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Spring 2005
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Volume 29, No. 1
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Hello, and Welcome, Spring!
by Robert McNeill, Delaware Valley College, PAACE President
Initially, I would like to thank those of you who attended the PAACE Midwinter Conference on Adult Education in February. If you did attend, you were one of over 700 people who participated in a remarkable conference. Greater than fifty percent of the PAACE membership attended our Midwinter Conference. Those members who required Act 48 hours were able to receive them again by their participation.
Mother Nature was particularly good to us this year, as we enjoyed almost precipitation-free weather. It may have been cold outside, but inside the Hershey Lodge we were all warm and learning from our peers and counterparts. The keynote address delivered by Bill Draves of the Learning Resources Network (LERN) was one of the most heavily attended keynote addresses in recent memory. Bill was overwhelmed with the turnout to both his keynote speech and his workshop that followed.
Many thanks to John Cox and Patty Strayer of Turkey Hill Dairy for their efforts on behalf of Turkey Hill, the Honorary Chair of this years Midwinter Conference. John’s speech at our annual banquet truly exemplifies the commitment of Pennsylvania business and industry to adult education.
Those of you who participated in the sweater drive deserve a great big “THANKS”. The number of sweaters collected exceeded the ability of our Family Literacy Division and PA Family Literacy to pack them all for distribution. Thanks also to David Newell (Mr. McFeely of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”) for his never-ending contribution to literacy, as well as his infinite patience with all of us PAACERs at the Marketplace Opening on Wednesday evening. David accommodated every request for an autograph or photograph, and there were many.
It is our hope for the coming year to continue the fine work that Mary Kay Peterson performed as president of our organization last year. As president, Mary Kay oversaw the revisions of our organization's by-laws and foundation work on our strategic plan. We plan to complete the strategic plan this year, and to revise the operations manual for the officers and board of directors. We will also be working to improve the processes for online workshop proposal submission and registration for next year’s conference.
Kudos to JoAnn Weinberger on her advocacy efforts and her work in developing a network of people to write Congressional leaders about the proposed education budget cuts. Read more on the Legislative Committee’s efforts below.
We look forward to working with you, our members, and the board to make sure PAACE continues to grow and represent the needs of all adult educators in Pennsylvania. I invite you to call me at (215) 489-4888 or write to me (mcneillr@devalcol.edu) with any questions you may have about our organization, or if you wish to volunteer, along with the rest of us, to carry on the great work that PAACE does.
Appropriations and legislation are front and center
by JoAnn Weinberger, Center for Literacy, PAACE Legislative Committee Chair
Although appropriations tops the list of issues being addressed by PAACE and all adult education programs throughout the country, there is other important legislation being considered by Congress. This Update will focus on those issues as well as appropriations:
Reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act
In the U.S. House of Representatives, H.R. 27, the Job Training Improvement Act of 2005, passed the House on March 2, 2005. In the Senate, S. 9, the Lifetime of Education Opportunities Act of 2005, was introduced January 24, 2005, but no further action has been taken.
With the House considering the bill so fast in this legislative session, it is reasonable to expect that there will be reauthorization this session. Title II of both the House and the Senate version address adult education and family literacy.
In his budget, President Bush proposed that the reauthorization consolidate Title II with job training, vocational rehabilitation, and other partners in the One-Stop (what in Pennsylvania is called CareerLink) system. In the House, no sponsor introduced this legislation—good news!
Reauthorization of Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF)
H 240, the Personal Responsibility, Work, and Family Promotion Act (PRIDE) was introduced in the House of Representatives on January 4, 2005. The Subcommittee on Human Resources held a hearing on this bill on February 20. No further action has been taken.
In the Senate, S. 6 with the same title was introduced on January 24 and referred to the Senate Finance Committee. On March 9, the Committee marked up the bill clearing it for consideration by the full U.S. Senate.
Both bills would require a participation rate of 70% by 2010 and a 40-hour requirement. The Senate version reduces the requirement for a single parent with a child under 6 to 24 hours.
The President’s budget
The first step in the appropriations process of Congress is a budget resolution setting overall spending caps that are the used by the Appropriations Committee in developing legislation setting forth spending levels for individual programs. The House and Senate Budget Committees both recommending decreased domestic spending--a greater decrease than the President recommended. However, on the floor of the Senate, Senator Kennedy proposed an amendment increasing education spending by $5.5 billion. This passed, with the support of Senator Specter. Although the amendment does not specifically earmark the budget level for adult education, it sends an important message to the appropriations committee.
