AB86 Says Your Voices Matter

Got concerns about the MOE and funding? 

Debra Jones says, "Your voices matter and your perspectives are important especially during this time."

"Use the AB86 inbox," she advises, to communicate your questions and concerns to the Department of Education and the Chancellor's Office.

You can hear all this on the March 20th AB86 Technical Webinar at about 10 minutes in.

To hear this section and more, go to the AB86 Technical Webinar page and click on "Listen to the Recording."

 March 20, 2015
AB 86 Planning Fund Extension
- Download the Presentation: PDF | PPTX
- Listen to the Recording

Here is my transcription of the section in which Debra Jones advises emailing AB86 your questions and concerns:

...urgency for the state to determine what the MOE is to prepare and determine the funding formula.

We don’t want there to be a gap between planning funding and implementation funding.

So we’ve done a couple of things.

We’ve extended the planning funding.  You have until December 31^st to send your planning funds.

And the other is we had a conversation today, a dialogue between, a conversation with the Department of Education and the Chancellor's Office and the Cabinet.  

They wanted me to pass along the message that they have heard the urgency. They have received your letters you’ve turned in to the AB86 inbox.  They are committed also to solving and resolving the MOE and funding formula issues sooner rather than later.

So be assured that that is recognized.

Also, I want to encourage that if you have thoughts or you’re wanting to get information to the Cabinet, the Department of Education or the Chancellors’ Office, regarding Adult Ed, please use the AB86 inbox.

Your letters are forwarded, they’re discussed.

Your voices matter and your perspectives are important especially during this time.

 

By the way, if you click on PPTX, you can download the powerpoint from the webinar which includes the following:

Report to the Legislature - Recommendations

*  Increase service levels to meet demand.

*  Improve programming to better prepare students for postsecondary and transition to workforce.

*  Provide academic, social and financial supports to lower barriers.

*  Align assessments between providers for placement.

*  Develop a common accountability approach.

*  Maintain and extend structures for ongoing regional coordination.

 

 

March 24th Assembly Budget Sub Committee 2 Hearing on Adult Education

Tuesday, March 24th at 9 am in Room 444 in the State Capitol building, Assembly Budget Sub Committee 2 (Education Finance) will meet to look at the money aspect of Adult Education.

Needless to say, that's important.

Committee Members are:

Assembly Member Kevin McCarty, Chair

AM  Rocky Chavez - Rep     
     AM Chavez was at the Jan 29th, 2014 Oversight Hearing on Adult Ed and spoke about the need not to ask schools to do too much all at once as we move through these many reforms in Public Ed.

AM  Young O. Kim - Rep    
     AM Kim represents an area that includes the North Orange County Regional Consortia
      
AM  Patrick O' Donnell - Dem
     AM O' Donnell taught school for 20 years. "A firm believer in ensuring access to career technical education and vocational opportunities, he helped establish an afterschool digital academy to teach kids valuable media skills they can use in school and the workplace."  - Bio

AM  Phillip Ting - Dem
    "He was also a leader in the successful effort to revolutionize how K-12 schools are funded.  Starting in the fall of 2014, the state will direct more education funding to students confronting social inequities, like poverty or limited English language skills, through what is called the Local Control Funding Formula. " - Bio

AM  Shirley Weber, Alternate - Dem.
     At an August 2014 hearing on SB173, AM Weber's call for more information and a better understanding of the big picture of Adult Education led, in my opinion, to the January 29th, 2014 Oversight Hearing on Adult Education.

AM  Melissa Melendez, Alternate - Rep

Agenda  

(Reminder:  There are 2 players in the Regional Consortia game - the CDE, the Department of Education and the CCC, the California Community College system.

Department of Education
California Community Colleges
Issue 1  Adult Education
Issue 2  Education Mandates
Department of Education
Issue 3 CTE Incentive Grant
California Community Colleges
Issue 4 CTE Pathways Initiative
Issue 5 Apprenticeship

Because March 24th is also CCAE Leg Day, the hearing room may be packed with folks who care deeply about Adult Education, knowing just how much good it does and how much it is needed.

Get there early.

And get your red on because it's a Tuesday!

Adult Education Block Trailer Bill Language

"Trailer Bill Language is the implementing language of the California State Budget Bill. On this webpage, you can find the Regular Session and Special Session Trailer Bill Language for this year's Governor's Budget."

Here is the Adult Education Block Trailer Bill language:

Hit the link to see it...

Video of the March 11th Joint Legislative Informational Hearing on Adult Education: Moving Forward

The video of Wednesday's Joint Legislative Informational Hearing on Adult Education: Moving Forward is available on The California Channel.   Click here to go right to the video.

