Update from Cynthia

Hi Folks,

Some kind of update felt in order so here it is:

It's been over ten years since I started this blog in March of 2012. (Here's the first post!) 

Big Changes in Adult Education in California

A lot has gone on in Adult Education over those years - since February of 2009, really  - cuts and closures, restructuring, narrowing of the mission, the Regional Consortia system, the recognition that equity needs to be centered in Adult Ed work, and lots more - some of it good, some of it bad, some of it mixed, some of it with the potential to be all those things - and more. 

Needed Changes

Pause to say how GLAD I am that discussions of equity are now increasingly common in Adult Education with a special shout out to Daquanna Harrison of Elevation Educational Consulting Group for the work she is doing and to COABE for their new emphasis on Equity. 

Years of Advocacy for Adult Education

During the years after Schwartzenegger flexed categoricals - making Adult Ed funds available to shore up K12 Districts in need of help after their own cuts, ----  I got heavily involved in advocacy for Adult Ed. I worked with lots of folks at my school, San Mateo Adult School, including Patricia Brown, David Doneff, Marina Kravtsova, Bruce Neuburger, Lisa Sparks; with Karen Arthur of The Alliance for California Adult Schools; with Kristen Pursley of Save Your Adult School; with Irma Beserra Nunez of California Coalition to Save Older Adult Education; with John Mears, Sean Abajian, Juan Noguera and others with No Legislator Left Behind; with the many folks in Older Adults Education Forever; with CFT - the California Federation of Teachers - as an officer in my local, CFT 4681, and as a representative on the CFT Adult Ed Committee, in various ways and spaces with CCAE, CATESOL, the Network for Public Education, OTAN, and COABE. I served on the OTAN Advisory Committee. I served as advisor - for a year - to the Evening Student Council at our school. I co-founded the San Mateo Adult School Green Team. I did my best to support student voice in wherever I found myself. 

Learning As I Went Along

In my years as a teacher, I have seen that everyone has their own learning style. Mine is a combination of learning on my own, asking a lot of questions, watching how other people do it, reading biographies (or Wikipedia, lol), getting mentorship from others, working with people I genuinely like and respect, and freaking out. I'm often fueled in my learning by either joy (oh those rabbit holes!) or anxiety (what if I mess this up?!). In the same way that I learned how to teach online just as the Internet was opening up - yes back in year 2000 - mostly because I needed to because I had an infant and teaching online was clearly something that could be a good thing for us - I learned how to run a blog, do social media, create and maintain a website, run a gofundme, use various sorts of technology, and understand how a bill becomes a law and the budget process for the State of California. In other words, I learned as I went along - with a lot of ups and downs and the regular freak out. 

How It Went

I attended a lot of meetings, sent a lot of emails, made a lot of phone calls, went to a lot of conferences, attended a lot of webinars, ran a petition, created lots of surveys, took a lot of photos, attended a lot of zooms, served on panels, spoke at hearings & board meetings, and learned how to get around the capital in Sacramento. I was often extremely nervous about at least half those things and could not have gotten through without the help and support of not only those working alongside me but also my family and friends - who might or might not have cared about Adult Education but sure heard a lot about it - and my anxiety when I was faced with speaking to a group. 

(I know - why does someone with a fear of public speaking become a teacher and an advocate? I still don't know. But I do remember a comment made by daughter's drama teacher: It's the people who want it the most who get the most nervous before the show.) 

Advocacy Is A Learnable, Transferable, and Very Useful Skill

I saw that advocacy was something that could be learned, taught, and used in any number of situations. I was often the person in charge of Adult Education Week at my school. Out of that work and working on this blog, I created various presentations and google docs with info on how to advocate for Adult Ed.  Much of what is in those presentations and docs can be used towards any cause. Remember to use The Force for Good! 

Camino Companions

A lot of the work I did was with others which led me to friendships I treasure to this day. There is a special bond that comes from walking the same path together - especially in a crisis. Good or bad, I think that's how we humans are wired - and what fires together wires together - so I feel forever connected and grateful to all the folks I've listed above and so many more! 

Looking Back

I did everything very imperfectly and when I look back, I sometimes have that "If I knew then what I know now" feeling and I can think of many ways to have done things better, more sustainably - for both self and community, more inclusively, etc.  Hindsight is 2020 - so I try to remember to put on my "Look Into The Past" glasses when I make look into the future - understanding I can't change the past - I can only learn from it. 

Life Holds Many Things

Alongside the Adult Ed advocacy, I did all the human things we all do. In my case it was raising my daughter, being a member of my family and friend community, caring about things in addition to Adult Education -- Black Lives Matter, Equity, Sustainability, Surviving the 45 Era, Climate Catastrophes, etc. I loved myself and my people through various crises - divorce, death, dementia, cancer, physical and mental illness, moves - wanted or unwanted, break-ups, make-ups, administrative shake-ups, and of course - COVID!  My hair got greyer, my joints got achier, my back got stiffer, the pandemic unrolled - and like so many of us, I did a lot reflecting and I made some choices. 

