"Why California's Adult Schools Need More Money" - from Save Your Adult School

With permission from Kristen Pursley:

Why California’s Adult Schools Need More Money

Posted on March 26, 2016 by kpursley

 

While California’s economy  rebounds, and educational institutions from K-12 schools to universities receive healthy increases in funding, California’s adult schools remain mired in the great recession.  A new bill authored by Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (D-San Fernando), AB 1846, seeks to remedy this situation. AB 1846 would increase the Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG)  by $250 million, returning the amount of funding available to adult schools to roughly  pre-recession levels.  AB 1846 would provide sorely-needed relief to adult schools, which have been woefully underfunded for the last eight years. In addition to hampering the ability of adult schools to provide much needed services to their students, the current inadequate level of funding also locks into place inequalities that are the result of a desperate scramble for survival. As is usually the case in such struggles, the neediest were the losers, while those with more resources fared better. Without better funding, California’s adult schools cannot hope to fulfill their new mandate to serve those most in need, fill gaps in service, and help adults overcome barriers that keep them from accessing educational services.

Hit the link to read more.

Spread the Message that Adult Education Matters - Suggest an AEM Stamp to the US Postal Service

We all know Adult Education matters.

And we all know that stamps are a way our culture recognizes the importance of something and promotes it - in one easy rectangle.

And we all know how great it would be to have Adult Education Matters stamps.

But did we all know that that is actually possible?

Here's how we do it:  

Hit the link to learn more.

From CCAE: Prepare for CCAE Leg Day - April 5, 2016

From CCAE - California Council for Adult Education - Advice for CCAE Leg Day 2016:

As we've worked to reframe and restructure adult education over the last few years, we've consistently noted the importance that the new, revised structure and distribution of resources under what is now deemed the "Adult Education Block Grant" (AEBG) be simple, clear, efficient and protected.

Hit the link to learn more.

Perspective: Funding Adult Education Is a Perceptual - Not an Economic - Problem

This is a perspective piece by myself, Cynthia Eagleton.  I am the facilitator of this blog and I try to provide information and inspiration to renew and rebuild Adult Education.  From time to time, I share my own perspectives as well as the perspectives of others.

In this particular perspective piece, I weave a lot of threads into a tapestry that may or may not make sense to you.  Some threads may seem obvious and true to you and others may seen invisible or wrong.  Like everyone, I have blind spots which I cannot see and vantages from I view things and these affect how I perceive things and what I think of them.  Bottom line, read at risk of disagreement or dismay.  Then again, you might agree in whole or part.  Either way, I hope it will stimulate you to consider your own perspective, your own blind spots, and how important it is for all of us to describe the part of the problem each of us can see, so that together, we can identify the animal in the center of the classroom.

CFT Resolution 4 "Ensure Adult Education Exists in Best and Fullest Capacity" Passes at the CFT 2016 State Conference

In mid January, CFT Local 4681 of San Mateo Adult School wrote and passed a resolution about Adult Education.  You can the Local 4681 resolution in full here.   Local 4681 then took their resolution, titled, "Resolution to Ensure that Adult Education Exists in Best and Fullest Capacity" to the CFT Adult Education Commission on January 23rd.   The Adult Education Commission considered it, made some alterations to it - primarily shortening it - kept the same title, and then passed it.

CFT Adult Education Commission members at their January 23rd, 2016 meeting.

Chair Jack Carroll is in the center bac.  Lily Adlawan, center front,

is the Local 4681 member who brought the resolution to the meeting.

Kathy Jasper, in the red Adult Education Matters t-shirt, is an AEC member

and also a CFT Vice President in the CFT State Executive Council.

Both resolutions - different with the same name and the same intention - were submitted to the CFT 2016 State Convention. 

At the convention, Local 4681 President Bruce Neuberger, Vice President David Doneff, and myself, Secretary Cynthia Eagleton met with members of the Adult Education Commission and agreed on a compromise position.  Resolution 3, the Local 4681 version, was withdrawn from consideration.  Resolution 4, with one amendment (the line, "and especially, more money for high need areas" in the "be it resolved" section), was submitted and passed in the Professional Issues: Early Childhood/K12 Committee and then voted first to the floor of the General Assembly - where it was resoundingly passed on Saturday, March 12th.

Hooray!

Thanks to all who worked to write and pass this resolution.  May it bring increased understanding of the value of Adult Education and increased support.

Notice that in the "be it resolved" section it advocates for the passage of legislation which supports any of these points.

AB1846, here we come.

Here is the resolution as passed, in full:

Hit the link to see it.

CCAE Leg Day and State Conference

From CCAE Executive Director Adriana Sanchez-Aldana:

CCAE Members and Friends,

Throughout the year, there are many important activities that take place in your local chapters; in the six CCAE state sections; and at the state level. The spring brings us two important statewide activities in which I hope you will find yourself actively engaged. Our two statewide events are the Legislative Action Day (Leg Day) and the annual State Conference.

Leg Day

Leg Day is a 1 ½ day event, in Sacramento. Our headquarters is the Sacramento Hyatt, 1209 L Street. Hotel rooms are still available, at the CCAE (single or double, per night) rate of $179.

Hit the link to read more.

Letter Campaign to Governor Brown for Adequate Funding of Adult Education

Borrowed from Kristen Pursley's blog Save Your Adult School:

Urgent:  Write Governor Brown Today to Request Restoration of Adult Education Funding to $750 Million

Posted on February 28, 2016
  

Between 2008 and 2012, funding for California’s adult schools was slashed by half and never restored.  Adult schools have a new mandate to partner more closely with community colleges and other educational organizations that serve adults, but they struggle with inadequate funding.  Governor Brown needs to hear from adult school students and teachers, from business people who rely on the adult schools to train workers, and from community members who see how their adult school enriches their community.

Hit the link to read more.

Rebirth of Oakland Adult School

Good news about Oakland Adult School!   After many difficult years, Oakland Adult School is finally growing again - and given the high need for Adult Ed in Oakland, that's tremendously important.

Compare the good news below to this August 2013 update about OAS.  

What a big change, eh?  And brought about by whom?  Us!  Because we recognized our worth and stood up and spoke out about it. 

Get the full scoop below in this op-ed by Sue Pon:

School District Offers New Educational Opportunities for Adults

By postnewsgroup Posted February 21, 2016 5:40 pm
                     

By Sue Pon

Sue Pon

For the first time in many years, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) is expanding our Adult & Career Education offerings

Hit the link to learn more.