Older Adults Adult Education in the News and in the Budget

In the final part of the budget process, funding for Older Adults Adult Education ( -- to at least some degree), was added into trailer bill AB104.  The new budget was signed by Governor Brown and it goes into effect tomorrow July 1, 2015. 

 The new trailer bill language in AB104 can be found here.

Here are three articles and an announcement from Assembly Member Roger Hernandez' website:

1.  Assembly Member Hernandez Rallies Support for Older Adult Education - Assembly Member Roger Hernandez' website

Today, Assemblymember Roger Hernández (D-West Covina) held a press conference to discuss the importance of keeping older adult education programs a priority in the state budget. Hundreds of supporters came to voice the need to maintain programs which are vital to the success of California’s diverse and multigenerational population available to our senior community throughout the state.  
According to the California Department of Aging, almost one in five Californians will be over age 65 by 2030. With a large generation of baby boomers beginning to retire, older adult programs are instrumental to help keep seniors active and healthy in our communities while also providing societal savings in medical costs.

“The benefits of older adult education classes for seniors are invaluable. These classes provide an opportunity for seniors to improve their mental and physical health.  It provides them a space to be engaged, to participate in their communities, and remain independent,” stated Assemblymember Hernández. “The voice and needs of our seniors should not be lost as California puts its budget priorities forward.”  Read the article in full here.

Assembly Member Roger Hernandez' press conference
about Older Adults Adult Education

2. Older Adults Programs Get Last Minute Funding in State Budget  June 10, 2015, San Gabriel Valley Tribune

"A group of determined seniors were celebrating Wednesday after a state budget committee changed wording that will allow adult schools to keep their older adult programs.
The Legislative Budget Conference Committee decided late Tuesday to include older adult programs on the list of programs eligible for state funding. The programs, including Baldwin Park’s Older Adult Program, had been on the chopping block after they were excluded from Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget.

“The action taken by the budget conference committee to restore older adult education funding is a victory for seniors in Baldwin Park, seniors in the San Gabriel Valley and seniors across California,” Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, said in a statement. “I am extremely proud of the community coming together and making older adult programs a top priority. Without seniors in my district who brought this to my attention directly, this would not have happened. They deserve the full credit.”  Read the article in full here.

3.   LAUSD To Lay Off Teachers in Older Adult Program.  City To Pick Up Slack.  June 17, 2015, LA Times

"In an effort to save $2 million, Los Angeles Unified officials plan to lay off all 18 teachers who instruct wellness classes for older adults.

This year, the program taught 12,392 seniors how to stay physically active and mentally alert with courses such as yoga and memory training."

4.  Last Minute Moves Support Student Discipline, Adult Ed - Cabinet Report, June 24, 2015.

"The list of courses that Adult Education programs may offer is laid out in the final trailer bill language and they include classes for older adults, as has always been the case.
In a major restructuring of how the programs are overseen and funded, Gov. Jerry Brown proposed removing some of the less “academic” type courses often available through Adult Education, including classes for the elderly and some non-credit classes. It appears as though advocates for those groups won out.

For some 150 years, adult education in California has served as a core service to integrating new immigrants into U.S. society as well as a reentry point for high school dropouts and older students who wanted a chance at higher education.

The national recession devastated adult programs, as the state was forced to move money traditionally earmarked for those services to general educational uses. According to the California Community College Chancellor’s Office, which shares jurisdiction over adult education with K-12 schools, overall participation fell by more than 800,000 students between 2008 and 2013.
The budget offers $500 million for adult education that would be distributed based on regional needs by the Community College Chancellor, the state superintendent and the California State Board of Education."

AB104: New Rules for a New Era in Adult Education

AB104 is the trailer bill about Adult Education.

Go here to read AB104 in full.

Go here to get to it via the AB86 website (the place to go for info about the new Regional Consortia system).

There are lots of things to learn and understand.

Here are a few bits. 

First, from the AB86 website:

AB104: Adult Education Block Grant

The California Legislature has passed Assembly Bill 104 which  includes the legislation for the Adult Education Block Grant. The Adult Education Block Grant will fund adult education providers and the adult education regional consortia.  Please refer to Sec. 39, Article 9, Section 84900.

What's Next?

With this final language, the CCCCO and the CDE are working together to develop guidance regarding next steps for implementation of the Adult Education Block Grant. Guidance regarding the fund allocations,  reporting requirements, and outcomes and measures will be forthcoming over the coming weeks and months. We will be sure to keep you updated and will continue to provide technical assistance webinars to provide as much assistance as we can as we transition to implementation of your regional plans. Draft guidance is expected to be made public in July 2015.


From the CCAE Legislative Update:

Programs eligible for funding include:

o   Basic skills, high school equivalency/diploma

o   Citizenship, ESL

o   Workforce entry or reentry, including explicit ability for older adults to access these programs

o   Adult programs, including older adult access, that are "primarily designed to develop knowledge and skills to assist elementary and secondary school children to succeed academically in school" (a la child development for elementary and secondary school children)

o   Adults with disabilities programs

o   Short term career technical education

o   Pre-apprenticeship programs/activities

 

 

 

 

Additionally, from the text of AB104:

 

Section 39 

84913.