The New Is Made From The Old

These choices included retiring from my job at San Mateo Adult School to build a life that could better include caregiving, work, and my own health. Much like the quilt picture here --- (made for my daughter's college graduation and golden birthday - yay!) -- my new life is an amalgam of new and old - sewn together with love and lots of ouch, I just poked myself again - and uh oh that doesn't fit together quite right - and oh, thank you for that contribution, it fits just perfectly here! Thank you!  And maybe my favorite: this old thing becomes this new thing - nothing is ever wasted (if you can learn from it!) 

The Fate and State of Adult Education Matters Blog & Social Media

So ----  

I'm keeping this blog and AEM social media open to make them available for special updates, guest posts, etc. 

If you want to write a guest post, please let me know! Leave a comment below!  Or email me at gcteachercynthia at gmail dotcom. 

But/And ----

Change in Focus

In general, I'm shifting my focus away from tracking Adult Education in CA and towards

• Promoting Adult Ed Sustainability across the USA
• Regaining state funding for Older Adults Adult Education in CA
• Sustainability on all kinds of levels - ha! I wrote "lovels" and maybe that's the right word!
• Tutoring, editing, and social media coaching (let me know if you need some!) 

Look for my Adult Ed Sustainability work:

• Adultedsustainability.com
• Adult Ed Sustainability blog
• AES on Facebook
• AES on Instagram

Support My Work

And you can support my Adult Ed Sustainability work here. 

Almost all the advocacy work I've done - including this blog - has been "for free" as a volunteer. But age and time have taught me that I need to include myself in thinking about how to make things work. Sustainability includes myself and my family. So if you're drawn to do it, I welcome your contributions to my work! 

Contact Me

Contact me at gcteachercynthia at gmail dotcom if you want to

• Share something Adult Ed related on this blog or AEM social media
• Talk or learn about Adult Ed Sustainability
• Need a connect to someone you think I might know thru my years in AE Advocacy
• This list is free!

Hire Me

Or if you need some

• Social media coaching 
• Logo or slogan possibilities
• ESL tutoring
• Editing
• Help with college essay writing
• This list is for pay!

I'm still in the Adult Ed and advocacy game - but with an adjusted focus to reflect who I am today - an aging but still alive human who cares about people and planet, is a member of multiple communities, and loves learning new things - in spite of the anxiety I inevitably feel under pressure or when speaking in front of an audience. 

Thank you

Big big gratitude to all the folks I've worked alongside and to those who continue to carry the torch forward for Adult Education. I'm so moved by their/your work, spirit, knowledge, and heart.

It won't be long before we are at 200 years of Adult Education in California - a beautiful thing to behold! 

Why? 

You already know the answer... 

                                            

                            because Adult Education Matters! 

Sincerely,

Cynthia

Letter to Legislators: Keep Adult Ed Funding Strong and Stable!

My personal letter to legislators:

April 26, 2020

Re:  Stable Funding for Adult Education

Dear Legislator,                 

I’m a veteran ESL Teacher at San Mateo Adult School, former union officer in our local CFT 4681, and a representative on the CFT Adult Ed Committee.  I’m a member of CCAE - the California Council for Adult Education.  I author the Adult Education Matters blog. I work with other advocates around the state to reveal the secret that Adult Ed is the hidden gem of California.

I am writing to you about the possibility that Adult Education may once again see horrific cuts - and what a disaster that would be for California.

We know that the current pandemic is severely affecting the economy and will for a while.  We know the revised budget for California will need to be leaner and it necessarily be “meaner” in several difficult but necessary ways.  We know that the choices we make now will be long-lasting and will shape what comes after probably for decades - similar to decisions made during the Great Depression and World War II.  

That’s why I’m writing to ask you to ensure that funding for Adult Education remains STABLE. 

I am very concerned that where Adult Ed is concerned, there might be a repeat of what happened the last time we had a less severe economic downturn.  In 2008, when Wall Street crashed into Main Street, Governor Schwarzenneger flexed K12 Adult Ed funding so that K12 Districts could use it to survive their own cuts - forgetting that Adult Ed educates and supports the families and communities raising the kids the K12 districts serve.

This was disastrous on multiple levels.  Over 70 Adult Schools closed, all were cut, and Californians across the state lost access to ESL, Job Training, Citizenship, GED, High School Diploma Programs, Parent Education, Financial and Health Literacy, and Older Adults Programs.

