Council for Advancement of Adult Literacy
Weighs In On Adult Education Budget Cuts!
Email from Gail Spangenberg
to Assembly Member Karen Bass and Senator Darrell Steinberg

Dear Colleagues,

We are deeply concerned about the severe cuts in California in the state's adult education programs. California adult education leaders have been in the forefront these past few months to develop understanding of the need for a system that is equipped to produce a skilled workforce, in part through concentrating much more attention on the needs of adults at the lowest skills levels. Two of our most prestigious commissioners (see www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org) have come to California over the past few months to speak in various forums around the state -- former Secretary of Labor Ray Marshall and President Emeritus of the Communications Workers of America Morton Bahr. And, as I write, our Commission study director (now the president of Kentucky Wesleyan College) is participating in a statewide strategic planning meeting in California at the invitation of some of your leaders.

Nationally, some 88 million adults fall within the group of adults needing help with their adult and workforce basic skills -- in order to move along pathways to college, job training, and employability. As befitting its size and population mix, California accounts for a disproportionately high percentage of these people, especially because of its large ESL populations (who lack basic literacy and employability skills).

I appreciate the economic challenges that all states, indeed all organizations (including my own), are facing in these dire economic times. And I appreciate the need to find cost savings wherever possible. However, because I believe it would be extremely short-sighted for California, or indeed the other states, to drastically cut back their already-underfunded adult education programs, I write to urge that you take whatever steps you can to avoid additional cuts in this area, for the good of our nation as well as the state of California. To better illustrate why, I am attaching for your information a copy of the (very readable) final report of the National Commission, Reach Higher, America, which has been enthusiastically received throughout California and which continues to serve as the basis for many conferences and meetings there.

I urge you in the strongest possible way to stand as champions of your state's adult education and workforce skills system.

With best wishes,