The next step is for a conference committee composed of House and Senate members to try to negotiate final levels.
Appropriations
The President's proposed fiscal 2006 budget calls for a reduction of state grant funds for adult basic education and literacy from $501 million (Fiscal 2005 level) to $131 million. It calls for no reduction in the $68.5 million funding pool for English Literacy/Civics that is a subset of the state grant funds. If Congress meets its deadline for finalizing the 2006 budget of September 30, the budget will go into effect on July 1, 2006. The President's proposal also eliminates funding for Even Start, but level funds the National Institute for Literacy and National Leadership Activities.
For Pennsylvania, the funding cut would be 75.1%, from $19,212,919 to $4,785,399. This requires a massive, sustained response, one that articulates the growing outrage over the decision to attempt the destruction of the adult education and family literacy system in this country. This campaign will start with 19 PAACE members who will become point persons for each of the 19 U.S. Representatives. These volunteers are:
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Congressional District
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Representative | Point of Contact |
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1 |
Brady |
JoAnn Weinberger weinberger@centerforliteracy.org |
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2 |
Fattah |
JoAnn Weinberger weinberger@centerforliteracy.org |
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3 |
English |
Libby Wilson lwilson@eriecareerlink.org |
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4 |
Hart |
Nancy Woods ncw1@psu.edu |
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5 |
Peterson |
Barbara Van Horn BLV1@psu.edu |
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6 |
Gerlach |
Mary Kay Peterson mkpeterson@chesco.com |
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7 |
Weldon |
Carol Goertzel cgoertzel@PathwaysPA.org |
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8 |
Fitzpatrick |
Fran Stengel fpstengel@vitaeducation.org |
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9 |
Shuster |
Dehra Shafer dws3@psu.edu |
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10 |
Sherwood |
Frank Nardone fnardone@liu18.org |
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11 |
Kanjorski |
Frank Nardone fnardone@liu18.org |
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12 |
Murtha |
Tricia Neil Rummel trummel@gjctc.tec.pa.us |
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13 |
Schwartz |
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14 |
Doyle |
Karen Mundie kmundie@gplc.org |
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15 |
Dent |
Janice Komisor jkomisor@projecteaston.org |
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16 |
Pitts |
Mary Kay Peterson mkpeterson@chesco.com |
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17 |
Holden |
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18 |
Murphy |
Don Block dblock@gplc.org |
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19 |
Platts |
Joe Kloza jkloza@aol.com |
Please note that there is no point person for either Representative Schwartz (Montgomery County/Northeast Philadelphia) or Representative Holden (Lebanon/Dauphin/Berks). Can you help? Please e-mail me at weinberger@centerforliteracy.org.
To fight this recommendation and inform the Pennsylvania delegation that this should not be enacted, PAACE has formulated a multi-pronged approach. As you do these things, please stay in touch with your point of contact and tell him/her what you are doing. Also, please e-mail me and tell me what you did and with whom you communicated.
- Letters to Senator Santorum, Senator Specter, and Representatives. Every program is asked to send 35 letters to each of these three individuals. (See a draft letter.)
- Postcards. PAACE has pre-printed 40,000 bright neon yellow postcards so thousands can be sent or hand-delivered to your local legislator’s office. They are being sent to program administrators and administrators the week of March 21.
- Visits. Congresspersons will be in their home offices March 21-April 1. Call now to schedule a visit. Take a businessperson and a learner.
- Invitations to be guest speakers. Do you have a recognition event or graduation this spring? Invite your legislator.
- Telephone calls (See script.)
- Student writings. You may want to use the following prompt: “What would it mean if your class (or tutoring program) was cancelled?” Gather these writings together and send them to both senators and your representative
- Letters to the Editor (See sample.)
Do you need information on who your U.S. Representative is? Go to:
www.house.gov, type in your Zip+4 digit zip code (e.g., 01234-5555) and click Go.
If you do not know your Zip+4 e.g.: Go to:
www.usps.com and click on Find A Zip Code in the upper left corner
Addresses for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senators:
Senator Rick Santorum
511 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.
Washington DC 20510
Voice phone: (202) 224-6324
Fax: (202) 228-0604Go to www.santorum.senate.gov and use the Contact Information > Email Senator Santorum link.
Senator Arlen Specter
711 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington DC 20510
Voice phone: (202) 224-4254
Fax: (202) 228-1229
Go to www.specter.senate.gov and use the Contact Info >Contact Form link.
Thank-you to all PAACE members for what you are doing to fight these proposed cuts! Keep up the effort! The final verdict will be at the end of September.
