Literacy Volunteers of America, Essex & Passaic Counties, NJ Inc.

April 2026

Volume 14, Issue 4

The Insider

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The Insider, the monthly newsletter of LVA Essex & Passaic Counties, will keep you in the loop on all the organization’s upcoming events.

Dr. Jeff Arnott, President of Lot 12 Education, is a nationally recognized leader in Career, Technical, and Workforce Education. We were lucky to have him join us in March to teach an interactive session to support professional development for our tutors, on AI in Adult Education.

Literacy Volunteers of America Essex & Passaic Counties

90 Broad Street, 2nd Floor, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
(973) 566-6200, ext. 217 or 225

195 Gregory Avenue, 2nd Floor, Passaic, NJ 07055
(973) 470-0039

Cristhian Barcelos        -Executive Director
                                           [email protected]
Jorge Chavez                 -Data Processing Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Sydnay Eckerling         -Education Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Valeria Garrido             -Social Media & Newsletter Coordinator
                                           [email protected]
Cheryl Locastro            -Tutor Support Specialist & ESOL Instructor
                                           [email protected]
Marisol Ramirez           -Student Coordinator
                                           [email protected]

Greetings LVA family!

April arrives with one of the gentlest kinds of contrast. The trees begin to fill again. Flowers push their way into view. The air softens, and even familiar streets seem to brighten with fresh green to notice beauty, renewal, and the quiet reassurance that life continues to unfold.

At the same time, many in our communities are carrying real worry. Around the world, conflict, displacement, uncertainty, and economic strain continue to affect families in profound ways. For many immigrants, refugees, and English language learners, these struggles are not distant headlines. They are personal, lived realities that shape daily life, family connections, and the path toward stability. In moments like these, community matters even more.

This month, we are honored to share two stories that reflect that spirit of perseverance and care. Ana’s student story reminds us that learning English is never only about vocabulary or grammar. It is about building confidence, navigating a new environment, and creating new possibilities. David’s tutor story offers a companion perspective, showing how our background shapes us and can sometimes help us bring generosity, patience, and consistency to make a lasting difference in another person’s life.

We also invite you to read this month’s Featured Story, which looks at a new federal budget proposal that would make major cuts to education, including support connected to English learners and adult education. It is an important reminder that access to learning opportunities should never be taken for granted. Please contact your representatives and senators to encourage them to continue to support programs like ours.

As always, thank you for being part of this community and for helping create a place where learning, dignity, and human connection can grow.

In the News

Copy and paste the highlighted website into an internet search bar to view the following stories.

"Need a new book? Here are 15 great ones from 2026." USA Today. https://bit.ly/4cqayEh

"Rediscovering Knowledge as the Key to Reading." Education Next. https://bit.ly/4mAN0zF

"What learning English means to migrants." The Conversation. https://bit.ly/4tgNihL

Ana has experienced a lot of change in her life, and arriving in the United States a couple of years ago meant a new language to learn as she built a new life. She is eager to become more confident in the language so she can work in a kindergarten. She is grateful to her teachers who motivate her to persevere.

Tutor Training Workshops

Online Training, by Jo Krish
Platform: Zoom (sponsored by LNJ)
Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 to 8 pm
June 1, 3, 8, 10 and 15, 2026

Online Training, by Ally Schmidt
Platform: Zoom (sponsored by LNJ)
Tuesdays, 6 to 8 pm
May 19, 26, & June 2, 9 & 16, 2026

Tutor Support Workshops

"Health Literacy," with Dr. Jan Adversario
Platform: Google Meet
Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

"Taking the Fear out of Speaking," with Dr. Darnelle Richardson
Bloomfield Public Library, Conference Room
Wednesday, June 24, 2026, 10:00 am – 11:30 am

Tutor Study Circle
Facilitator: Cheryl Locastro

Thursday, June 11, 2026, at 3pm
(Themed online meeting)

http://www.lvaep.org/workshops.html

Getting to Know Us
Ana, LVA student
by Valeria Garrido

Ana knows what it means to begin again.

Originally from Spain, she later lived in Ecuador for 30 years with her family before returning to Spain. Then, in August 2024, she came to the United States and started a new chapter once more, this time with a new language to learn and a new life to build.

Her arrival was not easy. Ana recalls a stressful experience at immigration, where confusion and questioning left her frightened that she might be sent back. She had come to attend her daughter’s Army graduation, and in those tense moments, she feared she would miss it. That memory remains one of the hardest parts of her journey.

After arriving in the United States, Ana heard about Literacy Volunteers of America from someone who encouraged her to learn more. She attended an information session and soon joined the English program.

Ana has been studying English for about a year. She currently works cleaning houses, which allows her some control over her schedule, but she hopes that one day, after becoming more confident in English, she will be able to work in a kindergarten.

