Saturday, October 25, 2014

October 2014 Webinar And Other Stuff From CCAE To Help Us Cross the Finish Line

Available now on the CCAE website - and right here, too! - information to help us get K12 Adult Schools safely across the budget finish line!


CCAE and CAEAA Webinar about the current (October 2014) situation in Adult Ed

CCAE Adult Ed Budget Funding Proposal

CCAE FY 15-16 Fiscal Structure-Challenges of a Single Funding Stream

CCAE FY 15-16 Allocation Timeline


Friendly reminder: 

     CCAE's Budget Proposal is a proposal to the Governor, not an offer from the Governor.  If you like CCAE's Budget Proposal and think it would serve the people of California, take action to connect with Sacramento.  Tell them why this budget proposal would help stabilize Adult Education and K12 Adult Schools which in turn stabilize our state.

Contact the Governor and the folks on this email list from CCAE.

Pull together a Nascar letter.


CCAE 2015 Leg Day is March 24th
What's a Nascar letter, you ask?  

Well, a Nascar racecar has logos from various companies which want the car to win.

And a Nascar letter for Adult Education is a letter with logos from various organizations - Chambers of Commerce, School Districts, Community Organizations, Parent Teacher Organizations, etc. - which value Adult Education and want it to succeed.

All this info and more can be found on the CCAE Legislative webpage.

Saving and rebuilding Adult Education and K12 Adult Schools for our people -

                                                                                     ready, set, go!




Sunday, October 19, 2014

October 2014: What's Next?

Upcoming events and things to think about in the Amazing Adventure of Stabilizing Adult Education and K12 Adult Schools: 

1.  CCAE Webinar - Thursday, October 23rd, 3:30 pm - the latest info and strategy ideas from CCAE - the California Council for Adult Education.  CCAE puts special focus on K12 Adult Schools - their future, their funding.

2.  CATESOL State Conference - Thursday, October 23 through Sunday, October 26 - Santa Clara.
Student Leaders from San Mateo Adult School will present a workshop on Student Leadership and Community Building on Friday at 3:30 pm.  Click here to see the full program.  The conference attracts people from around the state so it's a good chance to share ideas and information.  Friday evening folks interested in Adult Education will meet for dinner (location TBA).

3.  AB86 Webinar - Friday, October 24th, 12 to 1 pm.  This webinar will include an AB86 Summit Debrief.  What does the AB86 Workgroup consider the results of the Summit to be?  Find out at the webinar.

Additionally, you can see video from the AB86 Summit here (when they get that going).

And you can access material from the AB86 Summit here.

The summit was a very important event.  It was the first real chance for folks from around the state - both teachers and admin - to share ideas, concerns, experiences, information - in person and all together.  Much good came out of it.  I highly recommend you watch the video and look over the materials.

4.  Powerpoint from the Community College Academic Senate on Adult Ed and Non-Credit.  This powerpoint is a good look inside how the Community College folks are approaching the Regional Consortia process.  What is their perspective?  What are their concerns?  What are their ambitions?  I highly recommend you look at it.  To see it, go to the Resources page on the a4cas.org website and scroll down to the bottom of the page, in the Community College section.  Click on the link for the powerpoint. 

The Community College Academic Senate, in 2011, recommended that all Adult Education be delivered by the Community College system.  It's always a good idea to know what they are thinking about and advocating for.  They are a formal, recognized body with their own funding (which I am in the process of learning more about).   The K12 Adult School community has no equivalent.

5.  CTA State Council - October 24th to 26th.   CTA is California Teachers Association, the larger of the two major teachers unions in California.   Los Angeles is the biggest Adult School in California.  Their union - UTLA - is associated with both CTA and CFT.  CFT is California Federation of Teachers.  CFT had its State Council in September.

What does CTA think about Adult Education?  About K12 Adult Schools?  About the new Regional Consortia?  About funding - dual delivery or single stream through the Community College Chancellor's office?  What does CFT think?  Good questions - and if you are a member of one or both unions, you should be asking to find out.  More importantly, you should be speaking up to help decide the policy.

6.  Tuesday, November 4th - The Election.  Most important bit for Adult Ed:  State Superintendent.  The State Superintendent is the head of CDE - the California Department of Education - meaning, the boss of the K12 side of things. 

