[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 38 (Tuesday, March 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2334-S2335]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

                                 ______


            APPROPRIATIONS FOR ADULT EDUCATION AND LITERACY

 Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, last Thursday I offered an amendment 
to the omnibus appropriations bill to restore funding for three Federal 
literacy programs. The Senate will vote on this amendment tomorrow.
  Adult education and literacy programs are essential to reducing 
welfare dependency, crime, and unemployment. Yet all Federal, State, 
and local public and private nonprofit literacy programs combined serve 
only 10 percent of those in need.
  Last year, I had the pleasure of meeting with a group of new readers 
who had recently completed basic literacy programs. These individuals 
shared with me the difficulties they had faced and how learning how to 
read and write had changed their lives for the better. I was so struck 
by their stories that I contacted their Senators encouraging them to 
meet with their States' new readers. I do not know how many of my 
colleagues took me up on this offer, but I trust that those who did 
found this experience as informative and as inspiring as I did.
  I also asked one of the women who visited me, Elaine Randall, to 
write out her story, as I thought it was particularly moving. She was 
kind enough to send it along to me. I ask that her account be printed 
in the Record.
  The letter follows:

       Dear Senator Simon:
       Thank you for meeting with me and the other adult learners 
     who were in Washington for the National Institute of Literacy 
     (NIFL) work group meeting on July 23-24. These 20 adult 
     learners from around the country met with NIFL staff to open 
     a dialogue on the students' views of literacy policy and 
     practices, and to explore ways to take a more active role in 
     shaping them.
       We were chosen as participants in this NIFL student work 
     group for our local, state, and national literacy 
     involvement. Besides receiving adult basic education or 
     English as a Second Language instruction, we are student 
     leaders ``giving back''--working towards solutions. We are 
     not the only ones out there doing this. We are only a handful 
     of adult learners who start and lead student support groups; 
     speak to encourage others to join a literacy program; 
     encourage businesses to fund literacy organizations; and 
     advise our programs on ways to improve recruitment, 
     retention, and learning gains. These are only a few examples 
     of the kinds of contributions students all over the country 
     are making to ``give back'' as much as they ``get'' from the 
     literacy field.
       Each of us has worked long and hard to become contributors 
     in the literacy field. We have been improving our basic 
     reading and writing skills and developing our leadership 
     abilities. This is where we are now, but it's not where we 
     started. As non- or low-level readers, each of us has had 
     different experiences throughout our lives. However, those 
     experiences and the feelings and the emotions they caused 
     were very similar.
       Being able to read is expected daily in American life. 
     Before an adult literacy program started in my area, it 
     seemed like there was no chance for me to learn how to read. 
     My choices in life were severely limited--I constantly 
     guarded against being put into situations where I would have 
     to read and write. I discovered how society mistreats those 
     who cannot read.
       While other children were learning to read and write in 
     school, I learned early on what it meant to be illiterate in 
     our society, and why it was important to cover it up and how 
     to do it. By second grade all my classmates knew I was 
     behind, which made me a target of their taunting. Kids who 
     were friends in my neighborhood did not care to talk with me 
     in class for fear of being called stupid--``If you talk with 
     a dummy, you must be a dummy too.'' My best friend was older 
     than me and didn't know I was having trouble with reading. 
     When my third grade teacher began keeping me after school 
     every day, to give me more time to do classwork, my best 
     friend didn't understand why I had to stay instead of walking 
     home with her. I couldn't tell her, because I had learned the 
     year before what happens when people find out you can't read.
       I always wanted to learn and know what other people knew, 
     but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up. School 
     seemed like a prison where I was being punished for not being 
     smart enough. I wanted to drop out when I became old enough.
       By the time I was in high school, I had become a master in 
     ``school survival.'' School survival was going to school 
     everyday, knowing no matter how hard I tried, I was still 
     going to fail. So, I learned to balance between trying hard 
     enough to please my teachers without excessively tormenting 
     myself in the process. Another part of my school survival was 
     to figure out what I would need to graduate: how many 
     credits, which courses were the easiest, and the minimum 
     number of academic classes I would have to take.
       I realized I'd need a high school diploma in order to help 
     cover up my illiteracy in the future--especially when it came 
     to finding a job. I knew an employer would be less likely to 
     suspect I couldn't read very well if I had a high school 
     diploma. The day I graduated, I tried to read my diploma, but 
     I could only read a few words. Nonetheless, I felt I had 
     earned it through hard work and a lot of tears.
       It was not easy to find a job that didn't require reading. 
     My employment options were limited since I did not have a 
     trade. I had tried taking some trade classes in high

[[Page S2335]]

     school. I could understand the theory of what the teachers 
     were saying, but didn't learn what I needed to know--that was 
     in a book. I've always been a hard worker and knew if I could 
     get my foot in the door somewhere, I would do a good job. 
     After identifying a job in manufacturing, I still had to fill 
     out the job application as well as read and sign forms. To 
     this day, I don't know what I signed. I could only hope I 
     would not do something that violated what was in those forms.
       I went as far as I could in jobs with the minimum amount of 
     reading or writing involved. My supervisors considered me a 
     valuable employee and never suspected I had trouble reading. 
     I felt I had the potential to do more. When a literacy 
     program for adults started at my local library, I finally had 
     an opportunity to get the help I needed so I could do more.
       It wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered the 
     reason why I had so much trouble learning to read and write. 
     I have a language-based learning difference--clinically 
     diagnosed dyslexia and attention deficit disorder. At least 
     now I know what I'm dealing with. It was not my fault--I was 
     smart enough. What I needed was a teaching and learning 
     method that worked for me.
       There is a difference between learning to read and reading 
     to learn. I first needed to learn how to read and that has 
     taken time. I've been working on my education for almost nine 
     years and I am still taking classes two nights a week. During 
     the same time, I have had to work to support myself. Like 
     most adults, I do not have the luxury of going back to school 
     full-time because I must fulfill other obligations and 
     responsibilities.
       There is no ``quick fix'' solution--two years and you're 
     finished. It is a long process. It is one we all must agree 
     to commit to. There are many more adults like me who, with 
     the right help, can get better jobs and lead more productive 
     lives. They, too, can begin to ``give back'' to the system.
       Thank you for your commitment to help improve the adult 
     literacy system. Around the country, there are many adult 
     learners equally committed to improving the system in 
     addition to their own education. It's great to know we have 
     people like you working with us to make it possible for 
     adults who cannot read, write, or speak English to get the 
     help they need.
       Sincerely,
     Elaine W. Randall.

                          ____________________