Family Literacy
Conference was big on Family Literacy
by Susan Mansuetti, Penn State Beaver, Family Literacy Division Co-Director
A lot of exciting things happened at this year’s Midwinter Conference. The theme of the conference, The Changing Face of Adult Education, was evident in the Family Literacy Division as we said “good-bye” to Ruth Love-Schooley and welcomed our new Division co-director, Julie Shumaker. Julie is from the Central Susquehanna IU and can be reached at (570) 523-1155 or by e-mail at jshumaker@csiu.org. We wish Ruth well as she remains on the PAACE Board and takes on the responsibilities of Central Region Representative.
We were pleased to have as guests Hedda Sharapen and David Newell (a.k.a Mr. McFeely) from “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” and Family Communications. After visiting several local programs Mr. McFeely patiently signed autographs, and was the last person to leave the Marketplace on Wednesday evening. He asked me to remind all of the Eastern programs that the traveling exhibit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood is on display through May 2005 at the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia. The permanent display is at the Children’s Museum in Pittsburgh. We were also thanked for collecting sweaters for the Fred Rogers Sweater Drive. Over 200 sweaters were collected and distributed by various programs throughout the state.
Congratulations are in order for Chester County IU, Allegheny County IU, and Central IU for being the top three programs in the Goodling Institute Best Practices in Family Literacy Awards. Next year we hope to see applications from more Family Literacy programs across the Commonwealth.
Anyone who has any ideas for making the next Midwinter Conference even better is more than welcome to contact either Susan Mansuetti, skm12@psu.edu or Julie Shumaker jshumaker@csiu.org. We’re always open for ideas and assistance. We’re looking for people who might want to help with planning the Marketplace display, reviewing proposals, working on the Best Practice Awards, and planning the Division Lunch. Best of all, most of our meetings are done by conference call or e-mail.
Adult Basic and Secondary Education (AB/SE)
Nuts-and-bolts concerns discussed
by Libby Wilson, GECAC and Stairways Behavioral Health, ABSE Division Director
The ABSE Wednesday evening ice cream social at the PAACE Midwinter Conference drew about 25 participants, who very much enjoyed the chance to meet colleagues from all over the state. Although the hour was spent mostly in informal discussions around the tables, there was a brief group discussion about the concerns of ABSE division members. Everyone was concerned about the potential budget cuts, and the importance of joining in the legislative campaigns was emphasized. Another concern expressed was that teachers may need additional training to best aid the former residents of the newly closed state hospitals; some of the former residents are now ABE students. Also discussed was that if a student is entered into e-Data with a goal of getting a GED and then passes the Official GED Test, a Social Security match-up automatically moves the student into the High ASE category, and the program is given credit for a GED even if no matching posttest was given. Of course, no learning gains can be recorded.
If you have any follow-up about these topics or have others concerns of interest to the ABSE division, please e-mail me at lwilson@eriecareerlink.org or call (814) 455-9966, ext. 520.
Continuing Higher Education (CHE)
Financial aid for the adult student
by Michael Powell, Assistant Director Adult Enrollment, Point Park University
Perhaps one of the most stressful aspects that adults face when they return to college is funding. For many, just the idea of applying for financial aid is overwhelming.
The best place to begin is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the FAFSA form. All student aid offices carry these forms, and a student may even decide to complete the form totally online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. But what else is out there?
A lot of adult students are interested in finding additional sources of aid to help them in returning to school. What the student should do is see if there are any “in-house” monies available for them. By this, I mean grants or scholarships that the individual university or college offers to its students. For example, some colleges and universities will offer all nontraditional students a small grant, or other institutions will offer a discount if the student has completed an associate degree from a local community college. Other institutions have agreements with corporations and offer a corporate discount if the student is an employee.
Programs such as CareerLink and OVR are also services that can help the student gain money to return to college, providing they are qualified candidates to receive these services. Other social institutions may also help in the student acquiring money to learn. Women’s Shelters, Rehabilitation Centres, and Job Training Institutions can, if agreements with the college or university exist, help provide money for the student.
Moreover, societies such as Rotary Clubs, ethnic social organizations, churches, and minority associations may have scholarships or grants available if the student is qualified. One example is the Women’s Society of Engineers; this group has funded female students pursuing engineering degrees through scholarships to help more women enter what is typically a male-dominated area.
Some students have gone to local Chambers of Commerce of their towns or boroughs to see if funds are available.
