CCAE April Communicator E-Newsletter

From California Council for Adult Education ccaestate.org Student Success: Isela Jimenez   Submitted by Northern Section   When you walk into Folsom Cordova Community Partnership Job Center, located on the Folsom Cordova Adult School campus, you are greeted with the smiling face of Isela Diaz Jiminez with either a "hello" or an "ola." Isela is an administrative assistant at the Job Center. She is one of Folsom Cordova Adult School's (FCAS) many shining success stories. Isela started out in FCAS's Adult Basic Education to work on her math, reading, and writing and to prepare for the HiSET Class. After about a year Isela passed the HiSET tests and set her sights on the office Technologies CTE pathway. At FCAS she completed Office Technologies along with the QuickBooks Certification. After graduating and receiving the office certifications, Isela started an internship at the Job Center. Eventually, she was promoted to a full-time paying job with benefits. Isela is extremely helpful at the Job Center-helping job candidates find the resources and staff that will help them on the next step in their employment path. Isela could have settled for a minimum wage job, but she pushed herself to pass the HiSET and get the Office Technologies Certification. This is what FCAS is all about-determining students' goals and getting them on the pathway to achieving their goals.       Download FREE posters and fact sheets (samples below) HERE.  Take Action for Adult Education   Engage your legislators, assembly members, and senators. There has not been a time in over 10 years when both legislative support and state funding have lined up so positively for adult education. Thanks to the recent work of our advocate, Dawn Koepke, and other key adult education supporters there is a state level interest in adult education. But that interest can quickly fade as other organizations also lobby for funding. Now is the time to engage locally. Visit your legislators. Call or email their offices. Speak with the staff. Let them know how important adult education is to your community and the students you serve. Listen to the CCAE key talking points here.    Engage your consortia. Much of the positive feedback we receive is around the work that is being done collaboratively with partner organizations in our regional consortia. We have come a long way to build relationships, create pathways to college and career, leverage funds and resources, and bring back services to adult learners. This collaborative work is providing adult school students opportunities for advancement that were not present or clearly available before. In addition, significant investments into student support services have also been made across programs. We must continue these collaborative efforts, and other promising practices, and truly create the seamless pathways and accelerated learning programs that our students need and that our state needs. In this way we will continue to demonstrate the superior value of adult education. Also, plan to join us on CCAE's annual Legislative Day in Sacramento, April 9-10. This year we're planning an Adult Education Rally on the steps of the Capitol Building. Materials for local and Sacramento visits are on the CCAE website here. You are free to print out all of these materials yourself. These materials are the ones referenced in the webinar sited below. Watch for additional information regarding Leg Day soon!   Engage your CCAE State Board. In order to best plan for the coming year, the CCAE State Board has embarked on a strategic planning process that will gather input from all aspects of the organization. A vital component of that input is your voice. Please take a few minutes to give us feedback here.    Engage your students. Of course, you already engage your students every day they are in class. But what I am talking about is engaging them a little deeper. What are their plans for the next year? What are their challenges? What jobs are they considering? What other schools are they considering attending? As we move into the world of increased accountability it is becoming more important to build strong relationships with our students so that we can better support them, possibly providing or connecting them to additional resources, but also better measure and report their successes. In many ways, those who engage with students frequently might be the most important component of the accountability system being developed.   Again, now is the time to engage. Next month might just be too late. Next week might be too late. Don't wait for someone else to stand up for you, your school, and your students. Now is the time to stand up and make your voice heard. Leg Day Webinar Watch our archived edition of the Leg Day webinar to ensure you have the tools you need to hold successful and productive legislative visits: HERE. Finish Your Diploma    Would you like your program to be listed so that thousands of potential adult students can learn about and access your adult program's services? Add your program here.   CALPRO Professional Development   Enjoy outstanding professional development offered by our partner, CALPRO.   April Highlights HERE.  April Flyer HERE. OTAN Professional Development   View the list of OTAN training sessions being offered in April and May HERE.                                             To register click HERE.  We Have a Great CCAE Conference Line-Up!  Check out the conference sessions HERE. Register and sign up for events HERE. Make your hotel reservations HERE. The cost of the conference is generously underwritten by our sponsors HERE. This enables us to pass the savings on to you, our members. AEBG Consortium Directory CCAE is compiling a directory of adult education providers which will include primary contacts, program areas they deliver instruction in, and total number of students served. The goal is to strengthen local sharing of best practices by creating a directory of programs that is easy to use. Complete the short form HERE to participate. All You Need to Know Is on the CCAE App Want to be "in the know" about the latest topics in adult education? You will hear it first when you download the CCAE App HERE. If you are already using the App, be sure to switch to the 2018 Event. If you need assistance, contact membership@ccaestate.org.

California Council for Adult Education (CCAE), PO Box 978, Los Alamitos, CA 90720

Survey: K-12 Adult School Credential - Keep, Change, Throw Away

The LAO - the Legislative Analyst Office - has recommended getting rid of the K-12 Adult School credential.  (Read more here.)

Please take this survey to share your own opinion and ideas on this topic.

The survey will be closed at the end of April and results will be shared here on the Adult Education Matters blog.