 (a) Funds apportioned for the program shall be used only for support of the following:

(1) Programs in elementary and secondary basic skills, including programs leading to a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate.

(2) Programs for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship, English as a second language, and workforce preparation.

(3) Programs for adults, including, but not limited to, older adults, that are primarily related to entry or reentry into the workforce.

(4) Programs for adults, including, but not limited to, older adults, that are primarily designed to develop knowledge and skills to assist elementary and secondary school children to succeed academically in school.

(5) Programs for adults with disabilities.

(6) Programs in career technical education that are short term in nature and have high employment potential.

(7) Programs offering preapprenticeship training activities conducted in coordination with one or more apprenticeship programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for the occupation and geographic area.

(b) A consortium may use no more than 5 percent of funds allocated in a given fiscal year for the sum of the following:

(1) The costs of administration of these programs.

(2) The costs of the consortium.

 

And also from the text of AB104

SEC. 22.

 Section 41976 of the Education Code is amended to read:

41976.

 (a) For purposes of this chapter, the following classes and courses are authorized to be offered by school districts and county superintendents of schools for apportionment purposes from the adult education fund:

(1) Adult programs in parenting, including parent cooperative preschools, and classes in child growth and development, parent-child relationships, and parenting.

(2) Adult programs in elementary and secondary basic skills and other courses and classes required for the high school diploma. Apportionments for these courses and classes may only be generated by students who do not possess a high school diploma, except for remedial academic courses or classes in reading, mathematics, and language arts.

(3) Adult education programs in English as a second language.

(4) Adult education programs for immigrants eligible for educational services in citizenship, English as a second language, and workforce preparation classes in the basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing, mathematics, decisionmaking and problem solving skills, and other classes required for preparation to participate in job specific technical training.

(5) Adult education programs for adults with disabilities.

(6) Adult short-term career technical education programs with high employment potential. Any reference to “vocational” education or programs in adult education means “career technical” education or programs in adult education.

(7) Adult programs for older adults.

(8) Programs offering pre-apprenticeship training activities conducted in coordination with one or more apprenticeship programs approved by the Division of Apprenticeship Standards for the occupation and geographic area.

(9) Adult programs in home economics.

(10) Adult programs in health and safety education.

(b) No state apportionment shall be made for any course or class that is not set forth in subdivision (a).

 

 

For comparison purposes, AB86 originally stated:

The purpose of AB 86 Section 76, Article 3 is to provide grant funds to regional consortium to create and implement a plan to better provide adults in its region with all of the following:

• Elementary and secondary basic skills, including classes required for a high school diploma or high school equivalency certificate
• Classes and courses for immigrants eligible for education services in citizenship and English as a second language and workforce preparation classes in basic skills
• Education programs for adults with disabilities
• Short-term career technical education programs with high employment potential
• Programs for apprentices

June 26, 2015 AB86 Technical Webinar: New Rules

The latest AB86 Technical Webinar was all about the new rules.

Listen to the recording of the webinar here.

Here are the slides from the powerpoint.

Hit the link to see them.

CCAE: Adult Ed Block Grant Package Signed by the Governor

From CCAE - California Council for Adult Education - Legislative Analyst Dawn Koepke:

 

Adult Ed Block Grant Package Signed by the Governor

 

Today we breathe a sigh of relief that the future of adult education, particularly with regard to adult schools, will be much brighter and more stable going forward.  The Legislature took the Governor's May Revise budget proposal and ran with it, making a few minor adjustments that are generally workable.  Concluding multiple years of hard work, sweat and tears, today the Governor signed AB 104, which includes the Adult Education Block Grant package.  His signature yesterday is ahead of the June 30th Constitutional deadline for him to sign a budget. 

 

While there was much wrangling over the budget in the last few weeks, the Legislature met their required deadline to pass the budget - or a few key parts of it - by the June 15th deadline.  The bulk of the package came together within 24 hours thereafter, with the Governor and Legislature agreeing to a more modest deal that relies on the Governor's more conservative revenue estimates.  The overall budget provides for a $115.4 billion package that saves billions of dollars and pays down debt, while directing more resources to schools and low-income Californians.  Additionally, they agreed to and Special Sessions were called to address transportation and Medi-Cal funding.

 

In terms of specifics for the Adult Education Block Grant package, it provides the following:

Hit the link to get all the info.

AB86 June 16th Webinar: Questions for the Field

The AB86 Technical Webinars are always chock full of practical information.  You can listen live and participate or you can listen to the recordings later.  The powerpoints and recordings are posted here.  The most recent Webinar dealt with the nittier grittier aspects as we move fully into this new Adult Education Regional Consortia delivery system come July 1.  

 

Listen to the webinar here.

 

Hit the link to see the slides.

Compassion Ready #1000 Speak

Much talk can be heard in the halls of schools and capitols about the value of being college and career ready.

These things are important.

But as we saw this week in the tragedy of Charleston and as we see everywhere in our state, our nation, and our world, there is a need for other skills, as well.

The skills of empathy, social intelligence, self-awareness, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, gentleness, patience, community-building, compromise, compassion.

Hit the link to read more.