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Sen. Vivian Figures attends literacy meeting in Jackson
The coalition has been helping Clarke and Washington County address literacy needs. The organization plans to use the model formed in Clarke County to serve other counties' literacy needs. Dr. Charles Dent is the chairman of the coalition and is responsible for bringing Senator Vivian Figures to Clarke County. Figures is a strong advocate of the coalition's efforts. Her mother was from Clarke County and could not read. The view of the coalition is that people are the most valuable resource of any organization, therefore literacy must exist in the majority of employees in any corporation or population of a county or city before that corporation, city or county can efficiently develop a viable workforce from an economic standpoint. The word implies that everyone in Clarke County should at the least know how to read or write their names, but that is not the case. Here are some little known facts about literacy in Clarke County: •66 percent of the adult population over 25 years of age does not have a high school diploma. •59 percent of the adult population is "at risk" functioning below a ninth grade literacy level. •35 percent of the students in Clarke County who enter the 9th grade do not graduate. Along with the low literacy figures, Clarke County is also "at risk" because: •40 percent of individual in Clarke County 16 years or older do not have a diploma •33 percent of the 9,000 children in Clarke County are living in poverty. •Seven of the nine schools in Clarke County are Title 1 schools. With the present and future employment and economic opportunities, a proactive approach is being taken to prepare area citizens. Literacy allows people to become independent and productive community members, gain a positive attitude and have high selfesteem.
Denise Flowers is presently facilitating the group. Plans are to organize the Clarke County Literacy Coalition and begin addressing literacy needs by January 2008.
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