SB 173: May 2014 Update

SB173 has gone through many, many changes.

By the way, "SB" means Senate Bill.  That means the bill was introduced by a Senate.  It has to go through all the steps in both the Senate and the Assembly in order to become a law.

You can read about the steps a bill must go through to become a law in California here.

This link will allow you to see the history of the bill and compare versions past and present and read analyses of each hearing had on the bill along the way.


It is now called Education Funding:  Adult Education. 

Senator Carol Liu introduced it in February 2013.

It was mostly recently amended and re-referred to the Assembly Committee on Higher Education on May 12, 2014.  

The next step will be a date when that committee discusses, hears testimony, and votes on the bill.

Here is the most recent version:

SB-173 Education funding: adult education.(2013-2014)

SECTION 1. Section 52524 is added to the Education Code, to read:

52524. (a) The department, in conjunction with the chancellor’s office, shall coordinate and issue assessment policy guidelines regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830.

(b) The department and the chancellor’s office, as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered pursuant to Sections 41976 and 84757. The department and the chancellor’s office shall develop recommendations for all adult education-funded providers for assessment, evaluation, and data collection to document participant outcomes and placement, and other measures they deem appropriate. Accountability measures may include receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, placement in a postsecondary educational institution, training, and employment. All funded programs shall be required to annually submit demographic and other student-level outcome information to the department or the chancellor’s office, as appropriate.

(c) The department, in conjunction with the chancellor’s office, and as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall coordinate and issue both of the following:

(1) Recommendations and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to Section 84830. With respect to these recommendations and guidelines, it is the intent of the Legislature that:

(A) Registration and course fees should be equivalent across all programs.

(B) Fees should not generate income beyond the cost of providing the courses.

(C) Fees should not create a barrier to student access to adult education programs.

(2) Recommendations and policy guidelines regarding the use of a single student identifier to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of developing a comprehensive accountability system pursuant to the requirements of Section 84830.

(d) As used in this section, “chancellor’s office” means the Office of the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.

 

 

SEC. 2. Section 78402 is added to the Education Code, to read:

78402. (a) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, shall coordinate and issue assessment policy guidelines regarding assessments to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of placement in adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830 and paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 84757.

(b) The department and the chancellor’s office, as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall jointly develop and issue policy recommendations to the Legislature regarding a comprehensive accountability system for adult education courses offered pursuant to Section 84830 and paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 84757. The department and the chancellor’s office shall develop recommendations for all adult education-funded providers for assessment, evaluation, and data collection to document participant outcomes and placement, and other performance measures they deem appropriate. Accountability measures may include receipt of a secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, placement in a postsecondary educational institution, training, and employment. All funded programs shall be required to annually submit demographic and other student-level outcome information to the department or the chancellor’s office, as appropriate.

(c) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, and as a part of the report and recommendations required pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (f) of Section 84830, shall coordinate and issue both of the following:

(1) Recommendations and fee policy guidelines to be used by school districts and community college districts regarding the authority to charge fees for courses offered pursuant to Section 84830. With respect to these recommendations and guidelines, it is the intent of the Legislature that:

(A) Registration and course fees should be equivalent across all programs.

(B) Fees should not generate income beyond the cost of providing the courses.

(C) Fees should not create a barrier to student access to adult education programs.

(2) Recommendations and policy guidelines regarding the use of a single student identifier to be used by school districts and community college districts for purposes of developing a comprehensive accountability system pursuant to the requirements of Section 84830.

(d) As used in this section, “department” means the State Department of Education.

 

 

 

SEC. 3. Section 84757.5 is added to the Education Code, to read:

84757.5. (a) The chancellor’s office, in conjunction with the department, shall annually report on the number and types of courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the regional consortia established pursuant to Section 84830. The chancellor’s office shall annually report on the number and types of noncredit courses being taught and the number of students being served with funding provided to the community colleges for the courses offered pursuant to Section 84757.

(b) The chancellor’s office shall identify any deficits in course offerings based upon levels, types, and needs for adult education programs identified in the consortia plans submitted as required under subdivision (c) of Section 84830.