When Governor Brown restructured Adult Education, he narrowed it to a more “workforce” focus, eliminating funding for Financial Literacy, Home Economics (Life Skills!), Parent Education, and Older Adults Programs, forgetting that ending free Financial LIteracy programs right after a housing meltdown in which thousands of Californians lost their homes was not a wise idea and that life skills are crucial to community health (See: Problems with Pandemics), and that Parent Education and Older Adults programs support healthy communities which raise healthy kids, lower medical costs, and boost community contributions.

What will happen now?  What rationalization might be used to eliminate Adult Ed funding or narrow the focus even more?

We know - already - that this pandemic is going to reshape our culture, state, and economy in deep and long-lasting ways.  We need to think carefully about what we fund and why as we work our way out of it and into a post-pandemic California. 

We need low-cost programs that encourage physical, mental, economic, family, community, and civic health ---- THAT’S ADULT EDUCATION!

Some industries - such as the restaurant and entertainment industries - will be deeply impacted for a while. Those Californians who were working in these jobs will need free or low-cost, short-term job training in new fields ---- THAT’S ADULT EDUCATION!

We need Californians to be able to support their kids in school - including understanding how to help them navigate a new world of remote learning, make community contributions, and engage in civic matters - THAT’S ADULT EDUCATION!

We need every California to have free or low-cost, easy access to the education they need to move out of this difficult crisis and into a recovery that serves and lifts everyone - THAT’S ADULT EDUCATION!

Adult Education is part of the COVID Recovery Team!

But if it’s defunded?  It can’t play its important role on that team - the community base, turn on a dime, low cost member who is always there in a crunch and a crisis to help the team win the game.

PLEASE do everything you can to ensure Adult Education remains funded at the amount it is now. 

Connect with other legislators.  Jose Medina and Kevein McCarthy in the Assembly are folks who know and understand - from lived experience - the value of Adult Ed.  

Sincerely,

Cynthia Eagleton

Perspective: Jean MacDonald on Credentials

The LAO - the Legislative Analyst Office - recently came out with a Report on Adult Education.  The report was posted on Adult Education Matters Facebook page.  Several readers responded.  With permission, here is Jean MacDonald's response (below the pertinent recommendations from the LAO Report.).

The LAO Report's Recommendations on Credentialing

"No Longer Require Adult School Instructors to Hold a Credential.

We recommend the Legislature amend statute so that individuals no longer need a teaching credential to serve as instructors at adult schools. By aligning qualifications for instructors, instructors could readily teach adult education courses at both community colleges and adult schools. Moreover, the change could help adult schools in hiring teachers. If the state has concerns about the quality of adult education instructors, it could encourage consortia to provide professional development as needed." - From the 2018 LAO Report on Adult Education http://lao.ca.gov/…/2018-19-Adult-Education-Analysis-021518…

"Adult Education Instructors Held to Different Qualification Requirements.

Despite teaching similar content, instructors from community colleges and adult schools are subject to different minimum qualifications for employment. Whereas both community colleges and adult schools generally require instructors to have a bachelor’s degree or higher, statute places higher requirements on adult school instructors. Specifically, adult school instructors also must have a state-approved teaching credential. This inconsistency results in instructors who can teach at one segment but not the other. It also can make hiring instructors at adult schools more difficult than at community colleges."

From the 2018 LAO Report on Adult Education

Jean MacDonald responds:

This letter is in response to the latest attack on adult ed and its credentials, and the LAO proposals.

To my knowledge, in order to acquire a preliminary adult ed credential, the CTC.org demands: paperwork, a CBEST, NO bachelor's degree and enrollment in a State-approved program. UC Berkeley is on the list for example. Its program is 10 units total. Eight units are online, one is an orientation, and the other is student-teaching on-the-job. The whole program is 10 hours (One unit is 1 hour of coursework). This can be done in optional 3-5 years while teaching. Yes indeed, ten hours must be done within 3 to 5 years. Apparently, the report states this too burdensome. I disagree. ESL does require a BA. though.

Also, the report claims it is easier to get a job in a community college. Conversely, in my experience, if you want to work at Los Medanos, Diablo Valley, Las Positas.or Solano Community Colleges in ESL, you must have a minimum of a Master's in Applied Linguistics, TESOL, or the equivalent for part-time, and a PhD or equivalent for full-time tenure track.This is hardly easier than the adult ed credential requirements above. These two degrees are very time- and effort-consuming (expensive too) as opposed to NO degree required by the CTC for the adult ed credential. I think this should be looked at again. It is simply not factual.

Moreover, most teaching jobs in adult ed, although capped at around 19.5 hours, are more "stable", even as part time because they reoccur. Whereas, at a community college, the classes differ from one semester to the next. You find yourself more at-will. The report says the opposite.

Personally, I worked as an adjunct 4 years at Los Medanos College teaching different courses, classes, hours and was never called back again since. I have an MA in Ed, and have worked at my current positions in adult schools, part-time only, for 16+ years. I'm maxed out on the salary scale, at-will, no benefits, denied other open positions- dead-end/frustrated. I am told I won't be hired full-time for budget reasons. I want it known now so the situation can be improved.