This was an informational hearing. In other words, no one voted on anything. It was a sort of check-in on the whole AB86 process.  Folks checked in to report what is happening in the whole mighty, messy, complicated everyone come together under the big tent Regional Consortia Creation Game.  The legislature needs to know what is happening and how things are going and whether or not people are being served or will be served or won't be served because the Legislature will be voting on these matters in future when it votes on a budget. 

I highly recommend that you watch or listen to it as you chop vegetables, fold laundry, flea-comb your cat, or perform some similar task which enables you to listen while you work.

It is a long, meaty hearing full of information about what is happening, what people think, what people know, what people think they know but actually don't, what people want to know, what people need to know, and lots of other stuff all leading us to gaps in understanding that need to be filled.

People, by the way, refers to everyone.  It refers to we, the people.  And it refers to the people that we, the people, elect to represent us at the decision making table.

Best quote from the hearing came from San Mateo Adult School Director Larry Teshara:
"While our colleagues are looking for dessert, we're looking for dinner."

Public comments begin at 2:43 and include:
Commissioner Irma Beserra Núñez (Los Angeles)
George Porter (Berkeley)
Kristen Pursley (West Contra Costa)
Wendy Plew (CTA)
 
Watch or listen to the hearing at  The California Channel - Recent Archive 

Look for: 

March 11, 2015 Joint Legislative Informational Hearing on Adult Education:  Moving Forward

2 hours and 58 minutes

1426057223

Agenda

Video Open Video Only in Windows Media Player

MP4 Video

Acalanes Adult School Closing

First... wait a minute... wasn't this not supposed to happen anymore?

What about the Maintenance of Effort Clause?

Or... if the MOE Clause is ending... what about the Maintenance of Capacity thing?

And what does that mean, anyway?  Does it mean that so long as a Regional Consortia is maintaining capacity, it doesn't matter who provides the Adult Education?

Which means that Adult Schools can be closed again?

We need to know because, indeed, it is happening again.

Acalanes School District Approves Layoffs As It Grapples With Budget Deficit 
San Jose Mercury News, March 6, 2015



Acalanes Adult School
Graduation

"In a bid to slash a projected $5.4 million deficit this year, Acalanes Union High School District leaders have agreed to layoffs that spell the end of a 70-year-old adult education program."

"Governing board members and student board member Sean McFeely voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve the layoffs of eight full-time staff members at the Del Valle Education Center, which houses the Acalanes Adult Education Center. A separate batch of layoffs affecting certificated employees at the district's four high schools also calls for the elimination of the Del Valle Education Center director position, held by Frank Acojido since 2001."

"Open since 1945, the center provides programs for individuals seeking high school diplomas and GED's, English language learners, adults with disabilities and career technical education. About 1,648 students are enrolled this quarter, Acojido said."

Acalanes is part of the Contra Costa Regional Consortia. Information about their program is on pages 27 - 21 of their Consortium Plan.

Acalanes has a CTE program that served 322 students last year, and served 610 students before the cuts began in 2008.  Classes for immigrants currently serve 563 students but served 788 before the cuts.  Adults With Disabilities program now serves only 13 students but served 275 before the cuts.

Governor Brown's Proposed Budget  Adult Ed is mentioned in the K-12, Higher Ed, and Investing in California's Workforce sections.

2015 Legislative Report

The 2015 Legislative Report is out.

The 2015 AB86 Legislative report has been submitted to the Legislature.  The report was jointly developed by the California Department of Education and the California Community College Chancellor's Office. The planning process brought two systems together to assess what we do well and to identify gaps. The report summarizes this work completed across the State by the 70 Adult Education Regional Consortia during the AB86 planning process.

Read it here.

Trouble in Los Angeles

Protesters for adult education yell out against education cuts
along with several other groups outside of the
LAUSD's downtown Los Angeles headquarters.
Photo Credit:  Barbara Davidson, LA Times

Many in and out of LA say, "So goes LA, so goes everywhere."

Is that true? 

I'd say, "Yes, no, and sometimes."

I'd also say, "It's always good to KNOW what is happening in Los Angeles."

It's a big city with a huge Adult School, a huge immigrant population, a huge need for Adult Education, and a long, complicated, and painful history where all those things are concerned.

So here's the latest about what's happening in regards to Adult Education in Los Angeles:

"LA School District Grapples with Budget Cuts."  Los Angeles Times Feb 9, 2015 - Protesters for adult education yell out against education cuts along with several other groups outside of the LAUSD's downtown Los Angeles ...

"LAUSD Board Votes To Send 609 Employees Pink Slips"  KABC, March 10, 2015 The Los Angeles Unified School District board voted Tuesday to send pink ... a nearly $160 million budget deficit heading into the 2015-2016 school year. ... notices are more than 260 adult education teachers, 59 counselors, ...