SEC. 4. The Commission on Teacher Credentialing and the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges shall meet to review their current requirements for noncredit adult education and adult education instructors, and shall develop and submit recommendations to the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature for modifying or establishing reciprocity standards for instructors of adult education courses by July 1, 2015.

SEC. 5. It is the intent of the Legislature to evaluate the guidelines for the accountability system established pursuant to Sections 52524 and 78402 of the Education Code and to consider allocating base adult education funds and noncredit adult education funds to providers on the basis of a combination of identified needs, enrollment, and outcomes in courses offered pursuant to Section 84830 and paragraphs (2) to (6), inclusive, of subdivision (a) of Section 84757 of the Education Code.

 

Update and Next Steps from CCAE

Analysis and Advice from CCAE Legislative Liaison Dawn Koepke on the 2014 May Revise:

May Revise - Adult Education Update & Next Steps   Not unexpected, the Governor's May Revise budget plan released yesterday focused on adjustments in revenues and programmatic expenditures - not on adult education.  As we've discussed previously, the Administration and Legislature are committed to addressing the needs of adult education, particularly for K-12 adult schools, in the FY 15-16 budget process that will begin with the Governor's January budget proposal to be released by January 10th, 2015.    While there were no significant changes relative to the future of adult education, the May Revise did contain provisions that would suspend local educational agencies from establishing new federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) affiliated charter schools and charter schools that offer correctional education until a more comprehensive plan for adult education is developed next budget cycle. Concerns peaked with the Administration, Legislature and Department of Education (CDE) earlier this year with the establishment of an adult-focused charter school in Northern California.  Currently, these schools can claim LCFF based funding for adult average daily attendance, which no other local educational agency may claim.    Ultimately, the Administration and Legislature are interested in the development of a more comprehensive plan for adult education in both delivery systems - CCC and K-12 - that takes in to account the benefits and strengths of both systems and ensures stability and beneficial outcomes for the students we serve.  In this regard, we are working aggressively to ensure that plan protects K-12 adult schools, while at the same time continuing the regional consortia work that was initiated under AB 86 last year.  We're continuing to meet with key legislators, Administration officials, Department of Finance (programmatic staff and management), budget staff, and stakeholders to craft a comprehensive plan that is protective of K-12 adult schools, workable, and clear for districts to include in their budgets going in to FY 15-16.  This work will be critically important through the summer and early fall as the Department of Finance embarks on the development of the next budget plan that will address adult education.  In this regard, we will be ramping up efforts soon with grassroots advocacy (that's YOU!), media interaction, coalition building and more.    In the meantime, it is critically important that all of you in the field continue to focus on and take the following steps in the next month:   -       Sign up for your elected officials' monthly/weekly newsletters through their website; -       Relationship building with an education of your local elected officials and district office staff regarding your adult school, student achievements, and etc.; -       Invite them to your graduations, ceremonies, and schools for a visit; -       Go visit the member and their staff at their district office during their sidewalk hours; -       Utilize your friends and family who have relationships with the members as a means of introducing the members to K-12 adult schools; -       Educate members and staff on your AB 86 consortia planning efforts; and -       Reconnect with supportive community based stakeholders in your region in preparation for this summer's advocacy efforts (local chambers of commerce, businesses, community based organizations, county supervisors, city councilmembers, etc.).   Strong relationships with elected officials and the field in their districts will be critical to our grassroots advocacy push this summer.  Such relationships and advocacy this summer will help apply pressure to the Department of Finance and Administration to protect K-12 adult schools as they work to draft their FY 15-16 budget plan this Fall.   In the coming month, we'll be preparing more specific talking points and "asks" for adult education - you, the field, will be critical to that effort.  In the meantime, we urge you focus on continuing to build those relationships!   Dawn Koepke CCAE Legislative Liaison

 

 

The 2014 May Revise - and A Short Version of the Budget Process

Tuesday, May 13, 2014, Governor Brown released the May Revise.  You can see it here.

The May Revise is the Governor's "take two" --  his revision of the Budget he proposed in January.  This revision comes after tax money has begun to come in and the Department of Finance has a better idea of how much money we do or don't have to spend.  Also, in the meantime, people and Legislators have thought about and talked about and given feedback about the first proposal.

The next step after the May Revise is more thinking and talking by people and Legislators.