From working in 4 different adult schools, I know they cap 90 % of their teachers, arbitrarily, at around 19.5 hours or so, regardless of the need, to save districts money (This info is easy to find in WASC reports). They claim they have none in the budget (not according to public websites). I have been told this for years. Dstricts have millions in reserves. So why are we still being short-changed a living-wage? The report does not address this. The sweat is on our backs as we do all the teaching.

Consequently, teacher-strapped administrators may then ask the same part-timers to refer friends to teach. They may leave flyers out daily for the incoming public to advertise the need for part-time teachers. Maybe the students know people. We would like more hours, but tough luck. Instead, classes are cancelled or doubled-up daily, no teacher or sub. signs on the door. We have to then run to 2 or 3 other districts, often the same day, part-time in each, no benefits anywhere- even though the money comes from the same originating sources, the AEBG, WIOA, the CDOE. And there seems to be plenty of it for everyone but us teachers: Secretaries, janitors, principals, non-teaching staff, TOSA's, consultants, even Board members may have comprehensive contracts and benefit packages. Adult Ed unfairly-made-to-be part-timers get none of it. We get all the hard work.

Morover, the adult ed teaching shortage is further aggravated when HRs don't advertise properly on EdJoin. They don't describe the working hours, or give adequate job descriptions (avoiding the facts- unpaid prep, extra unpaid administrative duties, no CA ED Code protections, at-will, etc.)The ads just say, "continued posting, ongoing opening, pool, no medical benefits, hourly, some mornings, hours vary." Who wants to apply for that uncertainty? Many don't. Many are not advertised at all. There are instances of backdoor-hiring. Since full-time jobs are so scarce, inside buddy-hiring has existed, which might not result in the best teachers for students. Actual result, you are left hopeless and look to leave the field. It happened to me. The proposed bill does not say anything to stop this.

As for letting the consortia handle professional development, that would be disastrous. A principal may cut your already-bargained-for PD Day to half for speaking up and being assertive in your union. The same principal may also be a consortium director-voter with other non-union adult ed school principals. Most adult schools do not enlist us in their unions- complaints about it ignored (another matter). The same consortia are headed by these types of principals from local adult ed schools.They may act like dictators fighting teachers tooth and nail at the bargaining table; They then have voting power of the AEBG and WIOA funding. Don't let the consortia be in charge of PD, please. Principals have wielded too much power against us.

Upper- mangement fights us too. An excuse I have heard is, "You want to work part-time. That is why we chose adult ed." It is like that all over the state." A "Wall of Shame." now exists for adult ed made-to-be part-timers. The same managers may make $160,000- $240,000+ minimums in salaries and benefits (Transparent CA.org). The LAO may want to examine such stratifications in public personnel pay and benefits. I think it needs to be considered before any policy change is made. Otherwise, I fear the grant money will be wasted on lining executives' pockets. Their salaries and pensions are huger and huger public expenditures (Transparent CA.org). We are broke, on food stamps, MediCal, homeless, etc. Various news articles have reported adjunct teachers' hardships. We must consider changing this.

There are many more pertinent and valid reasons why teachers have fled adult ed. They are not because of credentialing requirements. Eliminating credentials will dismantle, gut and further destroy quality teaching for good. Legal swindle complete. Sorry students. You don't matter because your teacher doesn't. Teaching-quality so obviously ill-considered, walk away, drop out, stay unskilled, be unemployed, don't speak English, go to prison, get public assistance. On the upside, principals, vice principals, superintendents, assistant superintendents and their school budgets will be richer.

Top-down systems need to change to more democratic ones. We the made-to-be-part-time adult ed teachers are more important. Spend the money on us. Change the Bill to prevent the above issues from continuing to happen to us and the students.

In all certainty, keep the measely 10-hour requirement, CBEST, fingerprinting-minimal professionalism of the field. Use at least some of the available money to make full-time adult ed instructors' jobs attractive to qualified people with the highest qualifications possible. We are completely left out all around. Teachers in adult ed have put the time in, got degrees, have student loans, families to support, bills to pay, like janitors, secretaries, principals, etc. They can't do it on a part-time basis. Sharing is caring. We care. Won't you?

I hope to see you on April 9 in Sacramento. I will be telling my story to legislators on committees.

Jean MacDonald, thank you for sharing your knowledge, wisdom and invitation to action. 

AEM welcomes Perspective pieces.  If you would like to share yours, contact Cynthia.

For more information about the April 9th rally hosted by CCAE, go here.

Adult Education RallyMonday, April 9, 2018
1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Capitol Building, West Side
Sacramento, California

Students are welcome to join.