The current Superintendent is Tom Torlakson, who famously said, when Governor Brown wanted to put all Adult Ed inside the Community College system, "If ain't broke, don't fix it!"   Where does Torlakson stand on funding for Adult Education?  Dual Delivery?  Single stream through the Community College Chancellor's Office?  He hasn't said.  Which means we need to ask until he answers.

Running against against Torlakson is Marshall Tuck, the son of a retired Older Adults instructor at San Mateo Adult School.  Does that mean Tuck is a big fan of Adult Ed, K12 Adult Schools, and Older Adults programming?  Doesn't seem like it, based on what he's said and done.  Tuck is known as the former hedge fund manager who is a fan of charter schools.  But find out for yourself what Tuck does and doesn't want for Adult Ed and K12 Adult Schools by asking him.

Most politicians start out wanting to serve the public.  Many are pulled off course by the need for campaign money.  What is campaign money for?  It's for reaching voters.  If we do the reaching, they don't have the spend the money on sending us flyers that we throw in the recycling bin or buying ads on tv that we don't watch.  Call their campaign offices and ask them what they want for Adult Education and K12 Adult Schools.

If they want your vote, they can earn it by giving you answers.  They don't have to spend any money to tell you what they think.  It's a win-win for everyone.

If there's one thing I've learned in the Grand Adventure of Pushing for the Survival and Thrival of Adult Education, especially Community-Based K12 Adult Schools, while the Whole Country Thrashes and Shakes in a Struggle for Who Decides What Public Education Will Be and Who Pays For It and Who Will Benefit From It.... it's this:

It's our state.  It's our country.  It's our election.  These are our schools, our people, our future, our decisions.

And in some way, no matter how powerless we sometimes feel or in in part are, at the same time, we always have power.

The trick is remembering to use it.

Power = Responsibility = Choice.

What you choose to look into, learn about, ask about, speak about... this is your power.

How will you use it?

Your choices help determine what's next.

What do you choose?








Wednesday, October 15, 2014

CCAE Webinar October 23, 2014

CCAE - California Council for Adult Education - is planning another webinar.   Their August webinar included much helpful information.  This one will certainly hold the same. 

The scoop:
Date and time: Thursday, October 23, 2014 3:00 pm
    
Duration:1 hour 15 minutes
Description:
We will be hosting our second webinar to provide an update on the status of adult education activities in and around Sacramento as well as to check in with you in the field regarding your grassroots activity.

Our Legislative and Governmental Budget Advocate, Dawn Koepke, will be discussing the latest insights on the state budget discussions, obtaining feedback from you in the field on your activities, and discussing next steps for action to protect K-12 Adult Schools.

 


 

 

 

 

 

 






Tuesday, October 14, 2014

September 2014 Advice from Adult Ed Advocates in Montebello

The future for Adult Schools is uncertain.  Deciding where to put our energy next is not easy - let alone making progress in the chosen direction.  Adult Ed Advocates in Montebello always do a great job of pointing out choices.  Here's their September newsletter:


C  A  L  I  F  O  R  N  I  A
ADULT EDUCATION
A Newsletter on Adult Education in California
September 2014
 
DELIBERATIONS ON ADULT EDUCATION TRIGGER MAJOR ISSUES:
As the upcoming legislative session gets closer, major adult education issues are surfacing that require thoughtful analysis. The following are offered for initial review, and this is offered with the thought that others may also surface.

Level of 2015-16 Funding for Adult Education:
Prior to the 2009 flexibility authority, K-12 adult education received over $750 million that was restricted to the program. Since flexibility, about half of the funds have been swept for other district purposes. Now a critical question is what would be the right amount for 2015-16.

Seventy AB 86 regional adult education consortia are presently analyzing the need for adult education programs. The consortia work should result in a funding request in excess of any past amounts.  The AB 86 documents indicating statewide figures for adult education substantiates the need.  As examples, in California 7,322,792 adults lack a high school diploma and 15,728, 547 are classified as English learners. Assigning one adult education A.D.A. to each English learner would amount to over $37 billion.