UTLA - Los Angeles Teachers Union

UTLAAE - UTLA Adult Education Committee

CCAE Leg Day Talking Points

CCAE Leg Day Talking Points  (Leg Day is Tues, March 24th)

In the coming weeks leading up to Leg Day at the Capitol, we urge you to familiarize yourself with the following key talking points related to the Governor's FY 15-16 Budget proposal. This time is a great time to ensure all members are properly educated as we move through the legislative budget process and ultimately to a vote of the full Legislature in June. As we've discussed previously, there are over 35 new members to quickly educate and catch up to speed on our issues and budget priorities.

Key Issues

• A Dedicated, Stable Funding Structure for K-12 Adult Schools
• upport for a Transition Year - Maintain Current K-12 Capacity
• Utilizing Existing State Fiscal Infrastructures to Apportion Funding
• AB 86 Plans Inform & Drive Funding

The focus of your meetings should be as follows:  

1. Educate them on who you are (K12 Adult School) and how you contribute to their district and constituents
2. Provide brief history on funding for K12 adult education:
3. Share your current status, AB 86 Consortium engagement & your AB 86 regional plan, explaining it from the K12 perspective - sharing positives as well as challenges
4. Make "the Ask"

"The Ask"

Support the Governor's Plan in Maintaining & Stabilizing K-12 Capacity with a Transition Year-Extension of the Maintenance of Effort / Maintenance of Capacity

• Maintenance of Capacity Funding for K-12 Out of FY 15-16 Allocation
  • Roughly $300-350 million of the $500 million Adult Education Block Grant
• Helps avoid March 15th layoff notices, provides stability and avoids closures of adult schools because it helps provide greater certainty for school districts in planning their budgets for the FY 15-16 school year
• The calculation of maintenance of effort, however, must reflect the school district's commitment to true capacity and maintain that capacity. The MOE calculation is complicated. The DOF shouldn't "low ball" the number for MOE based upon accounting anomalies - (i.e. a Basic Aid district's apportionment that is reduced by fair share hit, and that difference is backfilled by reserves or district general fund) - districts shouldn't be penalized.

The Governor's Proposal does NOT utilize existing Fiscal Infrastructure to Allocate Funds - Instead, We Propose a Perkins Model Distribution of Funding - CDE Allocation to K-12 Districts through Interagency Agreement w/ CCCO

• Ensures K12 adult education remains tied and accessible to the community we serve
• Maintains the autonomy of School Boards of Education
• Why reinvent the wheel - the structure already exists without adding to the bureaucracy and delays that could compromise a school district's receipt of funds to support maintaining its adult school
• Doesn't compromise local decision making through the regional consortia

While we support the concept of the Allocation Committee proposed by the Governor in that it ensures involvement of key community stakeholders serving adults, we do not believe the manner in which the Allocation Committee is structured is workable.

• It calls in to question the autonomy and governance of school boards and community college boards.
• Further, it suggest potential for encroachment of funding for non-Prop 98 entities when there isn't sufficient funding to cover access through the current Prop 98 providers.
• As an alternative, we propose that a Regional Control and Accountability Plan (RCAP) be developed within each consortium that provides for criteria that must be addressed in the planning and allocation decision-making process to ensure access is maintained, needs are met, and accountability is addressed. Such a model would include a metric to ensure / require regional stakeholder engagement as part of the planning and allocation process.

Immigration Reform and Adult Schools
K12 Adult Schools have always supported immigrant integration as a core mission.  Adult schools are often the first public institution immigrants interact with, offering flexibility and access, with roots deeply planted in immigrant communities.  As Comprehensive Integration Reform moves forward, adult schools will be instrumental in meeting the immigration requirements (educational and informational) of an estimated 3.1 million eligible Californians for whom federal reforms grant temporary relief from deportation.  Adult schools have always been agile enough to meet the needs of the immigrant community and can move quickly to ramp up programming to meet the need.

CCAE Leg Day Video

Money Stuff

As we move deeper into budget discussions, it might be helpful to have a collection of links, definitions, etc. where all this money stuff is concerned.  So here we go...

Governor Brown's Budget Proposal.  Adult Ed is mentioned in the K-12, Higher Ed, and Investing in California's Workforce sections.

Trailer Bill Language for Adult Ed Block Grant
An act to add Article 9 (commencing with Section 84900) to Chapter 5 of Part 50 of Division 7 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to adult education

An explanation of Fund 11 (CDE link below).
Adult Ed funds to districts run through Fund 11, separate from the general fund.
http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/ac/co/adultedanddm072011.asp

Trailer Bill language - the implementation language of the California State Budget Bill.

CCAE Talking Points for CCAE Leg Day (March 24, 2015)
These provide clear and helpful information about the Allotment Board proposal, Maintenance of Effort/Capacity, etc.

Maintenance of Capacity vs Maintenance of Effort -  We need a good source of info and illumination.  Got one?