GED and High School Diploma Success Stories

From San Mateo County Times (July 2015) Columnist Carolyn Livengood,
a story of why Adult Education matters:

Proud San Mateo Adult School 2015 Graduates
Photo Credit: Tom Jung

San Mateo Adult School awards 44 high school diplomas, 31 GED certificates

San Mateo Adult School awarded 44 high school diplomas and 31 GED certificates at its annual graduation ceremony held June 17 for graduates ranging in age from 17 to 51 years old this year.



Mr. T and Graduate
Photo Credit:  Tom Jung

About 180 people, including 24 of the 75 total graduates, attended the annual graduation ceremony held June 17 at the College of San Mateo. Graduate Rebeca Zuleta, who earned two scholarships, and Director Lawrence "Larry" Teshara, known affectionately as "Mr. T" by the students, welcomed them to the event.

The adult school, part of the San Mateo Union High School District, is at The SMART Center in San Mateo. Scholarship awards, totaling $15,050 were presented to 15 students. The winners, their city of residence, and their scholarship donors are:

* Rebeca Zuleta, of Fremont (formerly San Mateo), John and Lisa Nelson.
* Megan Tzoc, Burlingame, William E. and Janet J. Price.
* Jose Pina, Redwood City, San Mateo Masonic Lodge #226.
* Marlon Ticas, San Bruno, Burlingame Masonic Lodge No. 400.
* Debra Benavides, Redwood City; Martha Contreras, San Mateo; Carmen Rivera, Burlingame; and Rebeca Zuleta; Burlingame Bodies of the Ancient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.
* Nathan Nack, San Mateo, Jenny Bratton/GED.
* Mario Gomez, San Mateo, Rotary Club of Foster City.
* Felipe Diaz Vega, San Mateo; Ai-Chu Huang, Millbrae. and Darlyng Lopez, San Bruno; Lynda Mathe Memorial;
* Brian Zamora, San Mateo, Steven Paul Friedman Foundation.
* Isabella Cavett, Belmont, Golden Gate Commandery No.16.
* Fernando Zelaya, San Mateo, Shipman Family (in honor of Lawrence Teshara).



Mario Gomez speaking at Graduation 2015
Photo Credit:  Tom Jung

The student speakers, who shared their stories of overcoming challenges in their life in order to graduate, were: Mario Gomez, Debra Benavides, Jose Pina, Brian Zamora, Isabella Cavett, and Fernando Zelaya.

"The San Mateo Adult School provided an alternative for me at a point in my life when I thought all else was gone," Fernando Zelaya said. "I recently moved from Mississippi to California to finish up my last year of school. I started my senior year attending San Mateo High School.

"I never had the problem of attending school, but this year nothing seemed to go right for me, especially at home. Adapting to a new school, new classmates, new family members, and having to work to pay bills, all these challenges coming my way and I didn't know what to do. My grades were significantly going down, my attendance was getting worse by the weeks, and stress was getting worse by the day.

Graduate speaking
Photo Credit:  2015

"Soon I was called by the counselor of my school to talk about my situation. I was given the opportunity to finish my work on my own times. After a few weeks of attending, I realized I wasn't the only one with personal problems there. I saw the determination in each one of us. I saw that no matter what was happening outside of school, we were still going to strive for our success. Along with the awesome staff at San Mateo Adult School working hard to help us achieve our goals, I think I can say that we have made it here today."



Robert Graffin and Graduate Mario Gomez
Photo Credit:  Tom Jung

Robert Griffin, clerk, San Mateo Union High School District board of trustees, gave closing remarks to the graduates.



K12 Adult Schools: Blueprints for Civic Action

This week the Final Report of the K-12 Task Force on California Civic Learning was released.

The purpose of the California Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning, co-chaired by Justice Judith McConnell and Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools David Gordon, was to ensure that Californians have the skills to participate in work, community, and civic life in the 21st century.

I was struck by the title: "Revitalizing K-12 Civic Learning in California:  A Blueprint for Action."
In so many ways, K-12 Adult Schools, in both form and function, are just such a blueprint.