2015-16 Funding from the State to the Local District:
Once an amount is determined, the next issue is how will the funds get to the local district. Should the funds go directly to the district or should they go to a consortium to be distributed to each district. K-12 adult education advocates prefer that the funds go straight to the district because of the following:
  • Avoids another level of bureaucracy
  • Keeps the adult education connected to the district and allows it to serve the needs of parents and credit recovery for high school students
  • Avoids conflicts with facility usage

Consortium Continuation, Parenting, Older Adults, and Closed Programs:
A number of other issues will need to be explored further within the context of a new adult education program.  Consortia participants need to analyze the consortia in terms of  how the work needs to continue with state support.  Districts and consortia need to advise on whether parenting and older adults programs have a future role in the program. Another topic that needs to be included is what should be done about district programs that were eliminated during flexibility.

WHAT TO DO? . . .
Visit your local legislators and their staffs, and also invite them to your programs. Inform them about your consortium activities and the great potential for increasing educational opportunities for adults.
Developed by Adult Education Advocates in the Montebello Community
 
Better put it on.


 
 
 
 

Monday, October 6, 2014

Letter to Governor Brown from High School Diploma Student William Gonzalez

Last Tuesday, September 30, "Red Letter Day,"  students all over California wrote letters to Governor Brown to share their experience at San Mateo Adult School, express their support for Adult Education, and advocate for Dedicated Funding for Adult Schools.  

San Mateo Adult School High School Diploma Student William Gonzalez shares his letter here:


Hit the "read more" link to see his letter.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

AB86 Summit: Questions & Answers

Monday and Tuesday, October 6 and 7, there will be an Adult Education Regional Planning Summit

All AB86 Adult Education Regional Consortia were invited to send representatives to attend the AB86 Adult Education Regional Planning Summit on Monday, October 6, 10:30AM - 5:00PM and Tuesday, October 7, 8:00AM - 3:00PM at the Sheraton Grand in Sacramento (1230 J Street, Sacramento, CA).

The Summit will bring together Adult Education leaders from across the state to engage in a conversation about how to better serve the educational needs of adults in California.  Summit participants will have a chance to share what they’ve learned during this planning process and to learn of promising practices from their peers. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to contribute to the statewide adult education planning effort and to hear from legislators. Representatives from all 70 adult education regions as well as the State AB86 Work Group and Cabinet will be in attendance at the event.  
 
All plenary sessions will be live-streamed and recorded so that those who weren’t able to attend in person can listen in on the event.

Click here to see the agenda for a schedule of live streaming times.

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE AGENDA

There are many questions swirling around the new Regional Consortia system.  This summit is the chance to ask questions and share answers.

Before we think about questions for the summit, let's start with these questions:

* Is your Regional Consortia sending representatives? 

* Who are they sending? 

* How were those representatives chosen?

* Do you know what your representatives hope to do or find out at the summit?  Have you connected with them?  Have your shared your questions and concerns with them?

* Will your representatives share what they learn with you?   Does your Regional Consortia have good communication?  Is there a way you can find out what is happening and then share the information with others?

* If you don't know the answer to any of these questions, what can you do to get some answers?  And how can you improve the situation so there is better communication?

That is one set of important questions.

Now let's look at questions we hope are asked at the summit.

Here are some of my questions and some questions that others have shared with me:

* What - exactly - can AB86 do to ensure good behavior within the Regional Consortia?

* If AB86 (the Cabinet and the Workgroup) can't do much to ensure good behavior, who - exactly - can?

*  Many organizations, entities, and grassroots groups are advocating for Dedicated Funding for K12 Adults to ensure equity in the Regional Consortia.  What power does AB86 have - if any - to address this concern? 

* What can AB86 do - if anything - to address concerns about low-level learner needs being met in the new mission of Adult Education?   These concerns are well articulated by the Migration Policy Institute in this powerpoint.

* Many are not happy with the new mission of Adult Education, which is primarily a CCR - College & Career Readiness approach plus Disabled Adults.  Where can those of us who hope to reinstate state support for a broader mission go to advocate such? 

* State funding vacuums are invitations for privatization.  This quote from an Edsurge article epitomizes that:  "While adult education has long been a “hidden” market, its programs often “shoved off in a corner,” all that seems to be changing, says to Pearson SVP Jason Jordan. “Suddenly it’s becoming a much more interesting marketplace."  How concerned is AB86 about privatization?  What power - if any - does AB86 have to address these concerns.  If AB86 does not have power, who does?

Got more questions?  Send them in an email to cyn and then dot and then eagleton and then the at sign and then gmail and then dot and then com and I'll add them to the list.

Mt Shasta, well-spring of the Mighty Sacramento,
with lenticular clouds