There are also general scholarships available for all students like the USA Funds Access to Education Scholarships. This scholarship is offered to both full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students. More information concerning this scholarship is found at www.usafunds.org.
While many scholarship opportunities are available, some have specific conditions (ranking of student, degree student is seeking, residence, etc.). Application forms can be found at any financial aid office. Most of the scholarships are offered at certain times of the year and have deadlines, so it is in the students’ best interest to complete the requirements as soon as they can.
From OVAE Review
Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education
Colleges ‘Break Through’ To Help Low-Skilled Learners Succeed
Community colleges can play a larger role in preparing low-literate adults for college and family-supporting employment opportunities according to a recent report, Breaking Through: Helping Low-Skilled Adults Enter and Succeed in College and Careers. The report that was funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and produced by Jobs for the Future, in partnership with the National Council for Workforce Education, outlines a number of synergistic approaches showing community colleges have promise for helping larger numbers of low-skilled adults advance their educations in short periods of time. Strategies include:
- Integrating institutional structures and services,
- Accelerating learning,
- Linking academic skills to labor market payoffs, and
- Providing comprehensive support services such as case management.
Full Story: www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev013105.html#break
New Resources for Low Income Adult Students in Higher Education
A new Web site sponsored by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Lumina Foundation offers a report and a searchable database on resources and programs for low-income adult college students. The Web site is part of the Improving Lives: Ensuring the Academic Success of Low-Income Adults <http://www.acenet.edu/programs/policy/projects/improving-lives> initiative, which seeks to highlight the importance of these students, identify the challenges and successful strategies in educating them, and encourage institutional and policy leaders to improve the academic success of low-income adults.
Full Story: www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/ovaereview/orev013105.html#new
by Chuck Klinger, Tuscarora IU 11, PAACE Second Vice-PresidentWe just wanted to let those requesting Act 48 hours for the PAACE Midwinter Conference know that we haven’t been able to upload the hours to the PDE server yet. All of the information on the forms people submitted at the end of the conference was complete, so we will upload the hours as soon as we get instructions from PDE. When we do, we will send a notification out over the PAACE member e-mail list. Thank-you for your patience.
What level of ‘customer service’ can you expect from PAACE?
by Tana Reiff, Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13, PAACE Communications Committee Chair
Members of the PAACE board receive what might be classified as “customer service” phone calls and e-mails from fellow members, especially around conference time. A few typical concerns and what was going on behind them:
- "What is the conference schedule?"
Bob McNeill sent me the schedule as an electronic report drawn from the workshop proposals database. I had posted it on the PAACE Web site verbatim, due to the constraints of my time and capability. It could have been fancier, but the point is, the schedule was on paacesite.org and that’s the first place to look.
- "Why isn’t my session listed on the schedule?"
This inquirer had not submitted a proposal. Maybe someone should have noticed, but the conference committee assumed that any individual or entity that wanted to present would submit.
- "When will my Act 48 hours be posted?"
This question was posed less than two weeks after the conference. Behind the scenes was Chuck Klinger working on Act 48 on weekends, on his own time. (Thanks, Chuck. See his update, above.)
- "My employer requires us to submit paper registration forms."
The business office has strict protocols and doesn’t want an invoice produced for an employee who has not been approved to attend the conference. Thus, the employee may not use PAACE's online conference registration form. But in the absence of some simple internal checks, the submission of a paper registration form means that PAACE secretary Karen Warner has to manually enter all the data for hundreds of registrants.
While the PAACE board certainly works hard to provide support and assistance, members don't always receive the level of customer service they might expect from a commercial enterprise. Except for a part-time executive director, PAACE is an all-volunteer organization. The board is made up of folks just like you, with limited time for volunteer work. So, next time you have a question or concern, please check paacesite.org first. Next, consider which board member (or the executive director) is the most appropriate to field your question. Above all, we obviously can use help! Please consider volunteering to serve on the board, on a standing committee, or on next year’s conference committee. I’m sure any board member would be happy to entertain your ideas and inquiries about how you can become a more active member of your professional organization.
25TH ANNUAL
PENN TESOL EAST
SPRING CONFERENCE
April 16, 2005
“25 YEARS OF BUILDING CONNECTIONS”
Plenary Speaker: Dr. Keith Folse, author and teacher trainer:
“Research and Pedagogy on Vocabulary in ESL”
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA
1700 SPRING GARDEN ST.
PHILADELPHIA, PA
More information: http://penntesoleast.org/spconf05.html
The California Council for Adult Education (CCAE) and the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE) invite you to its annual conference, May 4-7, 2005 at the happiest place on earth in Anaheim, California.