Hit the "read more" link to learn why.

GED: Ch - Ch - Changes!

Change! 

Big Change! 

Big, BIG change!

That's the word for Adult Education right now and not just in terms of structure, funding, and the creation of the new Regional Consortia system in California.

The GED, one of the core missions of Adult Education and the Big Daddy of climbing up your own bootstraps out of poverty into something better in the US of A, is changing.   

There are approximately 30 million adults in the U.S. without a high school diploma. And almost 700,000 of them take the GED test each year.   So a change in what the GED tests, how it is administered, and whether it's a for-profit or non-profit venture is a big deal.

The old test was a multiple choice type test.  Students prepared for it on their own with the support of teachers.  They worked alone at their desks and consulted with a teacher in the room with them, as needed. And it was run by a non-profit, the American Council on Education.

As of January 1, 2014, that's all changing.

Hit the "read more" link to learn how.

Perspective: GED Student Jessica Franco

Jessica Franco is pursuing her GED at the San Mateo Adult School.  She share why here:

Why I Want My Ged

Have you ever heard people say, "It's never too late to go back to school" and thought, "Yeah, right?"  You think that by the time you finish school, you'll be too old, or maybe you think it would just be a waste of time.  That's exactly what my thuoghts were.  I thought about getting my GED for years but didn't think I could incorporate it into my busy schedule.  I was completely wrong.

After years of just thinking about getting my GED, I finally decided to just go for it.  One morning I woke up and without giving it a second thought, I drove to theSan Mateo SMART Center.  I walked in and right away was greeted by a nice lady who pointed me in the right direction.  At the GED registration desk was Carlotta who welcomed me and handed me the registration forms.  "Welcome, " she said, "You've made a great decision."

There I was, thirty two years old and feeling nervous, kind of like when you get called down to the principal's office. As I was filling out the forms, I looked all around and noticed people of all ages coming in, ready to study.  Despite my nerves, I knew I was making the right decision.  I had finally taken the first step towards a better future.  Finishing school has been one of my goals and I was on my way to achieve it.

My family's support has played a huge role in making my decision.  I have a twelve year old son and a seven year old daughter and being able to help them with their homework is very rewarding for me.  What will happen when I am no longer able to understand their assignments?  Will they be disappointed in me?  They might feel embarassed that I didn't graduate.

I know my children will love me no matter what.  Not only do I want to teach them that education is the key to success, but also that you can achieve your goals.  All you need is dedication and determination.  Going back to school has been one of the best decisions of my life.  I strongly encourage anyone who has ever thought about furthering their education to just go for it like I did.


Thank you, Jessica, for sharing your inspiring story and inspiring others to take a risk and reach for a better future, as you have.  You are a wonderful of why Adult Education matters and why positive change always begins with courage.  And like so many Adult Education students, your decision and dedication are rooted in family.  Your kids are lucky to have you as their mom and we're all lucky to have you on campus!

Artist:  Amanda Cass

This Blog is Amazing

This blog - Save Your Adult School - is amazing.

Read it.

Fact Fest

It's National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week (September 10 - 16)

From the National Coalition's Twitter Fact Fest:

Adult Education, Jobs and the Economy

Workers without a High School diploma are nearly 2 times as likely to be unemployed than those with at least some college & have much lower wages.

Workers with a HS diploma and above are less likely to be on government support, saving states & federal government money.

Helping undereducated adults get a GED or equivalent can raise over $8,865/yr in fed, state, and local taxes per student.

Economists predict that by 2018 63% of jobs will require a postsecondary education.  Adult Ed & literacy are the key to success.

Adults in  Adult Ed career pathways bridge programs are 56% more likely to earn college credit; 26% more likely to earn cert/degree

To stay on track with other OECD countries, the U.S. will have to produce an additional 24 million credentials by 2025.

College degree gap needs to be filled by adults currently in workforce. Not enough HS grads to meet demand.

