Good afternoon NCL Board Members: Hopefully, you saw the email below that I just sent to NCL members. As NCL board members, I'm encouraging you to: 1) have your organization endorse this WIOA reauthorization bill, as well, if possible, 2) share your organization's endorsement of this bill and this CALL TO ACTION with your network, and 3) contact your Senators and Representatives and encourage them to vote for this bill. And please let me know what you've done, so I can track our efforts on this. Thanks and have a wonderful evening. Jeff ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Jeff Fantine <jeff.fantine@gmail.com> Date: Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 3:27 PM Subject: CALL TO ACTION FOR NCL MEMBERS To: <members@lists.nationalcoalitionforliteracy.org> NCL Colleagues: Earlier today staff from the Senate HELP Committee and the House Education & Workforce Committee provided a briefing for NCL members on the WIOA reauthorization bill (the A Stronger Workforce for America Act) that is now pending in Congress. It is a strong bill that includes several points for which NCL and its members have been advocating, such as the inclusion of digital literacy as a foundational skill, a reference to the role of college and career navigators in postsecondary preparation, and clarification of support for teacher professional development. While not every item on NCL's wish list was addressed, the bill does move the needle on connecting WIOA more closely with the needs of our field. NCL therefore endorses the bill. In order to ensure passage of the bill between now and December 20, when Congress adjourns for the holidays, I encourage you to support it as well. Please contact your Senators and Representatives to ask them to vote in its favor. As you do so, you can make the following points: - The bill strengthens communities by supporting educational programs that enable adults to develop the literacy, numeracy, and digital capabilities that underlie life skills such as nutrition, housing management, health care, financial management, and interaction with their children's schools - The bill provides for a more closely articulated path from education to workforce preparation to workforce success for adults whose career progress is limited by lack of access - The bill improves and streamlines data reporting across the Department of Labor and Department of Education functions to increase focus on outcomes and accountability Committee staff told us this bill is being hotlined through the Senate starting today and they feel it is critical to try and get it passed before recess as they don't know what hurdles it might face with the new Congress. *Therefore, I can't stress this enough: Time is of the essence, so act today!* - Find contact information for your Senators at https://www.senate.gov/senators/ - Find contact information for your Representative at https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative Thank you! Jeffrey A. Fantine, Ph.D. Executive Director, National Coalition for Literacy