For Union leaders, activists, and members:

Funding in the state budget for adult basic education -- line item 7035-0002 -- has been eliminated for the rest of the year (through at least June 2002). This will shut down almost all publicly funded adult literacy, GED (high school diploma) and English (ESOL) classes across the state. There is only enough funding left this year to continue services through January - before we will have to lock the doors on 25,000 students and over 2,000 staff. This funding cut will dismantle the effective adult basic education system developed over the last decade. The budget cuts will also end English and literacy classes provided to workers at their work sites, including many union-sponsored or supported classes. In these classes, workers who don't have access to courses in their communities can study at their work sites to improve their skills. Massachusetts has been providing adult education classes since the late 1800's. Many of our grandparents and great grand parents learned English, became citizens and went on to lead productive and successful lives because of the adult basic education opportunities our state has provided. Tens of thousands of soldiers returning from World War II were able to qualify for their adult high school equivalency diploma (GED). Will we end these opportunities now that they are needed more than ever?

The doors to opportunity will be shut to over 1 million future students (a recent report by MassINC cites 1.1 million under-educated and limited English proficient members of the Massachusetts workforce who need adult education services). To stop this from happening, we need you to call and/or write to your elected officials -- particularly your state Senator and state Representatives.

When you call or write to your legislators, remember that they will already be prepared to respond to many constituencies that don't like the budget cuts. They will tell you that they support adult education, but that they had no choice but to cut the funding. Be firm and tell them why the levels of cuts to literacy, GED and English language classes GO TOO FAR. We need every legislator to make a firm commitment to restore the funding for adult education. You can make the following points when you call:

• Tell the legislator or the staff member your name and your community.

• Tell them why adults who are under-educated or have limited English need the opportunity to learn, for example: Adults with improved skills can improve their lives and those of their families by communicating better at work, getting better jobs, helping their children with homework, and participating more actively in their communities (voting, etc.).

• Tell them that as a union member and co-worker, you have seen the challenges workers with limited English or literacy face on the job, including not understanding their rights and benefits, or not being able to move into higher-level jobs. The economy benefits directly from having a workforce with higher-level skills.

• If you know someone who has benefited from these services, tell their story.

• Tell them that cutting the adult education budget by 50% is unacceptable - that it destroys the whole system and eliminates opportunities for hundreds of thousands of adults to learn and accomplish more for their future, families, work and communities.

• Because of these state cuts, Massachusetts will lose another $10,500,000 in federal funding.

• Tell them the $13 million must go back into the Department of Education line item: 7035-0002.

• Thank them for their support.

| Tips'n'Scripts for Program Staff | Tips'n'Scripts for Adult Students |

Source: Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education (MCAE), 800-339-2498.
Adaptation by Jenny Utech, Massachusetts Worker Education Roundtable.