Researchers estimate that a HS diploma’s contribution to the economy could amount to more than $250,000/graduate over a lifetime.

Adult Education Supports Jobs & the Economy. Learn more & see how you can take action for Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/AE-Jobs

Adult Literacy

93 million adults in need of raising basic reading & math skills. Get the facts about Adult Ed: http://bit.ly/adultedfacts

More than 35.7 million adults ages 18-64 do not have a high school diploma. C more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

1 in 7 adults can’t read job apps, bedtime stories, prescription labels, or ballots. What will you do to help?

50–80% of adults in Adult Ed may have a learning disability, explaining in part why they were not successful in public schools

85% of all individuals w/learning disabilities have difficulty reading (National Institute of Child Health & Human Development)

Family Literacy

A mother’s reading skill is the greatest determinant of her children’s future academic success, outweighing all else Children whose parents are involved with them in #family #literacy activities score 10 points higher on standardized reading tests.

One year of parent education has a greater  impact on the chance of a child attending college than does an extra $50,000 in income.

Kids spend five times as much time outside the classroom as they do in school. Caregivers must be equipped to support their learning.

There is no substitute for the parent’s / primary caregiver’s role as a child’s 1st teacher, best coach, & most concerned advocate.

Teach the parent; reach the child. Support family literacy programs.

Of the 93M adults in the U.S. w/basic or below basic  literacy levels, 30 million are parents or primary caregivers of children ages 0-8.

Teaching parents reading strategies increases child’s language and literacy outcomes. Support family literacy programs.

Funding

Preserve and invest in adult education. Adult Ed drives economic mobility for adults & families and economic recovery for America.

 

Health and Health Literacy

Health literacy programs raise adults’ understanding of medical problems b4 they become critical = medical cost-savings.

Nearly half of American adults– 90 million –have difficulty understanding & using health info.  See related facts: http://bit.ly/aUFF2J.

High School Dropouts

Each HS dropout costs the US economy ~ $260,000 in lost earnings, taxes, & productivity over lifetime (Amos, 2008).

Approx 1M youth drop out of HS. Adult Ed is the key to recovering revenue losses and realizing economic potential of HS dropouts.

Students who drop out tend to earn less, perform less well in society, & have a lower quality of life. See more facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

Many HS drop outs must work multiple jobs just to support their family. See more adult literacy facts: http://bit.ly/9fJkcU

Immigration and Integration

Adult Ed helps immigrants integrate into the U.S. See more about Adult Ed’s role & how you can help: http://bit.ly/integrationAE

 

Limited English language proficiency is a barrier for immigrants to meaningful employment in the U.S.

English language proficiency is critical to obtaining jobs commensurate with immigrants’ competencies.

60% of legal immigrants who are eligible for citizenship had limited-English proficiency.

Legislation

Reauthorize the Workforce Investment Act. See articles on NCL’s WIA Reauthorization Priorities: http://bit.ly/d8w49b .

 

Poverty

In 2005 21% of families with no HS diploma were living below poverty, compared to 7.1% of those w HS diplomas.

 

Adult Ed lifts people out of poverty: Higher salaries, good job opportunities, higher savings, better working conditions.

Return on Investment of Adult Education

Adult Ed benefits the economy: Increased tax revenues, business productivity, consumption, & WF flexibility; decreased public assistance.

 

Adult Ed benefits people: Higher salaries, better job opportunities, higher savings, improved working conditions, professional mobility.

Find quick facts on the return on investment of Adult Ed via @NCLAdvocacy: http://bit.ly/pUFFCb .

Workplace Literacy

Adult workplace literacy programs help workers gain new levels of skills as new demands arise.

Why Bother With ESL for Adults?

Here's why:

Ten Ways Immigrants Help Build and Strengthen Our Economy.

Or how about the fact that Georgia Tripled Economic Activity By Investing In Adult Education."

Or how about the fact that Silicon Valley knows the value of and is activily pursuing effective ESL training for adults on the Peninsula?

And if that's not enough for you, consider the fact that