AleStateReports
From LiteracyTentWiki
State Updates on Campaign Organizing
Below and on separate pages are reports from a majority of the states on their efforts to organize a statewide campaign to save adult literacy education federal funding from proposed Administration cuts. The reports are by state in alphabetical order. [Note: if you see only the name of your state, not a report, select the name and you will be taken to a separate Wiki page with the report for your state.]
Arizona
February 16, 2005
Arizona is also responding to the budget cuts. For some reason, although I am a COABE member I did not receive their February 8th notice and it was forwarded to me by one of our coalition members. As soon as I received the "plan" yesterday afternoon I immediately put out the call to the Greater Arizona Literacy Coalition. We are responding and will try to track the number of letters. The Coalition meets once per month and our next meeting is 3/10. The group is made up of both Even Start and ABE directors and involves directors from all parts of the state. Coalition members are anxious that we coordinate our activities with the national plan for action.
Lynn Reed
Literacy Volunteers of Maricopa County - Phoenix
Arkansas
March 2, 2005
On February 8, 2005, Mr. George French, Deputy Director of Adult Education in Arkansas sent out the call for adult education programs across the state to make contact with our legislators. His office provided information disseminated through the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education, including background information on adult education and literacy funding cuts, a list of our legislators' contact information and letter writing guidelines. The guidelines on student letter writing were very helpful to our small program locally.
As a former Arkansas state legislator, Mr. French is keenly aware of the importance making th cause known to our legislators. We appreciate our state offices' efforts in helping Arkansas adult education and literacy programs grow and improve.
Sheri Rogers
Arkansas Adult Education Advisory Council Member
Arkadelphia Public Schools Adult Education
California
The three California adult education professional associations, ACSA (Association of California School Administrators), CCAE (California Council for Adult Education) and CAEAA (California Adult Education Administrators Association) are in the midst of fostering a grass roots letter writing, faxing, and phoning campaign in protest of the proposed cut in the adult education funds.
David J. Rosen
Adult Literacy Advocate
DJRosen@theworld.com
Colorado
March 8, 2005, (Posted March 14, 2005)
February 2005 - Colorado Adult Education Professional Association (CAEPA) sent out a newsletter over our state listserv, Click, with Alert 1 and recommendations to programs to begin a letter writing, phone and email campaign. The newsletter is available on our website.
March 2-5 representatives from the Literacy Coalition of Jefferson County visited with senate and house staffers in Washington DC and presented Colorado Data which explained the results of proposed cuts to Adult Education and Family Literacy funds.
March 3 President of CAEPA contacted board members to be check points for programs to keep track of legislative activities in the 7 congressional districts.
March 8 Information sent from COABE was distributed through our state listserv, Click, with information regarding importance of continuing our letter, phone and email campaign. List of Budget Committee members distributed. We will continue to send alerts and messages to our state through the Click listserv.
Nancy Lambott
CAEPA President
Connecticut
February 25, 2005
The Connecticut Association of Adult and Continuing Education has sent out an alert with suggestions on how to contact congresspeople to all adult education directors. The Greater Hartford Literacy Council has also sent out alerts to over 2,000 of their friends, and a few people are letting them know that they have made contact. Many of their contacts include community based organizations. They will also be represented at the Literacy USA Conference in Washington, D.C. next week where they will talk with congressional representatives.
David J. Rosen
Delaware
Georgia
Update from Georgia, March 8, 2005
- Beth Odom, President of Atlanta Metro Literacy Network, went to Washington, D.C. last week. She met with Senator Johnny Isakson, his education aide and the Ed. aide for Senator Saxby Chambliss. The response from Isakson was particularly supportive. Chambliss's office has been receiving calls weekly about saving A.B.E. funding.
- The Certified Literate Communities around the state are aware of the pending cuts and are in the process of mobilizing their members to make their voices heard.
- Individual letters from students who receive our services are especially influential. Already, 27 student letters have been written and mailed to senators from one agency in Atlanta. The vote is not until September, so you have plenty of time to send letters and make phone calls.
Beth Odom
Literacy Action, Inc.
Atlanta, GA 30303
Illinois
February 21, 2005
A colleague from Illinois' IACEA reports:
IACEA sent out the first notice to the membership to write IL Senators and Congressional people on Feb. 7th.
