Dear Policy Makers,

First, thank you for your service. I am writing as a concerned New Mexico constituent working in the field of Adult Education to ask that you increase the Adult Literacy allocation in House Bill 2 by $1 million, for a total of $2.25 million.

Did you know that the number of American adults with the lowest level of adult literacy went up a whopping 9% in 2023? New Mexico has the lowest adult literacy rates in the country. 29% of NM are at an NRS level one, which means they lack the most basic reading skills, and 40% lack the most basic math skills. Out of six NRS levels, 60% of NM adults are at level two or below in reading, and 70% are at level two and below in math. Students at level two can work with simple texts and problems, but to approach proficiency adults generally need to be at an intermediate level 4 or above. 

Many jobs that provide suitable income for families require intermediate literacy skills at minimum. Levels 5+ are equivalent to high school level skills. Adults will not be able to keep up with changing workplace needs without stronger literacy skills. Please support NM adult education programs in every possible way so we can begin to make an impact.

Literacy programs do the incredibly valuable work of helping adults reach their educational, personal, and work goals through literacy classes, small groups, and individual tutoring. However, programs in NM currently are only able to serve a very small percentage (1-2%) of students in need. Programs have minimal resources for program capacity-building, particularly with the need of more staff to serve more students.

In addition, programs served literacy students in only 18 out of 33 counties in the last fiscal year, so there are adult literacy program deserts in the state, including in Las Cruces and Roswell. Finally, the majority of direct literacy services in the state are provided by unpaid volunteers with varied backgrounds and knowledge. Thus, there is a high need for an increase in professional development and training to align with evidence-based practices in literacy instruction.

I am grateful for the attention being given to childhood literacy, but we simply must also fully support adult learning, which affects families and communities directly in many, many ways, including providing for basic needs through work. Primary caregivers are the first and most important element in a child's literacy levels.

I strongly encourage you to increase state spending for the vital adult literacy programs working to support adult literacy learners in New Mexico. When we serve adults, we also serve their children and families, workplaces, and communities.

Thank You,
Kim Godfrey
Literacy Link - Leamos