Rachel Glass is the new executive director of the Montgomery Coalition for Adult English Literacy, starting Monday. Her resume includes stints directing the United Way’s Montgomery County campaign and managing international aid projects, many of which were in Latin America. Glass takes the helm of the coalition at a time when both course enrollment and waiting lists for adult English classes in the community are soaring — some estimate that more than 1,000 immigrants across the county are waiting for access to English courses.
What skills do you bring to your new position?
I grew up in Montgomery County, so I have both an understanding of the Montgomery County community and the nonprofit community through my work at United Way. I attended a Spanish immersion program at Rock Creek Forest Elementary school, so I have a real appreciation for the challenges and also the opportunities that are available for language learners.
What interested you in the job?
As our area becomes more diverse, this is a very important and timely issue for the county and employers in terms of work-force development.
Why should the average Montgomery resident care about MCAEL?
We all benefit from our neighbors being able to participate and work in our communities. What greater gift to give than the gift of literacy? There is a lot of perception that people don’t learn English because they don’t want to, but the reality is there are a lot of barriers to being able to learn the language as an adult.
What barriers are out there?
The biggest barrier is of the amount of time in a day. Some people are working two or three jobs in order to make ends meet. We all know this is a county where it can be difficult to sustain a living wage.