On Feb. 16th, the Association sent to the membership and to all state directors, the guidelines provided by Kentucky on Advocacy, two sample letters, a telephone script, and local addresses of all Congressional reps and senators. The letter included the Adult Ed & Even Start budget cuts as well as block granting in the Job Training proposal.
The tallies are slowly coming back in.
David J. Rosen
Indiana
Kansas
February 21, 2005
A colleague from the Kansas Adult Education Association reports that:
- thirty one Adult Ed Centers in Kansas have written, faxed, and e-mailed letters to State Legislators voicing concern about President Bush's $3 million cut to literacy grants. The Kansas Adult Education Association hired a lobbyist in January of 2005 to represent the organization's push for education for adults.
- Adult education students all over the state of Kansas have sent in letters and postcards for the past two years encouraging legislators to support literacy, ESL, and GED programs.
- This grassroot program has been gaining strength through teacher and student involvement.
David J. Rosen
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Advocates in Maine have written a great letter to their legislators. Their letter could be a model for other states. I have put it up on the Adult Literacy Education Wiki -- in the public policy section. AleCampaignStrategies
Thanks to Maine -- and all states which are working hard to save federal adult literacy education funding.
David J. Rosen
Massachusetts
Michigan
February 28, 2005
As soon as the President's budget recommendations were announced, including the 74.8% cut to Michigan's grant, The Adult Education State Director notified the State's Adult and Community Education Association (MACAE).Several communications and requests for action have gone to all members. Sample letters, contacts and instructions have been distributed. Weekly follow-ups are conducted, some programs have initiated student writing campaigns, several have set up appointments with Congress people when they have been in their local offices. A Delegation of local Directors will be going to Washington in Mid- March to meet with Michigan Congressional delegation and Michigan lobbyists have been alerted.
We are experiencing some difficulty "firing up the troops" as we are still reeling from a 75% cut in adult education state funds last year, continued for the current year and prospects are no better for next. Fortunately we have a commented core who are willing to fight the good fight, excellent relationships with the State Office, the State Association, and the field which will result in a successful campaign.
Ken Walsh
Executive Director
MACAE
Minnesota
February 16, 2005
In Minnesota, Eric Nesheim, Executive Director of the Minnesota Literacy Council sent out a call to action yesterday that urged us to drop everything and do this today (2/15/05). It included a sample email, contact information for all the Minnesota representatives, and background information on the cuts (which for Minnesota would mean a 73% cut in federal ABE dollars, the loss of important supplemental services, increased wait lists, and possible closing of sites).
I personally received this call to action four times: three times through emails from Minnesota literacy organizations and once from my supervisor at my work site.
Hillary Frazey
Adult ELL Instructor
St. Paul, Minnesota
March 24, 2005
The community based organizations in the Minneapolis ABE consortium have organized, as a group, to support national advocacy efforts and the MN legislative platform of Minnesota’s ABE professional organization.
Individuals from the organizations are signing up on the nla listserv to more quickly get the up-to-date calls for action relating to federal funding and to keep abreast of what is happening on the national level. We were please that both Minnesota senators (Dayton-D and Coleman-R) supported the Kennedy amendment. Thank you e-mails have been and are being sent.
What is the latest on mailings to the DC? Are deliveries of postcards, as well as letters, still delayed?
- Linda,
- We have been told that the time lag on letters sent to Congress through the US Mail is down to two weeks, so we should continue to use that method of delivery as well as fax and email.
- Art Ellison,
- Co chair, Policy Committee,
- National Council of State Directors of Adult Education.
Linda Hoover
Loring Nicollet Center
Missouri
Montana
February 17, 2005
In Montana our adult education association (MAACE) has contacted all program directors and provided them with letter examples, letter writing guidelines, addresses for our congressman, state program data, and a chart (see attachment) showing the change in funding amounts. We have set up a mentoring system where MAACE board members are contacting program directors to encourage and support participation in this campagin. In addition, we will be highlighting this activity in our spring newsletter and have contacted local legislators to contact our Montana congressmen to express concern over the budget cuts.
