Literacy Notebook: Protecting Student and Volunteer Confidentiality

We saw her walking back and forth in front of the Literacy NRV door.  Finally, she mustered the courage to open the door and enter, tears brimmed under her eyes. For years, she said, she struggled with reading.  And now she wants to work on it -- to read to her granddaughter. She didn’t want her grandchild to know that her grandmother couldn’t read. 

Another of our former literacy students was a local farmer.  He had trouble reading the directions on the cattle food bags and in equipment manuals.  He wanted to be able to read the local newspaper to keep up with what was happening in the community.  He was embarrassed and felt ashamed that he depended on his family to help with reading.  He did not want anyone in his close-knit community to know that he struggled with reading.

A third former literacy student worked for 20 years as a manager of a restaurant. She said no one knew or ever guessed that she couldn’t read.  She pretended to have lost her glasses, or said she needed new glasses, and asked people to help her with reading on the job and at home. After retirement, she wanted to learn to read and write better so she could read Bible stories -- and write her own life story.  She wanted to pass along her history -- and her grandmother’s home remedies.

Seeking help for literacy is a vulnerable and humbling undertaking and confidentiality is a critical element of our free adult educational services.  The personal information we collect about students in order to effectively serve them is protected by FERPA and cannot be released to anyone else without the student’s permission. Tutors sign agreements of confidentiality. Tutoring is provided in public locations throughout the New River Valley (libraries, places of worship, etc.), and for those for whom privacy is important, we have developed private tutoring sites, including our office. Online options are available for those who feel more comfortable being tutored from their home.

If you know someone who would like to improve his or her literacy, English, or basic computer skills, please assure them that our services are confidential.  More information on our educational programs for eligible local adults is available at Students | Literacy NRV.