NPE, AFT, NEA All Say No to De Vos as Fed Head of Ed

By all rights this piece should be in the Perspective section. It's my opinion that Betsy DeVos would be bad for Adult Education and bad for Public Education, in general.  Many people and organizations agree with me.  Read on to hear why.  -- Cynthia Eagleton, ESL teacher at San Mateo Adult School

The Network for Public Education, the two large national teachers unions - the American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, Bernie Sanders, and any number of other individuals and organizations  - all say no to the idea of approving Betsy De Vos as Education Secretary for the United States.



There is someone who does like DeVos - and that person is new President Trump.  She is his choice for the job. 

Relevance to Adult Education

While in California, Adult Education is largely funded by the state, in many states Adult Education is primarily funded by the federal government.  The tone, the direction, the policy at the federal level very much affects Adult Education across the USA.  

To learn more about how Adult Ed is funded across the country, click here.

To take part in a COABE webinar about Adult Ed under the new Trump admin, click here.


Further, Adult Education, as neglected as it is as a branch of Public Education, is nevertheless a part of that tree.  Of course, it matters who the head of the US Department of Education is. 

We in California also know that when that larger tree of Public Education - be that on a federal, state, or local level - is shaken or sick, Adult Education is the first branch to be neglected or cut. That is what happened in 2008.  The Global Financial Meltdown led to shortage in the state budget which led to Governor Schwartzenegger's decision to make Adult Education the fund donor to keep the K-12 system going.  Adult Ed funds were "flexed" - that meant that if K-12 districts needed money - and of course, at that time, they did - they could use Adult Ed funds.  This is what led to over 70 Adult Schools being closed and all Adult Schools being cut in size and scope of service. 

If the economy destabilizes in the next few years or if Public Ed destabilizes due to a shift into a "school choice" system, we know which branch will most affected and least likely to survive.  That's right, it will be Adult Education.

That's why it's crucial that we think hard about the potential appointment of DeVos as head of the US Department of Public Education.  DeVos is a big supporter of "school choice" and for-profit charter schools.  She has no training or experience in Public Education.  Neither she nor her children attended public schools.  She is a wealthy woman and a major donor to politicans and in her own words:

"In 1997, DeVos wrote the following in an essay for Roll Call: "I know a little something about soft money, as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party. Occasionally a wayward reporter will try to make the charge that we are giving this money to get something in return, or that we must be purchasing influence in some way."

She continued:

I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return.

We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections.

People like us must surely be stopped.

Senate HELP Committee Vote on DeVos Delayed to January 31

The US Senate HELP - Health, Education, Labor & Pensions - committee vote to approve of her appointment has been delayed to January 31.

Between then and now, we have the opportunity to speak up and tell the members of the committee what we think about DeVos and how her appointment might affect Adult Education.

Click here for a better view of that list - HELP Committee members and their phone numbers.



What the Network for Public Education says:

For those who don't know:  "The Network for Public Education was founded in 2013 by Diane Ravitch and Anthony Cody. We are an advocacy group whose mission is to preserve, promote, improve and strengthen public schools for both current and future generations of students.The goal of NPE is to connect all those who are passionate about our schools – students, parents, teachers and citizens. We share information and research on vital issues that concern the future of public education at a time when it is under attack."

"When De Vos has to choose between quality schools and “the free market,” she chooses “the free market” of privatized choice every time. The best interests of children take a back seat.
And we know the DeVos endgame–shut down our neighborhood public schools, and replace them with a patchwork of charters, private schools and online learning.
We can’t let that happen and we need your help. Present and future generations of children are depending on us to act now.  We now know that some Senators have grave doubts. It is our job to make those doubts grow into active resistance to DeVos.  Here is their toolkit for stopping DeVos.

Professor Julian Vasquez Heilig is on the board of NPE. 
Here's a link to his blog, "Cloaking Inequality" with a short 7 minute film about DeVos, "Stop Betsy DeVos" by Brave New Films.

What the American Federation of Teachers says:

"DeVos lobbied for a school voucher law that voters in her home state of Michigan overwhelmingly rejected. But she was able to push through the vast expansion (link is external) of for-profit charter schools with little oversight (link is external). DeVos has written so many checks (link is external) (including to several senators (link is external) who will vote on her nomination) and strong-armed (link is external) so many lawmakers that, despite having no experience in public education, she has influenced nearly every aspect of education in Michigan. The result? Achievement has declined (link is external) across the state. In addition to media reports of rampant corruption (link is external), nearly half of Michigan’s charter schools rank in the bottom of America’s schools, and the state’s charter schools lag (link is external) 84 percent behind state averages in math and 80 percent in reading." 

Read more here.


What the National Education Association says:

1. Betsy DeVos has no training or experience in education.

She has never worked in a school in any capacity, and does not hold a degree in education (nor did she or her children ever attend a public school).

