Adult Literacy Programs Threatened New York, NY. Nearly fifteen hundred adult students and community leaders from across the City gathered today at City Hall Park to urge Mayor Bloomberg and the New York City Council to restore $11.68 million in vital funding that helps over 14,000 New Yorkers improve their literacy skills, learn English, and obtain a GED. With improved skills, adult learners can advance to college, or a better paying job. The demand for literacy classes remains high, and a review of the statistics highlights the many New Yorkers who can benefit from additional skill development and education, and the payoff from this public investment:
The combination of the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) funding cuts and the elimination of the City Council's Immigrant Opportunities and Adult Literacy Services Initiatives from the Mayor's FY 2011 Executive budget would severely reduce the availability of adult basic education, ESOL, and GED preparation classes offered by community based organizations. These programs were underfunded to begin with, and programs have strained to meet the increased demand for classes in our ailing economy. Numerous programs across the City have experienced a dramatic rise in the number of people on their waiting lists over the past two years. New Yorkers are looking to build their skills to keep their jobs and remain competitive in this tight labor market. "Investing in adult literacy and English classes costs little compared to the huge dividends in terms of New Yorkers' ability to climb the economic ladder toward better jobs and better lives. It's so obvious that these programs are a worthwhile investment for New York. While we know that tough decisions must be made in adopting our new City budget, funding to adult literacy and ESOL classes must be restored," said Anthony Ng, Deputy Director of Policy and Advocacy, United Neighborhood Houses. "I can tell you firsthand, that literacy programs change people's lives and help them realize economic, social, and cultural opportunities that also benefit the City as a whole. I'm very worried that these proposed City cuts will add to the burden from proposed State funding cuts we face to adult literacy and GED testing sites. Without these resources, it will become more difficult for my program to meet the needs of students in Sunset Park," said Bruce Carmel, Deputy Executive Director, Turning Point. "For me it's very important to learn English because I need to communicate in my son's school, in the hospital or clinic, in the grocery store, on the bus – everywhere," said Gabriela Casteneda, a student at Make the Road New York. "All of us want to learn English and be part of American society. If you cut these classes we would be unable to communicate and participate in society." "It's really important to continue my education. I am getting closer and closer to my GED, so don't take away my dream!" said Francisca Ramales, an adult basic education student at Fifth Avenue Committee. "We can't place the burden of funding cuts on those who are the poorest and urgently need literacy classes to get jobs, support themselves and their families and strengthen our great and diverse city," said Larry Fish, Director of Adult Education, Shorefront YM-YWHA. "When I came to the United States in 2009, I didn't speak any English. Now I'm studying at the College of Mount Saint Vincent Institute for Immigrant Concerns, and am very happy. After completing my English class I plan to go to college and study telecommunications. I want all immigrants to be able to study English so they can realize their dreams," said Abdul Aziz Diallo, a student at the College of Mount Saint Vincent Institute for Immigrant Concerns. "I am an immigrant and student who has benefited from the wonderful program at LaGuardia Community College's Center for Immigrant Education and Training in Queens. This country was built by immigrants, and offers tremendous opportunities. We want to learn English to become more independent and contribute to society," said Yvelisse Soriano. Gonzalo Velez, a student from HANAC's program, said "We need opportunities. Our programs have helped us to communicate with other people, do business, feel more secure, and elevate our self esteem. Thanks to our free adult education, we have recognized that we can reach better job positions, assist others, and lead them to dream as we are dreaming. Our eyes are now open to seeing ourselves enter the doors of colleges or universities, without the fear of our accent, or feeling older than other college students." Rallygoers also urged Mayor Bloomberg to keep his pledge to support adult literacy in New York City. In his State of the City address in January, Mayor Bloomberg expressed his desire to expand English classes for immigrant New Yorkers. Instead of delivering on this promise, Mayor Bloomberg delivered a tremendous blow to these services by cutting $5.18 million in DYCD Adult Literacy Programs and completely eliminating the Immigrant Opportunities Initiative ($5 million) and the Adult Literacy Services Initiative ($1.5 million). The proposed City cuts are on top of proposed State cuts to GED Testing Sites ($1.15 million) and Adult Literacy Education funding ($2.6 million). These funding cuts from the State and City threaten to destabilize programs which the City can't afford to lose. ### The New York Coalition for Adult Literacy (NYCAL) is comprised of teachers, managers, students, and allies from community-based organizations, advocacy groups, public libraries, colleges in the City University of New York, and Department of Education adult literacy programs across New York City. NYCAL advocates for an adult literacy system that provides quality, comprehensive, and accessible educational services to current students and other adults who require it. NYCAL believes that being able to read and write, learn English, obtain a GED, and enter training and post secondary education are the rights of every New Yorker and the cornerstone to an equitable and just society. Keep reading for more information: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=10&id=35438 http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/3917/coalition-battles-gov-s-cuts http://www.theawl.com/2010/05/the-huge-nyc-budget-disaster-adult-literacy-programs [1] Economist Paul Harrington, Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University. Presentation to the New York City Dropout Prevention Summit, 2009. [2] David Jason Fischer, Jeremy Reiss, Closing the Skills Gap, A Blueprint for Preparing New York City's Workforce to Meet the Evolving Needs of Employers. Community Service Sociey and Center for an Urban Future, 2010. |