That means folks like you and me need to think about and speak up about what we want. 

In other words, call your legislator.  Email your Legislator.  Visit your Legislator's district office or invite your Legislator to an invite in your community or at your school.  Legislators are real people.  So are their aides.  Some of them are real nice.   Most of them are real smart.  I highly recommend you get to know all of them.

The legislators listen to the people they represent and they talk with each other.

They also listen to and talk with lobbyists. Maybe it's a lobbyist for an organization you're a member of and an organization you support.  Maybe it's a lobbyist for an organization or business you really dislike, an organization or business with a ton of money, an organization or business with an agenda that will bring harm to the people of this great state.  That is something to think and learn about.

The Legislators decide what they like and don't like about the May Revise.  They make some revisions of their own.  Each house discusses and votes on things and they have to come to a final agreement between the two houses.  Then the whole thing goes to the Governor.  He then signs off on it or he vetoes it and sends it back to the Legislator for more changes. 

The deadline for this whole process is July 1, the start of the new fiscal year.

That veto power is his trump card.  It makes it scary for Legislators to go against him.  If they take a risk and say, "No!  We don't like this!  Do it this way!"... and then he vetoes it... and it has to go back to the Legislature for more talking and discussing and arguing and voting... well, then we all go over the deadline.  Which makes for a lot of problems.  And people on all sides being angry at the Legislators who spoke up and said, "No!  We don't like that!  Do it this way!"

So if a Legislator or Legislators don't like something, they have to be really smart about things.  Is it worth speaking up? If they speak up or make a change, how far can they go?  What will everyone agree on? 

It's a difficult and stressful process.  Just one of a million reasons I am not a Legislator. 

But it's a worthwhile process because otherwise we'd just have plain ol' tyranny or plain ol' bedlam, both of which cause a lot of suffering.

What makes the difference between not-tyranny-or-bedlam-but-still-pretty-awful and not-tyranny-or-bedlam-and-sometimes-pretty-good is our participation.

So get involved.

This blog is about Adult Education so of course that is always our focus here. But the budget is about many things.  If you care deeply about something - if you value it - consider what we should be spending on it.  There's a reason that we use the word "value" as a measurement of both money and esteem.

Then find out if the value in dollars and value in care matches up.  And if it doesn't, speak up.

It's work, I know.  But it's worth it.  It's the price we pay to get our needs met.

You can read more about the budget process here and from that same webpage is this cool flow chart:

It's impossible to understand, hunh?
I know.  I couldn't find a chart to insert here that you could read.
Just like in real life, to really to understand the budget and the budget process, you have to dig deeper.
So go to this page and then click on the flow chart link at the bottom to see a nice big chart you can understand.
Maybe.

Size Matters: The Third Rail in Adult Ed Politics

Clearly, this is another perspective piece.  Mine.  

Do you know what a third rail is?

That's the rail on the subway tracks you don't want to touch because it could kill you.

In Adult Ed politics, it's the size of the mission.

Some are for a full mission.  CFT - the California Federation of Teachers - is.

Some are for a narrow mission.  CCAE - the California Council of Adult Education - is.

Some are for a full mission but think it's not possible in the current climate so they put their focus on doing the best they can with how things are and what they have and what they can find to fix things.

Click the "read more" link to learn more about why it is and isn't dangerous to touch the third rail.

Family Literacy Matters

The mission of the new LCFF - Local Control Funding Formula - is to increase equity across California.  Gov. Brown wanted a way to ensure low-income and English-learner families get the same good education that families with more wealth, access to resources, and/or skill in English receive.

 

Adult Education is an important part of this equation - but it's a part that is often overlooked and often cut.  Somehow some folks are failing to see that the best way to support kids is to support families. 

 

This very effective Family Literacy program in Los Angeles is in danger of being cut, in part because of what has happened - and is happening - to Adult Education. 

 

Please read the following account from Pat Bauer, Program Volunteer in the Santa Monica location, to get the full story.  Contact SaveFamilyLiteracy@gmail.com to get involved.

 

LA School District Set to Dismantle 

Effective and Popular Family Literacy Program

 

Los Angeles Unified School District administrators have informed teachers that LAUSD's effective and popular Family Literacy Program must close at the end of this school year.  Parents and teachers are organizing to save it.

