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GED ROUNDTABLE OF WASHINGTON, DC
GED ROUNDTABLE OF WASHINGTON, DC
I would like to know why the GED Roundtable was poorly attended. The Latino Labor Council (LCLAA) wants me to do another presentation soon in Washington, DC and who could refuse such great friends? I will do another one soon. All influential Hispanic and African American organizations must attend and so do other influential organizations. I have been trying to wake up the nation and Puerto Rico. The latter had a drop from 19,997 people tested to only 9,998 in just one year. Puerto Rico is heading toward an educational disaster and the government is responsible. In the United States, the number of young adults who have not finished high school has increased from 1.5 million to 3.5 million, making it harder for Hispanics
They came from Richmond, Virginia and Bergen County, New Jersey to attend my GED Roundtable in the AFL-CIO Building in Washington, DC, but there were only four people at this important roundtable. The GED Testing Service was represented, two labor organizations, and the GED administrator from Virginia. It was a wonderful meeting in which the people who wanted GED help, specific help, were able to meet the people who could direct them to where they could go and what they have to do. Missing from the meeting were my Salvadoran friends, leading Hispanic organizations, and other leading institutions. I am not here to mention names, but all of the best known institutions were invited and they did not show up.
The representative from New Jersey came hoping to find out how his organization, 32BJ, could begin a GED Testing Center in New York. Even before the meeting began, I told him that a representative from the GED testing service would be present and he was and that help was on the way. I see this encounter as a mini revolution because once that GED Testing Service opens up, other labor organizations across New York State and other states where labor has a foothold will open GED Testing Programs in their GED programs. This will help increase the number of diplomas earned and bring greater benefits to union members and their families. Mayor Bloomberg, in New York, I am sure can be helpful because he and organized labor are collaborating. When that testing center opens, it can help the entire community.
The representative from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union wants to start GED programs in North Carolina. She was given the contact information for the state administrator and I will provide her with my knowledge in the future.
The Virginia administrator indicated that his state’s numbers have gone up since 2002 and those numbers are approaching the numbers achieved around 2000. Spanish GED testing and diplomas have dropped there, in Maryland, and Washington. The numbers have fallen sharply all over our nation, but there were states that went up including Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, and North Carolina (going from only 4 in 2003 to 718 in 2004). There were a few states with slight increases and slight decreases. The numbers went from 37,796 down to 23,719 in one year. Three states still have not tested anyone in Spanish. More people tested in Spanish in the Virgin Islands than in Alaska, Delaware, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia. Ask the administrators of GED why.
Photo of the Samuel Gompers conference room in the AFL-CIO Building. This room should have been filled with representatives of dozens of organizations.
MARTIN N. DANENBERG
7 BLAZER DRIVE
ISLANDIA, NY 11749
GEDHOTLINE@AOL.COM
631-348-1341
www.geocities.com/gedhotline
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