2. Like Donald Trump, DeVos is an ardent supporter of “school choice” privatization schemes, despite a complete lack of evidence that privatizing public schools produces better education.

In Michigan, Betsy and husband Dick DeVos have pushed for decades for so-called “choice” schemes and corporate charter schools, most of which have performed worse than the state average. They are long-time Republican party donors who support pro “school choice” candidates, and Betsy DeVos has served on the boards of two major groups leading the charge to privatize public schools.

3. DeVos has invested millions lobbying for laws that drain resources from public schools.

In 2000, Michigan voters rejected a massive effort led by Betsy and Dick DeVos to change the state’s constitution to allow private school voucher schemes that siphon money away from public schools. But Betsy DeVos has promoted these measures as chair of the American Federation for Children, and the DeVos family has spent millions to push for the expansion of vouchers in other states.

4. DeVos has fought against the regulation of charter schools.

The DeVos family gave nearly $1 million to GOP lawmakers in the Michigan legislature who gutted a bill that included accountability measures for charter schools in Detroit. Those charters will not be subject to the same oversight or regulation as public schools, even though they are funded with taxpayer money, thanks largely to the DeVos family.

5. Betsy DeVos is not a good fit for a position overseeing the civil rights of all students.

Donald Trump’s nomination of DeVos is deeply concerning to many civil rights groups, because school choice schemes promote racial segregation and undercut civil rights enforcement that is routine in public schools. Corporate charter schools have higher than average teacher turnover and closure rates, which disproportionately affect students of color and low-income families.
The DeVos family’s support for anti-LGBT causes is well-documented. Since 1998, the DeVos family has given more than $6.7 million to Focus on the Family, a group that supports “conversion therapy”—a debunked theory that purports to change the sexual orientation of gay and lesbian individuals that is strongly opposed by the American Psychiatric Association, the Human Rights Campaign, and scores of other medical and civil rights organizations.

Read more here.


What Edublogger Mercedes Schneider says:

Schneider is the author of the Deutsch29 edublog.  She is a phenomenal researcher.  She painstakingly fact-checks everything and provides links to facts, resources, statistics, etc.

Click here to read her posts about DeVos.



Here are folks to contact with your opinion about DeVos and how well she might or might not serve our country as Fed Head of Ed for the US of A:

REPUBLICANS

Lamar Alexander (TN)Phone: (202) 224-4944
Michael B. Enzi (WY)Phone: (202) 224-3424Richard Burr (NC)(202) 224-3154
Johnny Isakson (GA)Tel: (202) 224-3643https://www.isakson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-meRand Paul (KY)Phone: 202-224-4343
Susan Collins (ME)(202)224-2523
Bill Cassidy, M.D. (LA)(202) 224-5824https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact
Todd Young (IN)?
Orrin Hatch (UT)(202) 224-5251
Pat Roberts (KS)Phone: (202) 224-4774
Lisa Murkowski (AK)Phone: (202)-224-6665
Tim Scott (SC)(202) 224-6121https://www.scott.senate.gov/contact/email-me

DEMOCRATS

Patty Murray (WA)(202) 224-2621
Bernie Sanders (VT) (202) 224-5141
Robert P. Casey, Jr (PA)(202) 224-6324
Al Franken (MN)(202) 224-5641
Michael F. Bennet (CO)202-224-5852
Sheldon Whitehouse (RI)(202) 224-2921
Tammy Baldwin (WI)(202) 224-5653
Christopher S. Murphy (CT)(202) 224-4041
Elizabeth Warren (MA)(202) 224-4543
Tim Kaine (VA) (202) 224-4024
Maggie Hassan (NH)?

Post-Election Resources for Adult Educators

Here are some resources to help you when thinking about the impact of the Trump presidency and recent election results in Congress on Adult Ed and specifically on our immigrant students, both documented and undocumented.

Advice from Cynthia is at the bottom.

Statement by California Legislative Leaders De Leon and Rendon.  Very good, articulate statement -- available in both English and Spanish.  Note:  both de Leon and Rendon were educators, de Leon taught ESL, was first in family to graduate high school.  De Leon authored driver’s license bill.  

“The largest state of the union and the strongest driver of our nation’s economy has shown it has its surest conscience as well.  California is – and must always be – a refuge of justice and opportunity for people of all walks, talks, ages and aspirations – regardless of how you look, where you live, what language you speak, or who you love.”

Statement by Governor Jerry Brown. “We’ll need to build a wall around California.”

Statement by Head of CDE for California Tom Torlakson -

“In California, diversity is strength. Our students come from all kinds of backgrounds, cultures, languages, and religions, and they all come together to learn on their way to success in 21st century careers and college. California already has, and will always maintain, strong legal and state constitutional protections against any and all kinds of discrimination, regardless of a student’s race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

Edublogger Mercedes Schneider’s info about impact of Trump policy on education.   Schneider is amazing fact finder.  K12 probs always bleed over into Adult Ed probs.  It’s important to know how K12 will be affected by this. Basically, Trump will probably try to push the voucher route. He has appointed Ben Carson as his education advisor.