 

LAUSD administrators recently advised teachers that budget problems will force the imminent shutdown of the district's highly successful, nationally recognized Family Literacy program, which educates low-income preschool students alongside their parents. Parents and teachers have launched a lobbying and letter-writing campaign to save it.

 

The LAUSD Family Literacy Program has gained national recognition for boosting children's achievement, with gains that persist throughout their elementary school years. The program typically serves families whose home language is not English, with parents who have low incomes and low education levels. Most are Latino, although other cultures are also represented.                                                 

Parents say the program is a lifeline, and weep when they talk about the way it has changed their lives. It opens doors for people to become contributing members of society, they say.

Hit the "read more" link to learn more.

Grassroots Adult Ed Meeting: Save the Date!

COSAS - Communities Organized in Support of Adult Schools - is hosting

 

 

 

 

 

SMAS and Harvard "Shaking Hands" for Adult Education

On Saturday, April 26, San Mateo Adult School Student Leaders took part in the Summit on Adult Education put on by Harvard's CAELA - Community of Adult ESL and Literacy Advocates.    (My thoughts on that here.)

SMAS ESL Morning Student Council President Marco, Advocate Marina, Evening Vice President Maricruz, and Morning Student Council Advisor Teacher Lisa took part in the Summit via the Internet



SMAS Advocate Marina

SMAS Evening VP Maricruz
and SMAS Morning President Marco

.









Here is Marco's account of the workshop and its topic:

SMAS and Harvard "Shaking Hands" for Adult Education

I never imagined when I enrolled at San Mateo Adult School that I would be able to go in many places, like Sacramento's hearings, workshops at the CCAE, representing my school and my fellow students.  It's something that comes from my heart to do, and I love doing it. I always try to be positive  and do my best, as I can.
 

I would like to thank,Adult Education for making all these possible, also to all teachers who are doing an outstanding job, to people and organizations from the community for your support and generosity, behind each Adult Learner are families and children who will be benefited if mom and dad do better. 

Thanks Brenda! For inviting us to participate in the CAELA Harvard summit. It was an honor to speak and be listened to by a special audience, like the one we spoke to.  It's amazing to see that people from a  prestigious university like Harvard take the initiative to do something positive for Adult Education, two thumbs up for you guys!!

 

Definitely, if we want to see AE in a better position than where it is now, it's critical the media's support, as well as recognized institutions playing an important role, turning" non believers" into supporters.  Probably people ignore the existence, or what AE has done, how it has improved communities where it exists. For example my beautiful San Mateo, which I love like my own home town and feel goosebumps when  I think about moving somewhere else with its diversity in population, people get along with each other, its crime rate is lower than many other places, gang related issues, have not heard that much in all these years. 

 

 And all this is great for business. People work, spend $ and  that keeps the economy moving. 

Isn't that great?  Who doesn't want to live in a place like this?   But on the other hand in communities where Adult Education  has been cut, or what is worse, been closed, you can see the devastating effects that this has brought to them.  

 

People need a positive place, where to get skills required by these days' jobs, to  learn how to be responsible citizens, to invest their time and energy  -- I could go on and on giving examples. 

Is obvious that Adult Schools are working, doing what they are supposed to do, improving people's lives. 

 

I believe in education, that it should be a human right.  People of all ages benefit from it.

 

Brenda, one of the organizers of the summit, had this to say about the workshop with SMAS leaders:

"People repeatedly talked to me after about how San Mateo was the most powerful part of the summit...How they were just brought to tears by the stories.   It was evident, so clear, that what you are doing is so powerful, so different than many institutionalized programs do, but really what many adult educators have been about for years out of the limelight. . I can promise you that afterwards, if you all had been there you would have been surrounded by people asking questions. It was truly moving what you brought to the campus. We have that so rarely at HGSE..you know we problematize things, and talk about things as statistics, so what you all brought...the reality, the work on the ground...contained such power, such connection...that I think people will go out from this and really have new hope and new direction for how to do their work. And the power is also that many of the people in the room are future policymakers, so I hope that because of this discussion they and consider deeply the importance of adult education as they make funding and policy decisions."