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."

Press Conference Videos

If you missed the press conference June 12, 2012, you can catch it onYoutube.

I would post the clips here but for some reason, Blogger will not let me do that right now.
Go to Youtube and search for "teacherbruce1."  All the press conference videos - as well as various schools events (International Day, etc.) are there.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UBwnFgViVUg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>


<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZoI91Sylca8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Summary, Thanks, and Press Coverage

Mathew Kogan speaking at the Conference

Great work, everyone!   The Rally and Press Conference was a true success!

We spoke about what matters to us.   The press heard and delivered that message:

Adult Education matters!
No on WSF!
Flex is hex!

Our work is not done but our work is good and bringing results.  (More on that in a different post - soon.)

Speakers - Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Bob Harper of Campbell Adult School, Chris Nelson of CCAE, Mathew Kogan of Los Angeles Adult School, Ana Turetsky of Oakland Adult School, and many students (both former and current) powerfully laid out how we got into the mess we're in now, what Adult Education offers to a wide a range of people, why it's so important to find out a way out, and by way of their strength and the impact of their stories, evidence that we will.

It is a big ship that we ride in California - the eighth largest economy in the world - but if we all lean in the same direction, we can change the course.  We can emerge from this time of crisis with a deeper understanding of what is important to us and a renewed commitment to living our priorities, heading into a future we want, versus a future we fear.

Big thanks to everyone who showed up yesterday for the Rally and Press Conference - speakers, students, staff, and press.

We videotaped the conference and we will have footage available sometime in the near future. 

Here is some of the press coverage we received:

From the San Mateo Daily Journal.

From Telemundo.

From Univision.

From Radio Pacifica.

From KTVU.

From KCBS radio.

From SF World Journal.

From Hecho en California with Marcos Gutierrez (interview with Bruce Neuberger.)

If you are aware of other press from yesterday, please let me know (leave a comment or email me at cyn.eagleton@gmail.com.)

Press Conference Speakers

Speaker	Title/Agency	Topic
Jackie Speier	Congresswoman, 12th District
Bob Harper	Director, Campbell Adult & Community Education	Big picture
Billy Lui	Student Council President	ESL and Path to College
Lizzi Arena Alex Arena	Alumnus Student	GED HS Diploma
Sylvia Azua	Student	Electronic Office
Mathew Kogan	Chair, UTLA Adult Ed Committee Evans Ault School Chair of the CTA Adult Ed Caucus and CFT	Adult Ed in LA
Victor    Oropeza	Student	ESL
Linda Wong Ho Wing Wong	Student Student	ESL, Citizenship
Oscar Espinoza	Student	Job Search Class
Ana Turetsky	President ,Oakland AFT 771 Former CFT Adult Ed Co-Chair	Adult Ed in Oakland – gone
Herb Alonzo	Student	Fifty Plus/Older Adults
SandraMurrillo Brucker	Student	Parent Ed / ESL
Laura Lorenger	Student	Community Gatepath/Computer Classes
Bianca Gonzalez	Alumnus	GED, Family Impact of Adult School
Mary Peros	Teacher SMAS	Adult Ed in the Crosshairs

CTA Speaks

A letter from the Dean E. Vogel, President of the CTA - California Teachers Association -
to Dr. John Deasy, Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District reads as follows:

June 7,

2012 Dr. John Deasy, Superintendent
Los Angeles Unified School District
333 S. Beaudry Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90017

Dear Dr. Deasy:

As a matter of policy, principle, dignity and basic human decency the California Teachers Association unreservedly supports the continuation of the LAUSD adult Education program. We endorse and believe in the mission of LAUSD’s Adult and Career Education Division to ‘increase the educational attainment and socioeconomic status of its students by preparing them for post-secondary studies, careers and civic participation.’ The current economic crisis has certainly had a negative impact on funding for public education. However, it is precisely because of the extraordinary impact of that crisis on the population served by the Division that you must not shirk your responsibility to English learners, the socioeconomically disadvantaged and new immigrants seeking citizenship. The Adult Education program and the dedicated teachers who make it function, must be maintained.

Over the last several years, school districts have sought and exercised ‘flexibility’ in their expenditure of categorical funding for programs such as adult education. Some districts have used this ‘flexibility’ to eliminate programs that are essential to a particularly vulnerable population living within its boundaries. LAUSD must not join those ranks.

As you know, Adult Education in Los Angeles and other elsewhere is provided by K-12 districts while in other districts Adult Education is provided by Community Colleges. Consequently, the availability of services to learn English, increase job skills and become citizens will depend on where you live in California. If you live in San Francisco or San Diego you may be in relatively better shape, but if you live in LA you are severely compromised. State-wide, such cuts to K-12 adult education could affect 500,000 document Californians (many living in Los Angeles) seeking to learn English and to become Citizens. LAUSD must not turn its back on this population.

I urge you in the strongest possible terms to not eliminate the LAUSD Adult and Career Education Division.

Sincerely,

Dean E. Vogel
President

www.cta.org __________________________________________________________________________________ My apologies that I, Teacher Cynthia Eagleton, was not able to insert the pdf of this letter into Blogger. I typed the letter into Blogger and any mistakes are mine.