Post-Election: Recommendations for Teachers, Counselors, Administrators, and Undocumented Students.

On November 9, 2016, Donald Trump was elected as the forthcoming president of the United States. During his campaign, Trump has made a series of anti-immigrant remarks. He has stated that he would heighten immigration enforcement, end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, and increase the number of deportations. Undocumented students and their families all across the country are increasingly becoming anxious and fearful over what the Trump presidency will do in terms of immigration policies and amplifying the anti-immigrant sentiment that Trump’s campaign has fostered. Now, more than ever, undocumented students and their families need support from educators, counselors, and administrators.

At My Undocumented Life blog, we have identified steps that schools and universities can take to support undocumented students.

Advice from Teaching Tolerance about talking to kids after the election - can be adapted to talking to adults - some of whom are just 18.

Half-sheet about how to report a hate crime.  Adapt for your school or program.

Possible changes to DACA under a Trump Administration - from Educators for Fair Consideration.  "President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) when he becomes President. However, he will not become President until he is inaugurated on January 20, 2017, so meanwhile DACA will remain in place and USCIS will continue processing both initial and renewal DACA requests.

We do not know when or how the Trump administration will end the DACA program. It could end the program effective immediately and instantly revoke work permits, or it could allow current DACA recipients to keep their work permits until they expire but not renew them."

Know your rights cards - in English and in Spanish - you can order them for free.

From the San Mateo County Office of Immigration Resources:
Human Services Agency Public Benefits

Many clients and service providers may have questions or concerns regarding the status of a clients’ health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act or possible impacts to other services given the presidential election results.  While we can’t predict the future, HSA would like to share some information that they have at this time.

Covered California's enrollment for 2017 coverage should still be encouraged.  Coverage will remain intact for 2017.  For Medi-Cal, HSA is continuing to promote and process new enrollments and renewals as always.

While there’s some uncertainty, and concern, about potential changes to these important public programs, HSA will focus on the present and ensure their clients have the health insurance coverage that they are eligible for today and through next year. If these programs change in the future, they will respond to those changes at that time.

For further information regarding eligibility and programs HSA offers, refer clients to the benefits line at 1-800-223-8383

San Mateo County (and beyond) Resources for Immigrants - please read through to see what might be relevant for your community.

Legal Help for Low-Income Immigrants in San Mateo County Area

Bruce Neuburger's stand-up statement at San Mateo City Council Meeting.

Letter from Heads of California's three college systems - Community, CSU, UC - about DACA.

Resources for Teachers and Educators:
 

Teaching Tolerance- A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center

Preparing for Cultural Diversity: Resources for Teachers- George Lucas Educational Foundation

Help for Immigrant Families Post Election- ILRC

Info from COABE about impact of elections - Congress AND Trump - on Adult Ed:

We Need YOUR Help to Ensure Adult Education is Funded

Congress will shortly reconvene in a "lame duck session" to determine spending levels for FY 2017. We need to do whatever we can to ensure that, at a minimum, Adult Education funding is not cut, in the best of possible worlds, gets the increase Congress assumed when it passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

The next years are going to be challenging - pressure to cut federal funding will grow, while demand for Adult Education services is likely to increase. We need to work together to protect and grow funding for Adult Education so that more under educated and/or disadvantaged adults are able function effectively and get family supporting jobs or access post-secondary education.

In March, the new Administration will unveil its first budget. We need to make sure that it adequately funds Adult Education. Then, in April the Congress will begin the annual Appropriations process. Congress also needs to gets the message that Adult Education is a key component to any growth agenda.

We are asking you to weigh in now with Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees who will be making these decisions in the weeks and months to come. Please click HERE for a letter that you can use to send to your Senators and Representatives.

We are convinced that if we continue to work together, we can make good on COABE's mission of advocating for more services, more funding, and less waiting.

 

If you are interested in helping out with this, please notify us by clicking HERE.

Election Aftermath:

Official Washington is reeling after the election of Donald Trump as the next President of the United States. This was an election that most of the pundits, media, and political class got wrong. Not only is Washington coming to grips with a Trump victory, it is also pondering the effects of Republican victories in Senate races that supposedly favored Democrats, and a still substantial( majority in the House for Republicans.

Today, and for the next several months, Washington will be trying to figure out what it all means. In the short term, we can get some insight into what might happen by looking at changes in Congressional committee leadership and what happens during the lame duck session.

