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The Change Agent is a magazine for Adult Learners and Adult Educators.  It addresses issues that are important to Adult Learners.  Many of the articles are written by Adult Learners. Here is information about their latest call for writing: Write for Us! The Change Agent  features writing by adult learners. All submissions must be received by the deadline to be considered for publication. Suggested length is 200-1000 words. We pay $50 stipends to adult education students whose work is accepted for publication. All submissions are reviewed by our Editorial Board. Final decisions are made by  The Change Agent  Editor. Please see the current call for articles for more details about our current theme. Click on the "read more" link to learn more. Here is a PDF of the Call for articles Issue 42 . The deadline for submission is November 6, 2015. Here are the details: The Change Agent CALL FOR ARTICLES Race (Issue #42) YOU MUST include in all articles and...

AB104 is the trailer bill about Adult Education. Go here to read AB104 in full. Go here to get to it via the AB86 website (the place to go for info about the new Regional Consortia system). There are lots of things to learn and understand. Here are a few bits.  First, from the AB86 website : AB104: Adult Education Block Grant The California Legislature has passed Assembly Bill 104 which  includes the legislation for the Adult Education Block Grant. The Adult Education Block Grant will fund adult education providers and the adult education regional consortia.  Please refer to Sec. 39, Article 9, Section 84900. What's Next? With this final language, the CCCCO and the CDE are working together to develop guidance regarding next steps for implementation of the Adult Education Block Grant. Guidance regarding the fund allocations,  reporting requirements, and outcomes and measures will be forthcoming over the coming weeks and months. We will be sure to keep yo...

Poling Tang is a student in the Writing Intensive class taught by Mary Peros at San Mateo Adult School.  The Writing Intensive class helps ESL students develop writing skills for college, career, and civic engagement. Poling wrote the following essay as extra homework during Spring Break, " to express my gratitude to the adult school education system which plays an important role in my journey of life." Thank you, Poling, for writing this remarkable essay and for sharing it with the larger community.  And thank you, Teacher Mary, for helping your students to give voice to their wisdom in the English language. Hit the link to read her amazing essay. High Quality Education within the Adult School System John Adams, the Second U.S. President said: “There are two educations.  One should teach us how to make a living and the other how to live.” (1)   Furthermore, John Jay, the First U.S. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court said that “I consider knowledge to be the sou...

The long term fate of Berkeley Adult School, whether or not it will remain in place, share space with a new Elementary School or REALM Charter School, move to a new location, or be decentralized into several different locations, remains uncertain.   For back story on this situation, go here . At the Feb 24th, Wednesday meeting of the BUSD School Board , there are two agenda items that may relate to this situation: Enrollment/Capacity Update and Potential Action (Action Item #1) Facilities Plan Update (Information Item #1). Public input is welcome, wanted, and needed at this meeting. Remember:  While we in the United States have created a system where public education is to tied to property taxes, public education belongs to the public - because all of us depend on its outcome - not just those who own property.  That is why Governor Brown asked the public to vote for Prop 30, a special tax just for education, and why all of us are paying that tax, whether or no...

(This is a Perspective Piece .  In this case, mine... my personal perspective on current affairs.)   Monterey Coast 2009 This weekend, I've been thinking back on another Presidents Day Valentine's Day Combo Platter Weekend.  What's that on the horizon? Way back in 2009. I remember it like it was yesterday, not just because I had a great time in Monterey with my daughter and my folks...  but because I drove down there right after my boss called us together to tell us that in order to deal with the economic recession and keep K-12 schools going, Governor Schwartzenegger was "flexing" Adult Ed money. Flexibility The flexibility provided by the budget package is unprecedented. Local educational agencies (LEAs) will be able to redirect funding from 40 programs to “any educational purpose.” They will also be able to use restricted account balances from 2007–08 for any educational purpose.  Read more here. I remember driving out to the motel to meet my parents....

Destabilization leads to problems. Destabilization makes an individual, a group, or an institution vulnerable to disease, infiltration, attack, and at worst, death or extinction. Stabilization not only keeps the individual, group or institution strong, it enables the individual, group or institution to provide shelter, support, and sustenance to others.  Help or harm - in domino effect. Hit the "read more" link to see how that plays out in Berkeley. All K12 Adult Schools have been destabilized since Governor Schwartzenegger flexed their funding in 2009. This has led to over 70 Adult Schools closing and all of them shrinking.  There is now a Charter Adult School in the Sacramento Area.  And private enterprises consider Adult Education a prime market to enter and expand.  "While adult education has long been a “hidden” market, its programs often “shoved off in a corner,” all that seems to be changing, says to Pearson SVP Jason Jordan. “Suddenly it’s becoming a much mor...