Early Conference Registration (postmarked before April 20, 2005) will be $250.00 for members and $325.00 for non-members.
Full registration includes one registration, all conference materials, Presidents' Reception and the afternoon refreshment breaks. Meal functions, pre-conference sessions, tours and guest tickets require an additional fee.
More information, conference program, and registration materials:
www.coabe05.org
AAACE Annual Conference
"Adult Education and Learning: Working for You"
November 6-11, 2005
Hilton Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Call for proposals: Topics for proposals should reflect the theme. Deadline: May 30, 2005
More information available at www.aaace.org
Important note from former PAACE presidents Mary Kay Peterson: "We are encouraging the many talented and skilled members of PAACE to consider submitting a proposal to present at the AAACE conference. This gives us a great opportunity to showcase the fine work happening here in PA to not only a national audience but international educators, as well! Please also consider volunteering with the conference, too. Remote Past President Dave Manzo and I are serving on the committee for workforce and professional development and the Executive Conference Committee would welcome your involvement!" Contact Mary Kay Peterson or Dave Manzo.
PAACE News available in PDF
For those who like to print out PAACE News, you now have the option of printing directly from your browser or downloading a PDF file of each issue.
Download the current issue of PAACE News as PDF file here.
Comprehensive conference listing!
Whatever your interest in adult education may be, the LINCS conference calendar has something for you--actually, LOTS of things for you. Check out this thorough list of conferences and events related to adult education, technology, and affiliated topics at: www.nifl.gov/cgi-bin/Calendar/calendar_world.cgi
Are you subscribed to the PAACE members e-mail list?
If you are a PAACE member and are not subscribed to the members e-mail list, you may use the simple sign-up process by going to www.paacesite.org, clicking on the link on the main page for the PAACE lists, and following the link for the members@paacesite.org list. Subscribers also may follow the link to change subscription information. Only subscribers may post to the list.
PAACE members are encouraged to be on the e-mail list in order to receive announcements and late-breaking legislative news, especially now!
Information, please: paace@paacesite.org
PAACE has an e-mail address. Write to paace@paacesite.org for general inquiries and information. Joan Leopold, PAACE executive director, will answer your questions or direct your e-mail to the appropriate person.
Our 2005-06 Officers, Regional Representatives, and Division Directors:
President: Robert McNeill (Delaware Valley College)
First Vice-President: Debbie Hrach (Stairways Behavioral Health)
Second Vice-President: Chuck Klinger (Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11)
Secretary: Karen E. Warner (Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12)
Treasurer: Frank Nardone (Luzerne Intermediate Unit 18)
Immediate Past President: Mary Kay Peterson
Remote Past President: David Manzo (Luzerne County Community College)
Western Regional Representative: Emmett Baxendell (Goodwill Industries of Pittsburgh)
Central Regional Representative: Ruth Love-Schooley (Lycoming County Library System)
Eastern Regional Representative: Joe Morales (Lancaster-Lebanon Intermdiate Unit 13)
Adult Basic and Secondary Education Division Director: Libby Wilson (Greater Erie Community Action Committee and Stairways Behavioral Health)
Continuing Higher Education Division Director: Mary Anne Varacalli (Delaware County Community College)
Corrections Education Division Director: Rob Bender (Graterford SCI)
ESL Division: Eastern Co-Director: Elaine Greene (Center for Literacy), Western Co-Director: Theresa Andrews (Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, on leave)
Family Literacy Division: Susan Mansuetti (Penn State Beaver Adult Literacy Action), Julie Shumaker (Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit)
Tutors of Literacy in the Commonwealth:
Workplace Education Division: KayLynn Hamilton (Institute for the Study of Adult Literacy at Penn State)
Committee Chairs/Full Board list: Click here.
PAACE News Editorial Board
Tana Reiff, Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13 / PAACE News Editor
Joan Leopold, Harrisburg State Hospital / PAACE Executive Director
Karen Mundie, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
Ruth Love-Schooley, Lycoming County Library System
Carol Shefrin, Tuscarora Intermediate Unit 11 Adult Education Dept.
Mary Anne Varacalli, Delaware County Community College
The purpose of PAACE News is to inform members of PAACE about the activities and plans of the Association and how they can participate in them. Remaining consistent with the mission of the organization, the newsletter connects a diverse audience of adult education practitioners, researchers, and students throughout Pennsylvania.
This issue published March 28, 2005
To submit material for PAACE News, please e-mail the editor at tana_reiff@comcast.net.