Election Day brings with it the obvious change in Administration, but it also means changes in Congress. Every Congress lasts for two years, and bills introduced but not passed when Congress adjourns at the end of two years must be reintroduced and go through the process again. House and Senate leadership positions, Committee chairpersonships, and even Committee memberships change.

Here are some of the major changes affecting Adult Education. The Republicans are expected to keep control of the House. There are two important positions on Committees: The Chair and the Ranking Member. The Chair is from the party in control (in this case the Republicans) and the Ranking member is the member with the most seniority from the party not in control (i.e., Democrats today).

In the House:

• Hal Rogers (R-KY), Chair of the Appropriations Committee is term-limited, creating a vacancy at the top of this extremely important Committee. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) is expected to seek the Chairmanship. Frelinghuysen has emphasized defense and homeland security during his tenure on the Appropriations Committee. In 2012, he described himself as a moderate Republican.

• Rep. John Kline (R-MN) is retiring at the end of this Congress and Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is expected to become Chair of the Education and Workforce Committee. Foxx is currently Chair of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. It is possible that Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) a staunch supporter of Adult Education will replace Rep. Foxx as Chair of the Subcommittee. With the retirement of Rep. Ruben Hinojosa, the Subcommittee will get a new Ranking Member as well.

In the Senate:

• Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), the Ranking Member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is retiring. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) would be among the top contenders to replace her. Murray and Durbin are also rumored to be contending for the Number 2 spot in the Democratic leadership.

• Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) is likely to remain Chair of the Senate HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions) Committee and Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) is likely to remain the senior Democrat. The loss of Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) means that there will be a vacancy on both the HELP Committee and the Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee.

The Lame Duck Session:

The lame duck session was supposed to be short, if not sweet. The Trump victory probably shuts the door on any chance that spending caps will be raised. It also adds a degree of uncertainty. Before the election, both sides seemed interested in completing work on a CR (Continuing Resolution to maintain funding levels) or Omnibus (lumping all the appropriation bills together) to clear the decks for the new Administration. Now, some Republicans are arguing for a short-term CR to give the new Republican Administration an opportunity to put its stamp on the final product.

The Trump campaign offered very little insight into its approach to non-defense discretionary spending beyond a proposal dubbed the "penny plan" which called for cutting one cent from every dollar appropriated. This one percent cut sounds relatively innocuous but, when combined with the impact of inflation, would have serious consequences.

One ominous development is that President-elect Trump and other Republicans have also suggested the elimination of the sequester on defense funding to enable more defense spending, which would be funded by deeper cuts in non-defense spending. The Obama Administration has opposed treating defense spending differently from non-defense spending.

We can expect that opposition to domestic discretionary spending will continue unabated.

Education Policy in the New Administration:

We have no indication of how the Administration views Adult Education. There has been some speculation that Vice President-elect Pence will be handed the Education portfolio. Pence supported Adult Ed as governor. It is worth noting that federal support for Adult Education in Indiana amounted to $9.5 million, while the state contributed $25.4 million.

There is very little to guide us in this area. The President-elect didn't talk much about education except to attack the Common Core and advocate for school choice.

Given his position on regulation, we can hypothesize that the Administration will roll back regulations intended to implement ESSA as advocated by Sen. Lamar Alexander, Chair of the Senate HELP Committee. Presumably, it will also look at other regulations affecting school discipline.

It is likely that Congress will restore, and possibly expand, the voucher program for students in Washington, DC, to use to attend private schools. I would expect it to continue to promote charter schools as part of its strategy to improve urban schools, which Trump attacked for being of poor quality.

In the Higher Ed area, some analysts expect that the Administration will try to reduce the debt burden on students, get the government out of the student loan business, and perhaps try to use the tax code to induce private universities to reduce tuition. Finally, we might expect the new Administration to be more kindly disposed toward for-profit institutions.

Advice from a former staff on effective ways to connect with legislators and convince them to listen to you. 

Advice from Cynthia:

* Create formal class and school policies about bullying and harassment.  Post them publically.

* Ask school administrators to provide facts to students and reassure them about their safety.

* Attend School Board and Regional Consortium meetings and ask them how they plan to respond to any changes in policies in education funding and immigration policy. 

* Reach out to other schools and agencies in your Regional Consortium. Share resources and information. 

* If your school has a union, make formal statements against bullying and harassment and against deportation of the undocumented.  Talk to advisory councils of the larger bodies of CFT and AFT and ask what they plan to do in response to any changes.  Get involved on local, state, and national levels.

* If cuts and challenge come to K-12, they will come in worse form for Adult Ed.  Adult Ed is still the stepchild of the Public Education system, last in funding and understanding.  Under the circumstances, that won't change.  In fact, if things are really difficult, it will be worse than what happened these past seven years.  So keep on messaging that Adult Education Matters.  And be prepared to use the skills we've gained these last seven years for a much bigger cause.  Education is key in moving forward in a positive direction.