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Background, Jackie Taylor

Dear Colleague,

Im Jackie Taylor; an adult educator, staff development specialist, and advocate. OnFebruary 2, 2011, COABE will distribute its elections ballot to COABE Members nationwide. I

am running for president-elect. Id like to share with you a little about myself in the

framework ofCOABEs mission (To provide l eadersh ip , c o m m u n i c a t i o n , pro fess iona l

deve lopm en t and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitioners in order to

advance quality services for all adult learners.) and what I hope to bring to COABE if

elected.

Leadersh ip

COABE is the leading national professional association for adult educators with over 6,000

members nationwide. COABE leadership today serves as a model for many state and

national professional development organizations and associations in areas like staffdevelopment and advocacy. I bring state and national leadership experience in both arenas

to COABE:

As Advocacy Co-Chair with Margaret Bott for the Tennessee Association for Adult and

Community Education (TAACE), I began TAACEs Local Contact Network to advance federal

level advocacy as part of the state directors Single Point of Contact Network. In 2009, we

generated 10,000 letters that country music singer and legend Gretchen Wilson and team

hand-delivered to a delegation of Tennessee federal legislators. We cultivated Congressional

champions for adult education, like Congressman Roe, who is now sponsor of the House

Adult Literacy Caucus.

As Executive Board Member and Chair of the Association of Adult Literacy Professional

Developers (AALPD), I led the development of the AALPD Recommended Policies to Support

Professional Development for Adult Education Practitioners with Cristine Smith and David J.

Rosen. Revised and vetted by Professional Development List subscribers and voted

overwhelmingly in favor by AALPD Members, these recommendations give guidance for

improving staff development based on research. They were adopted in several states.

As COABE Public Policy Committee Chair, I am leading the development of the new COABE

Contact Network with the committee, designed to make a more robust grassroots advocacy

system for adult education nationwide. We have also made recommendations on WIA

reauthorization with the Administration and Members of Congress to improve adult

education, staff development, and teacher working conditions.

As Advocacy Chair and former Co-Chair with Marsha L. Tait for the National Coalition for

Literacy (NCL), I worked with Congressman Jared Polis education staff and advocates

nationally to create National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week 2010. On behalf of

NCL, I also worked in partnership with ProLiteracy to jointly establish the first ever House

Adult Literacy Caucus. As COABE President, I would continue cultivating these partnerships

http://www.linkedin.com/in/jackietaylor1http://www.coabe.org/about/mission.htmlhttp://www.ncladvocacy.org/DistrictandLocalContactRoleDescriptions2011.pdfhttp://www.ncladvocacy.org/tkinvolve.htmlhttp://www.aalpd.org/http://www.aalpd.org/documents/AALPDPDPoliciesFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.aalpd.org/documents/AALPDPDPoliciesFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.aalpd.org/documents/PDPolicyMatrixFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/http://www.ncladvocacy.org/aefl.htmlhttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/housealcaucus.htmlhttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/housealcaucus.htmlhttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/housealcaucus.htmlhttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/housealcaucus.htmlhttp://www.ncladvocacy.org/aefl.htmlhttp://www.national-coalition-literacy.org/http://www.aalpd.org/documents/PDPolicyMatrixFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.aalpd.org/documents/AALPDPDPoliciesFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.aalpd.org/documents/AALPDPDPoliciesFINAL10122005.dochttp://www.aalpd.org/http://www.ncladvocacy.org/tkinvolve.htmlhttp://www.ncladvocacy.org/DistrictandLocalContactRoleDescriptions2011.pdfhttp://www.coabe.org/about/mission.htmlhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/jackietaylor1

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with Hill staff and national colleagues, and develop new partnerships, to advance COABEs

mission in the field and elevate adult education with Congress.

Com m un ica t i on

I would draw upon my expertise in coordinating technology and new media with the

National Coalition for Literacy and seven years of experience managing the LINCS

Professional Development List to create innovative opportunities for COABE Members to

share their views and contribute to COABEs future direction. I would work with the COABE

Board to incorporate those views into a strategic plan for moving COABE forward and

advancing the field. We would identify what can be done within the capacity of a volunteer

organization, set priorities, benchmarks, and timelines for shaping the future direction of

COABE.

Pro fess iona l Deve lopment

For many adult educators, supports for staff development are dwindling while the demand

for it is increasing. It is becoming increasingly difficult to travel to national conferences andregional events. I know and understand that experience as I began my work in adult

education from the ground-up. I started teaching adult education in a rural county in the

hills of Tennessee. I was then brought on board by the UT Center for Literacy Studies to

provide statewide professional development with teachers who taught adult education as

part of Tennessees welfare reform initiative. Now as a staff development specialist with

over 10 years experience, I am excited by the prospect of leveraging this collective

experience as COABE President. I would work with COABE leadership and COABE members

around the country to explore how to provide greater access to high quality, sustained staff

development using a variety of methods and modes, both online and in-person.

Advocacy

Nationally, 82% of adult education instructors are part time and thousands are volunteers.

Many adult education practitioners do not have the supports they need to access and

benefit from high quality staff development. As COABE President I will build on my 14 years

experience as an adult education advocate to increase COABEs advocacy on staff

development and practitioner working conditions issues.

I would encourage the COABE board to create a strategic plan for improving teacher

working conditions nationwide. Practitioners need to know that their jobs are well-supported

and stable so that they can invest more in their own professional learning. We could also

learn from other state associations, like the Massachusetts Coalition for Adult Education, on

strategies for promoting working conditions standards locally and statewide.

I would appreciate your support for my candidacy as president-elect.

Sincerely,

http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment/http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment/http://www.mcae.net/http://www.mcae.net/http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment/http://lincs.ed.gov/mailman/listinfo/Professionaldevelopment/