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December 21, 2015 From Kristen Pursley's "Save Your Adult School" Blog: A Look at AB 104: The Adult Education Block Grant Program by kpursley As  2015 comes to a close, adult schools have just completed their first fall term under the new Adult Education Block Grant.  The Regional Consortia turned in their first three-year plan at the end of October.  2015-2016 is a transitional year; things will change again at the end of this fiscal year, at which time funds for adult schools will begin to be distributed to the consortia rather than being distributed directly to school districts as they were this year.  It seems like a good time to take a look at the language in AB 104 that establishes the Adult Education Block Grant (AEBG) in order to see what lies ahead. AB 104 addresses funding for all K-12 schools. The portion that establishes the AEBG begins with Section 39, Article 9.  The entire legislation can be viewed here: http://legin...

Too frequently, Adult Schools have been pitted against K-12 schools, as if the populations they serve are utterly separate entities, with utterly separate needs and agendas.  This competition is framed as war for the same precious and/or dwindling resources.  Because we are a culture that claims to value the family, the kids generally "win." In fact, Adult Schools and K-12 schools serve the same families.  Educating children and parents empowers families faster than educating only parents or only children. Which brings up the questions:  Hit the link to see them. *  Why is it framed as a competition?  *  Who wins when it's framed that way? *  Is California, one of the top ten economies in the world, really so short of money that it can't educate both parents and children? *  What sort of value underlies the perception of children as separate from their parents and other family members?  * Who wins when they are seen that way? All ...

Working together for common good purpose is powerful and brings results.   To that end, John Mears, long time activist for Adult Education and Adult Schools, has helped to pull together the Adult Education Task Force.  John teaches at West Valley Occupational Center , a division of Adult and Career Ed in Los Angeles.  He is a long time and very active UTLA member, started the No Lawmaker Left Behind Campaign, and was an integral member of the Alliance for California Adult Schools.  Advocates for Adult Education meeting with Assembly Member Patty Lopez John Mears is sleeves-rolled-up at the desk of Assembly Member Lopez Here, in his own words, is a description of the Adult Education Task Force : The Adult Education Task Force (AETF) was formed when adult-ed activists in the San Fernando Valley concerned about the lack of funding for our programs met with Assemblywoman Patty Lopez (39th Dist.), who used to work at the North Valley Occupational Center....

CCAE 2016 State Conference Call for Presentations The call for presentations at the CCAE - California Council for Adult Education - 2016 State Conference is now open. Proposals must be received by the deadline of 11:59 p.m. PST, on November 20, 2015, for consideration for the 2016 CCAE State Conference.  Click here to submit your proposal . This year the State Conference will be held at the San Francisco Airport Marriot and will be hosted by the CCAE Bay Region Chapter.  CCAE State Conferences are always rich with resources, connections, information, and opportunities. If you have great ideas, information, or experiences that can benefit others, now is the time to submit a proposal to share them!                

From Kristen Pursley's Save Your Adult School blog : Adult School English as a Second Language and Citizenship Classes Must Be Offered Free Again – Let’s Keep It That Way! by kpursley Under California law, adult school English as a Second Language (ESL) and Citizenship classes must once again be offered free of charge. AB 189, a 2011 emergency measure allowing adult schools to charge for these classes until July 2015, expired this year, and was not renewed or extended.  AB 189 legitimized a haphazard pattern of charging for ESL and Citizenship classes that sprang up in the wake of California’s 2008 budget crisis and the resulting “categorical flexibility” that removed protections on state adult school funds.  While some districts chose not to charge for adult school ESL and Citizenship classes, others worked out their own systems for charging with no overall coordination at the state level or, often, consultation with neighboring districts. The result...