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"Dear Mr.
President . . ."
VALUE Members Write to the White House
(Posted November, 2000)
VALUE’s adult learner members have their own electronic list ("e-list" or "listserv"). This allows our members to send e-mails to each other. We recently asked them to write a message to the new U.S. President (even though we didn’t yet know who the President would be).
Four of our learners responded to the request. Each had his or her own opinions and ideas for the President. These statements aren’t an "official" position of VALUE. They are presented below just to show what is on the minds of some U.S. adult learners as a new administration comes to Washington.
We encourage other adult learners to write to their elected leaders, too.
Dear Mr. President,
We are members of VALUE, a national organization of adult learners who have benefited from adult literacy education. Adult learners need educational opportunities and other supports to be effective workers, family members, and citizens.
Please help adult learners by giving us increased funding earmarked for adult education programs and the tools for the new technology age that is here, so that we can offer our American dream to our children.
Harry Seda, Westtown, NY
My name is Maria L. Gonzalez and I wanted to tell you a little about how my family has benefited from adult literacy education . . . Please help adult learners by giving us increased funding earmarked for our literacy programs so they can buy more materials to use with us.
Please give them the tools for the new technology age that is changing every day. I think every family should have a computer at their homes, so they can learn together with their family. That will be the only way we can offer our American dream to our children.
My family has changed so much just from me and husband attending an adult literacy program. Now we can help them with their homework and participate in their education.Maria Gonzalez, San Diego, CA
We can prevent adult illiteracy. Direct and effective reading, writing, and spelling instruction must be the core curriculum for all grades K through 12th.
We must understand that it is as important to teach an adult to read as it is to teach a child to read. It will require leadership, commitment and understanding from the literate community, inside and outside of the "educational belt way"
Today. more than any other time in our history, adults need to be given every opportunity to learn to read.
Question..... Do you agree or disagree: It is as important to teach an adult to read as it is to teach a child to read?
John Corcoran, Oceanside, CA
I'm writing you with regards to Adult Literacy Education. I'm talking about basic adult education, which only existed through the unextended public education system.
America teaches about equity. How can we as a people speak with a clear conscience on the moral value of equity and still send our children through school without them being able to read or write or do simple math?
Other adults like myself have slipped through the education system without receiving the proper skills that will help us to be able to compete with the rest of the world.
Since we haven't we have turned to the adult literacy programs to help us learn how to read simple forms, help us learn how to sign our personal check, and to read short stories to our children.
You asked me what can we do?
We can put more money toward the adult literacy programs, to fix what public education didn't do.
We can seek a better curriculum to teach kids how to read and write.
Better pay for teachers in low or poor neighborhoods so those schools could attract more qualified teachers.
Accountability for the schools.
Outsiders to track money to make sure it is being spent right.
Resonja Willoughby, Oakland, CA
Revised 11/21/00