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When I was in 7th grade I saw a 1 page letter my brother had written. He was in a Master’s Degree Program. His wife found 2 sentences that needed correction, so I asked if I could help correct it. I found about 25 more corrections.

So I’ll apply my 7th grade grammarian approach to what you wrote. I found that it is quite ironic for you to be commenting on literacy and proficiency.

I dont
***don’t

think this number is correct or
***...or that a...

a 6th grade level is functional. Having worked with the poor, having friends who are Social workers,
***If you’re gonna capitalize Social then Capitalize Social Workers...

nobody has heard anyone over the age of 8 say they cannot read in over 20 years.
***This entire sentence is poorly written. Here’s how I would have written it: “I have worked with the poor, and I have had friends who were Social Workers. None of us, in over 20 years, have heard of anyone over the age of 8 who could not read. “

Hard to read, Need text to speech to write, not enough attention span, to violent, to drugged up to read sure, but cannot function at a 6th grade level (remember suburban kids all read lord of the rings or harry potter at that age) Sure spanish speakers need help, but most all can fill out the forms for public aid really well.
***Again, very poorly written runon sentence. Here’s how I would have written it: Most of the complaints about those who lack proficiency include: “It’s hard to read”; “They need text to speech in order to write”; “They do not have a large enough attention span” ; “Their situation is too violent”; “They are too drugged up to read”. Sure, that’s true but to say they cannot function at a 6th grade level is incorrect. Remember that suburban kids all read “Lord of the Rings” or Harry Potter at that age. Sure, non-native Spanish speakers need some help, but most of these subliterates can fill out the forms for public aid really well.

They also write long form sentences very well when it is toy donation time around Christmas. I read well over a hundred donation requests last year, as someone LD I
***What is the point of using an acronym when most of your audience doesn’t know what it stands for? It is very poor manners, very poor form.

recognize the items that probably get graded down by pencil necks, but the population to 80%
***... but about 80% of the population ...

can function
***at a 6th grade level.

90% can function
***...well enough ...

to get paid, 97% can function
***...well enough...
to get the next
***...drug..,

fix.

3% need help to get by,
***Period. End of sentence.

They already have that
***...kind of assistance...

for some other need
***Period. End of sentence.

classified as a handicaps.
***It is classified as a handicap.