Press Conference June 12, 2012

                                                                                San Mateo Adult School

                                                San Mateo Union High School District

                                                           

789 E. Poplar Avenue

, San Mateo, CA  94401

                                                            Office (650) 558-2101 ● Fax (650) 762-0232

                                                            Lawrence Teshara, Director

                                                            Tim Doyle, Asst. Director/Admin. Services

                                                            Fred Thompson, Asst. Director/Instr. Services

Adult Schools Face Extinction

Press Conference To Be Held

• What: Press conference by adult educators
• When: Tuesday June 12, 10:30 AM
• Where: San Mateo Adult School
• Why: Adult schools have received devastating cuts and face total elimination if Governor Brown's Weighted Student Formula is adopted as is. Adult schools must be taken out of this formula and given their own funding
• Who: U.S. Congressperson Jackie Speier, Adult educators and students from Los Angeles, Oakland, Berkeley, Campbell, San Mateo, and more

Contact Information

Informational questions:                      Tim Doyle, assistant director

                                                                        650-280-7924

                                                                        tdoyle@smace.org

Press conference organization:         Bruce Neuburger, press conference organizer, teacher

                                                                        415 -235-6918

bruceneu@gmail.com

School website:                                        http://www.smace.org/

Adult Education Matters blog:            http://www.adulteducationmatters.blogspot.com/

Address:                                                     

789 E. Poplar Ave.

                                                                        San Mateo, CA 94401

June 12, San Mateo – “The entire California adult school system could be destroyed by changes in the state budget and school funding,” says Larry Teshara, director of the San Mateo Adult School. “Adult school funds can now be used for other programs (Flexibility), and Governor Brown’s current budget proposal includes a new funding formula (Weighted Student Formula) that would eliminate dedicated funding for adult schools entirely.” Adult schools need dedicated funding restored.

• Five million adults in California don’t have high school diplomas.
• Seven million adults lack English proficiency.
• Half of all children in California have at least one immigrant parent.
• One third of California high school youth drop out before graduation.
• 2 million adult education students in 2009; 700,000 today; 350,000-400,000 estimated after 2012

“Adult schools provide vital services to the community that students cannot get elsewhere, all on a surprisingly small budget,” says Tim Doyle, San Mateo Adult School assistant director.  “Our students are those who want to complete their high school education, prepare for college, obtain new job skills, learn or improve their English language skills, learn to be better parents, or maintain their health and fitness as older adults.” Adult schools are needed more than ever, yet they are disappearing.

Adult schools used to receive dedicated funds. In response to the recession in 2008, the legislature introduced Flexibility. This has allowed school districts, facing cuts to other programs, to take money from their adult schools. Districts across the state have taken up to 90% of their adult school money, and many have closed their adult schools entirely.

The Los Angeles adult school system, by far the largest in the state with well over 200,000 students, may close this year. If not, it will receive devastating cuts. In either case, this alone could be the death knell for adult schools in California.

If Flexibility and the demise of LA Adult School do not eliminate all adult schools in the state, the Governor’s Weighted Student Formula will. While we support the idea of providing additional funding for the state’s neediest children, this proposal benefits some children by depriving others, and does so by taking money away from adults who need further education to improve their lives, care for their families, and revitalize their communities. “Studies show that more literate parents produce more successful children,” says Doyle. Yet this funding system creates a divisive and destructive conflict between children’s schools and adult schools, even though their goals are complementary.

Adult schools need to be taken out of Weighted Student Formula and out of Flexibility. We need a dedicated funding stream in order to continue providing crucial services, and we urge our representatives to oppose any budget that eliminates our funding. We can find solutions to California’s budget crisis that raise the revenues needed to fund Adult Education and other public services that meet the basic needs of our communities.

About San Mateo Adult School

San Mateo Adult Education is a school of 2,000 ADA, and over 14,000 annual enrollments. We are a service of the San Mateo Union High School District to the communities of San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, Hillsborough, San Mateo, and Foster City. We are committed to fulfilling the mandate of Adult Education in California by directing resources to serving those traditionally underserved; especially those disadvantaged economically or academically.

Facts

• California has provided adult education for over 150 years.

• Adult schools cost far less per student than K-12, colleges and universities.

Millions of Californians need adult education, yet the number who access it is shrinking.

• 5 million adults lack high school diplomas

• 7 million adults not fluent in English

• 1/3 of California youth drop out before graduation • 80% of need unmet (California Department of Education estimate)

• 1,861,434 – Number of Adult School students in school year 1990-1991 700,000 – Number of Adult School students in school year 2011-2012 350,000-400,000 – Estimated number of Adult School students after 2012 (California Federation of Teachers ((CFT)) convention Adult Education Workshop April 2012)

• 82% of school districts have used Flexibility to transfer adult education funds to K-12 programs since 2009. (CFT Workshop)

• Over 300 adult education programs in K-adult districts 32 already closed –about 10% 44 have lost 50%-90% of funding – almost 15% (from a self-reported survey of adult schools statewide)

The LA school board voted to close its adult school on March 13 of this year. (Huffington Post June 7, 2012)

• Largest adult school system in the state with well over 200,000 students – more than the University of California.

• The Adult Education program uses only about 2% of the LAUSD's budget and serves almost one-third -- 27.7% -- of the total number of students in the school district. (Huffington Post June 7, 2012)

• 1.7 million inhabitants of Los Angeles County live in poverty. (CFT Workshop)

• LA County has the highest percentage of children with foreign-born parents. (The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, May 17, 2012)

• Adult education centers last year reduced the LA school district's high school dropout rate by 10%, according to the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA) (Huffington Post February 13, 2012) Note: Many more students received high school diplomas or equivalents via adult education after dropping out.

California has the 8th-largest economy in the world. (CA Department of Finance) The problem is not lack of money. We can afford to fully fund all public education.

Thanks to Teacher David Doneff for compiling this fact sheet.

Press Conference: Tues, 6/12/12, 10:30, SMAS

On Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at 10:30 am, at the San Mateo Adult School, there
will be a press conference about Adult Education - its value, how budget cuts
are affecting it, how WSF and future cuts can break it, and what that would mean for the State of California.

We are inviting students and staff - past and present - from all over California -
to speak and share their stories.

Would you like to speak?

Do you know someone could add something of value?

If so, please contact Cynthia at cyn.eagleton@gmail.com.