Houston READ Commission

Gail Ayers
5330 Griggs Rd #75
Houston, TX 77021
Phone (713) 845-2557
(713) 228-1801
FAX: (713) 845-2560
www.houread.org

Year Incorporated

1988

Vision and/or Mission

The mission of the Houston READ Commission is to enrich the lives of adult Houstonians and their families by helping them achieve their full potential through literacy, and to contribute to a workforce that will ensure a strong economy and a promising future for the greater Houston area.

History

The Houston City Council studied the issue of low literacy levels in the city. It set up a task force to review issues. Their report was presented to the Mayor and City Council, and the Council voted to create a City Commission with the mission of coordinating literacy services and irradicating illiteracy.

Founding Leaders

Two volunteers worked tirelessly to form the Commission. One became the first executive director. They worked with one very enthusiastic Council member. To get things off the ground, the business community provided leadership in the form of a blue ribbon campaign to raise seed funding. The publisher of the Houston Chronicle headed the business initiative.

Early Successes

Through a JTPA grant, a demonstration community learning center was established.

Through the demonstration center and through tutor and staff trainings, HRC helped programs evolve from providing exclusively one-on-one tutoring to primarily small group learning in community learning centers throughout the greater Houston area.

A help line was launched.

A business campaign raised $2 million that paid for the initial staff and an administrative office. Staff included an executive director, program director, office manager, training manager, development director and CFO.

Early Challenges

The Commission initially failed to earn provider trust and buy-in. Providers were suspicious of the new organization and the Commission set rules for provider operation without sufficient consultation with them.

Initial funds were spent unwisely, which made subsequent fundraising more difficult. No long-term investment was made with any seed funding to address future financial security.

The coalition had poor relations with the adult education system, which resented the development of the coalition.

Turning Point

There are several key points in the coalition's history such as:

when providers began calling the Commission for help and it became the service organization they needed;

when HRC got a line item in the city budget, after five years;

when the Commission gave checks to providers, and

when the first community GED graduation was held.

Current Size

More than 130 partner agencies.

Staff of 48 full-time employees and 150 AmeriCorps members.

$5.2 million budget

Independent offices in a HUD refurbished shopping mall in a community development initiative in an empowerment zone of the city

Recent Accomplishments

Provides literacy instruction to more than 100,000 adult learners per year through classes provided by the HRC and its coalition of literacy providers.

Coordinates the distribution of more than $2 million in city, state, private and federal funding to Houston area literacy providers.

Provides tutor and professional development training through its Teacher Training Institute.

Built a partnership with the school district and established an area-wide HRC School District Advisory Board.

Answers over 10,000 calls per year for program referral, volunteer and general information on the Literacy Helpline.

Hosted a state financial literacy conference and a city-wide faith-based literacy conference in 2000.

Facilitated the increase of coalition membership from 14 literacy service providers to 130.

Worked with the state legislature to pass or change four pieces of legislation to enhance the standing of adult education and literacy and the role the community-based organizations play in it.

Next Steps - Managerial

Maintain continuity under transition from executive director of 12 years to new leader.

Enhance board-staff relationship.

Continue to build the endowment fund created in 2000.

Next Steps - Programmatic

Implement a planned ten-year campaign to eliminate illiteracy in Houston.

Implement a new system-wide evaluation measurement system.

Improve access to workforce system funds for community-based literacy providers.

Continue to work with the legislature to get adult literacy a fully-funded part of the system.

Advice to Other Coalitions

Talk to providers. Only do what they ask! Let them know when you disagree. When you have funds, invest them wisely for the future. Always spend some time every week with students. Don't let administration become separate from service. Build personal friendships. It IS who you know. Tell everyone what you are doing. Always ask how can you help and do it! Prove the value of working together over and over again. Use the rule of the seven thank yous and go to eight if you can. Your staff must be the best; well trained and constantly in a staff development mode. Coalitions provide leadership. You must be the expert. You can't do it at all if you don't work incredibly hard. No one doesn't like literacy! Of all causes it should be the most likely to succeed. Everyone wants to help. Just keep asking. Always ask for more than you think you'll get. Bold is good! Community coordination is the key to linking education, business, social services, corrections, local and state government. There must be 100% community investment in the solution if there is to be 100% literacy.

Last Updated

June 2001