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Letters - 11/27
Adult literacy helps community
The purpose of this guest editorial is to supplement the fine feature article on Big Bend Community College’s ESL and GED classes under one roof, which was written by Rebecca Young in the Nov. 13 Post-Register. The programs she wrote about are indeed an asset to the community.
In Grant County, 36 percent of adults have less than a high school diploma. It is estimated that in Washington state, one out of six adults lack basic skills sufficient to read a newspaper, follow written directions or understand an employee handbook.
With just a little investment, we can assist adults who are working and living in our community to get those important skills so they can retain their jobs and support their families. But the need is urgent and the importance of this investment cannot be over-emphasized.
Improving literacy not only helps the individual, but it helps the family, the community and the local economy. Businesses need employees who can read, write, communicate well and do basic math problems. If we don’t act now, our workforce — and jobs — may disappear. Other countries are rapidly filling in the gap that is left when these skills are not addressed. Is that what we want?
Education at all levels is a value we all must share and we can’t forget about adults in our communities who may need just a bit more investment to gain or re-acquire those valuable skills. As the chair of Big Bend Community College Trustees, I urge you to think about the friends, family members and co-workers you know who may benefit from the effort that BBCC expends to provide opportunities for adults to improve their English, get their GED or high school equivalent and continue on into higher education.
But there’s more you can do. Volunteer to assist in a classroom. Fund a scholarship for a deserving parent to continue his or her education. Insist that your employees have, at minimum, a GED or high school diploma, and then provide them with incentives to get these skills through their employment. Work with the basic skills director to put classes at your workplace.
There’s a lot we’re already doing, but there’s so much more to be done. And we don’t have time to waste.
— Mike Blakely is the chair of the Big Bend Community College Board of Trustees. For information about literacy programs, call Sandy Cheek at (509) 793-2305
Paper supportive of community
Last week’s sports page was really nice! The photos of the seniors were especially complementary. Unfortunately, I don’t always take the time to read the sports page, but this one got my attention. It’s encouraging to see the positive things that are happening in our community and schools, and I believe you are a huge part of conveying that information to us. I thought that this paper, along with a lot to other most recent papers you’ve published, have been exceptionally supportive of our community and its individuals who live here.
— Carol Faw
