Frame the Message
From LiteracyTentWiki
What are our messages now? If we have a clear message, it might be:
- “second chance learning”
- “All you need is a degree in caring”
- the medical metaphors, “cure illiteracy” or military metaphors, “fight illiteracy”
Some conservatives may not like “second chance” language. They don’t want “undisciplined “ people to be rewarded for “bad behavior”, to be rewarded for something they haven’t earned. They want to know why someone should “deserve” a second chance. (Answer: They may not have had a first chance because their LD wasn’t addressed in school, or they didn’t go to an American school)
Anchor your message in values that we all believe in such as:
Basic skills learning for adults:
- is an opportunity for those who want to work hard, (it’s not a handout, -- as we know, students have to work hard to succeed)
- enables people to help themselves, improve, get better economic opportunities for their families, participate more in their communities, be good citizens. Many just need “a basic skills boost”
Basic skills
- provides children with a parent who can read, who can help them with homework. That’s just fair play, a level playing field and equal opportunity for children
- provides hard-working adults, whose jobs have disappeared in a rapidly changing economy – through no fault of their own -- a basic skills boost to their next job
- provides (legal) immigrants and refugees who worked hard in their country the opportunity – when they can learn English – to work hard here.(Kansas, California, Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Utah, Washington, Illinois and New York have voted to provide immigrant residents -- including those who are undocumented -- with in-state tuition. It’s a labor shortage issue. Also, for many immigrants ABE is their first chance to learn.
- is an investment with a good return to individuals, families, and communities
Whatever messages your state chooses – and you should choose one or two – stay on message.
