Unrealistic expectations (personal and professional) and over dedication to the "people part" of the job are the two most obvious and most acknowledged causes for burnout in literacy work. But there are other causes which are more insidious and in the long run, even more damaging.

Many people talk openly about the frustrations of lack of funding for their programs but perhaps don't recognize how closely connected burnout is to money-related issues. If Sharon Firzsimonds (Chapter 2) had had more paid hours, would she have felt better able to get the job done? Is it reasonable that Karen Manweiller (Chapter 3) is expected to serve an area of 10,000 square kilometers, while only working 112 paid hours a month? Is it reasonable to expect Carolyn Stockdale (Chapter 3) to serve a population of 12,000 people with a budget of $12,000? Literacy workers recognize that more money for literacy programs would mean better service for students and tutors but attention should also be paid to the fact that appropriate funding for programs would help prevent unnecessary overwork and potential loss of good and capable individuals.

Lack of resources is also an exhausting reality. Coordinators whose limited program budgets won't allow for the purchase of a VCR haul their own from home so that they can show training videos at tutor in-services. I talked to one coordinator who proudly showed me how she has mastered typing on a antiquated manual typewriter (scrounged from the local school board) after having been trained on an electric model. Limited available resource and course materials requires additional photocopying, borrowing and creativity on the pare of the coordinator or classroom instructor. Very few literacy programs have all the resources they need to function smoothly or with time efficiency.

The minimal recognition literacy workers receive (personally and professionally) is another cause for burnout. Colleen Saunders had some thoughts on this subject:

"People in my community think that because I work a 40 hour week, I'm paid at least $40,000 dollars. When I tell them my hourly wage and how many hours of that 40 hour week are actually volunteer hours, they say. 'Oooh - then why do you do this job?' and right away you can see that your value in that person's eyes has dropped. And then I start to think, 'Why do I do this job?'"

Many people calked about being "the low man on the ladder", not being respected by the academic institutions or agencies supporting them. Literacy workers are the lowest paid of all adult educators and yet the skills required to work in literacy are perhaps more specialized and varied than other teaching settings. It is frustrating and unacceptable not to be granted financial recognition for work well done but for many, the humiliation of not being properly recognized by other members of the adult education community bears a heavier weight.

Recognition, it should be noted, is different from gratitude. Literacy workers do not feel a need to be "thanked" for what they do. Most say that the rewards of seeing students progress in their learning more than compensates for the missing compliment or pat on the back. They do, however, feel very strongly that their ability and desire to "stick with the job" would be greater if their literacy work was more fully understood and respected by members of their communities, their peers and especially by others working in the education field.