Donna Bakke
MAACE President
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
February 21, 2005
Yes! New Mexico has begun the process of contacting our delegates. Although the more formal plan is not completely in gear, many programs have begun the contacting. In addition, our community college association has notified all the community college presidents who have ABE programs about the issues and they in turn are writing Congress. Also, all programs in the state have been made aware of the situation and are beginning their campaigns. The campaign in New Mexico is definitely gaining momentum!
Barbara Arguedas
March 23, 2005
Thank you for this opportunity to report on our recent visits -- Two weeks ago a group of us from Santa Fe Community College Adult Basic Education visited the office of Congressman Udall. His staff person was very impressed with our information and our commitment to ABE and assured us support. We also hand-delivered a packet of letters written by our students.
And just this past Monday, Senator Jeff Bingaman visited our program. We only had about 25 minutes to make an impression (although he already knew about the need to support us in congress) so we had our students give testimonials. About 14 students spoke about their need to learn English, get the GED, improve their basic skills, and how ABE had helped them to move on to college and to better jobs.
We have all had a great lesson in civics engagement!
Barbara Arguedas ABE Director Santa Fe Community College Santa Fe, NM
New York
February 17, 2005
On Monday New York advocates brought together a task force that included Literacy New York and all the literacy-providing sectors in New York City. They put out the call on Monday evening, and were able to generate hundreds of letters to the committee by Tuesday afternoon. Between the sector heads in NYC, Literacy New York, the NYC Grassroots Literacy Coalition, and the state professional association, the New York Association of Community and Continuing Education, they now have the infrastructure in place to respond more often and quickly. The Literacy Assistance Center (LAC) is also continuously updating their policy and advocacy page
http://www.lacnyc.org/support/fedbudget.htm.
David J. Rosen
North Dakota
Ohio
February 27, 2005
Ohio is climbing on board, Brandi Barron from the Ohio Literacy Network has sent out our first call for action to the field.
Alan Toops
Alan Toops
Executive Director - Ohio Literacy Network
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
February 17, 2005
Posted on behalf of Roger Hansard, TAACE President:
Colleagues:
TAACE has recently divided into congressional districts with a coordinator in each district for the purpose of disseminating, gathering, and reporting back advocacy information to our Single Point of Contact. In collaboration with our SPC, we developed a fact sheet, talking points, and a sample letter. The coordinators have received a packet containing step by step directions for disseminating the information in their districts, who to contact, and how to report the numbers back to our state SPC. We will launch the campaign on Monday, February 21st.
Roger Hansard
TAACE president 2005
Texas
February 15, 2005
Texas is in full swing contacting our elected officials regarding the proposed '06 cut in Adult Education funding.
Our 56 member Adult Education Directors' Council organized a network which is contacting appropriate members of Congress via phone calls, FAX, letters and email. Our Council members are in the process of contacting all Adult Education personnel, students and community advocates who vigorously oppose the recommendation for any reduction in Adult Education funding.
Katherine Moser, President
Texas Council of Adult Education Directors
Utah
March 2, 2005
Utah has been very active in fighting the budget cuts . Lots of letters/faxes/emails/phone calls have been sent/made. Last Thursday, February 24, was a "Day on the Hill" where hundreds of adult education students and educators met with legislators to voice their concerns. Several adult education directors have spoken in committees and had individual meetings with legislators.
David J. Rosen
Virginia
March 1, 2005 Virginia adult education practitioners are very busy. They are facing a severe reduction in funding on a state level in addition to the federal level. The state funding is being voted on immediately and their efforts have been concentrated on their state leglislators. They have been sending out emails and have been posting information on the www.vaace.org website to help folks be active participants regarding these issues. They are currently seeking information from folks as to who, when and how they have been making contact.
David J. Rosen
Washington
February 28, 2005
...as a ProLiteracy Affiliate, we are disseminating the materials from PLA to our supporters. Additionally, there is a statewide group of professional working in basic education from CBOs and colleges that is disseminating information for people to take action on.
Christopher J Koehler
Director, St. James ESL Program
Wyoming
February 28, 2005
Our program in Casper, Wyoming, is hosting a letter writing campaign on March 14. I hope this is on time. Is it? We have spring break from the college and will not have any attendance at any event before that. We will have 80 volunteer letters and intend on advertising it, too, with other partners.
Lisa Mixer
Casper College ABE/GED Center
Casper, Wyoming