For Ana, learning English is about much more than language. In class, she has found herself learning about life, culture, and the diversity of the people around her. She says the experience has helped her see that people all over the world can be similar and different at the same time, and that every person has a unique voice shaped by their own story.

She is especially grateful for the classroom environment. One moment she says she will never forget is sharing space with classmates who speak different languages and learning from a teacher with great patience and care. Her teachers, she says, motivate students to use English even when they make mistakes, reminding them that trying matters more than getting everything perfect.

There was even a moment, about a month ago, when she stopped attending classes for a while. But after resting and reflecting, she came to an important conclusion: her only path forward was to continue. Even if she has to repeat things again and again, she will keep going until she learns the language.

Today, Ana says English has already helped her begin to overcome her fear of communicating in this country. One of the clearest signs of that progress is that she is now part of her church choir in English.

For Ana, that is more than an accomplishment. It is proof that even now, with patience, humility, and perseverance, a new life can still begin.

Literacy opens a wide door to life. Help us keep that door open with your donation!

Thanks in large part to you, we can aid hundreds of students each year. Please continue your efforts to improve the lives of others by giving the gift of literacy.

http://www.lvaep.org/donate.html

Trump Again Proposes Major Education Cuts in New Budget Proposal

Education Week, April 3, 2026
Written by: Mark Lieberman

Just two months after Congress maintained steady year-over-year federal funding for most education programs, the second Trump administration is asking lawmakers to once again consider major cuts that would take effect for the 2027-28 school year.

The White House budget released Friday likely won’t resemble the spending package Congress eventually approves. Instead, President Donald Trump’s administration is using the budget proposal process as presidents typically do—to signal its political priorities.

For the second year in a row, Trump is proposing to zero out longstanding federal education programs that support educators’ professional development (currently $2.2 billion a year), services for English learners ($890 million), academic enrichment and student supports ($1.4 billion), before- and after-school programs ($1.3 billion), rural schools ($220 million), and support for students experiencing homelessness ($129 million).

The administration is also reviving its longshot proposal to consolidate those programs and 11 others into a $2 billion education block grant—called “Make Education Great Again,” or MEGA, grants in budget—for states to spend largely how they please. States would be required, however, to put quarter of their allocations toward literacy instruction and another quarter toward math.

The $2 billion fund would be $4.6 billion short of the total value of the programs it proposes to merge.

Discretionary grant programs that support research and educator training for special education, currently worth roughly $260 million a year, would similarly fold into the existing formula grant program that pays for special education services in schools.

The current federal budget, which Congress approved in February, already determined funding levels schools can expect for key formula programs for the upcoming school year. The odds are favorable for those federal funding levels to remain relatively stable even beyond that, experts say.

For the full story, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/3QeEjiI

Student Resources

Learning a new culture is more than studying a language. Tutoring is more than learning techniques. Our “Resources” webpage covers everything from legal matters, health care, & scholarships for immigrants, to professional development for tutors. Give us a look @: http://www.lvaep.org/students.html

Team Spotlight (Cont.)
David Lopez, Tutor
by Valeria Garrido

Tutor Spotlight
David Lopez, Tutor

David spent about 25 years working in computers, building a career as a systems and database administrator across financial firms, Benjamin Moore, and health-related businesses. But after years of solving technical problems, he wanted to give back in a more human way. That is what led him to Literacy Volunteers of America.

In January, David marked two years as an LVA tutor. He came to the program with a strong sense that people who have had successful careers carry a responsibility to serve their communities. He wanted to do something more personal than occasional volunteer work. And tutoring felt personal.

David grew up hearing his mother’s stories about his grandparents coming from Puerto Rico. When he works with immigrant students now, he thinks about what it means to begin again in a new place, often carrying more hardship than most people can see. He says that when he meets students from Haiti in particular, he is struck by the depth of what they have had to overcome. More than anything, he wants to see them do well.

David talks about the determination he sees in many of his students. Some arrive with a seriousness that is unmistakable. They are there to learn. They are there because they want a better future. And for him, that commitment is deeply encouraging.

Tutoring has also pushed David in ways he did not expect. In his professional life, structure and systems were a given. At LVA, there is no single script to follow. Each week requires research, preparation, and careful listening. He has to ask students what they want to learn and then shape lessons around their needs. He describes that as one of the most challenging parts of tutoring, but also one of the most rewarding. It keeps his mind active and gives him the chance to do something completely different from anything else he has done in his life.

David speaks modestly about his role. He says he may not be the best tutor, but he is well-intentioned. That humility, paired with his steady commitment, says a great deal. He shows up, does the work, and believes in his students.

And just to keep things interesting, David also shares one detail most people would never guess: at one point in his career, he was hired by a former Russian spy. He is also, by his own description, a huge gearhead.