair khadarbashir_ali@hotmail.com > > Good luck! Maria. > > Maurice White > > Maria Elena Gonzalez wrote: > > > Dear Colleagues, > > > > A week or so ago I posted a message inquiring about the > issue of staff > > diversity in ESOL programs for adults. I am looking for > information > > on how other states, programs, or individuals might have dealt with > > this issue. Except for one person who wrote directly to me > asking that > > I post any information that I receive to the entire list, > no one has > > responded. > > > > So now I'm pushing the envelope a little bit and asking: Is this a > > non-issue? In Massachusetts, the Quality Indicators for > ABE Programs > > funded by DOE include under Program Management and > Accountability that > > programs show progress "...toward the goal that staff > reflect similar > > cultural, racial/ethnic, and linguistic background as that of the > > student population." It has been difficult for many programs to > > achieve this goal and that is why the Massachusetts System > for Adult > > Basic Education Support (SABES) is currently researching promising > > practices in the hiring and retention of diverse staff in ABE/ESOL > > programs. We are planning to talk directly to programs across the > > state who have implemented such policies but are also looking > > nationally for similar information. > > > > What do you think? Does your program have a diverse staff? > If so, why is > > it so? If not, why do you think it's so? Does your state > have a similar > > goal for state-funded DOE programs? If so, are they posted > somewhere > > so I can access the information? > > > > You can respond directly to me (email below) or to the > entire list. > > If responding directly to me, please indicate if I may > share your answer with > > others. Thank you very much for your help. > > > > Maria E. Gonzalez > > SABES Coordinator > > Adult Literacy Resource Institute/Boston > > SABES Regional Center > > 617-782-8956, X15 > > 617-782-9011 (fax) >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:46:38 EST