CRUSHING CALIFORNIA’S ADULT EDUCATION

1. CRUSHINGCALIFORNIA’SADULT EDUCATION

2. “Visible” Education in CA • UC System • CSU System • Community Colleges (credit) • pre/K-12 ― CA Dept. of Education • Private and charter schools

3. Adult Education = Invisible

4. Invisible→Easily “Disappeared” • Low public awareness • Low status • Low priority assigned • Low funding per student

5. Adult Education Is Publicly Subsidized under Dual Systems Noncredit Programs Adult School Programs Agency: CA Department of Education Local School Boards Charge small fee for registration Many school districts are closing these programs • Agency: CA Community Colleges • Local Boards of Trustees • Free; available at some colleges but not all

6. Noncredit Throughout CA • 23Community College Districts have significant noncredit headcount (# or %): San Francisco North Orange San Diego Rancho Santiago Santa Barbara Glendale Allan Hancock Mt. San Antonio South Orange Copper Mountain Rio Hondo Pasadena Sonoma Merced Gavilan Monterey Cerritos West Valley Palomar Mt. San Jacinto Los Angeles Southwestern Coast

7. But Only 1/3 of 72 Community College DistrictsHave Significant Noncredit Programs

8. Adult School Availability • CA Dept of Ed has about 333 adult schools /about 950 K12 districts • In the past two years, more than 32 schools have been CLOSED • At least 44 have lost OVER HALF their funding

9. Same Subjects Taught in Both Systems • ESL • Career Techical • Basic Skills/HS/GED • Citizenship • Older Adults • Parenting • Disabled • Health & Safety • Home Ec/ Consumer Ed

10. Diverse Students Served • Alternative access point to credit • Higher % people of color than CA • Higher % immigrants than CA • Lower income • At-risk students such as high school dropouts, single parents, referrals from justice system

11. Some agricultural and conservative counties have few adult education opportunities, e.g.: • Kern County • San Joaquin County • Riverside County • Sacramento County

12. Need Also Urgent in Cities

13. Los Angeles County has 1.7 MILLION poor • Alameda County has 200,000 poor • Even “wealthy” SF has 100,000 people below federal poverty level!

14. Wrong Direction, Folks…

15. Budget Cuts→ Unacceptable Choices • Education for adults OR education for children? • How shall we ration education?

16. Real Choices • Do you want to educate the families in your community OR not educate them? • Provide intellectual opportunity for all persons OR accept ignorance?

17. Rationing intellectual stimulation, access to knowledge and skills Who shall receive basic educational opportunities that support human life and dignity? Who shall be denied?

18. Believe the Myths of Falling Demand? • “There is less need, less demand for adult education now” • “The need is for ages 18-24, university education” • “After 9/11/01, ICE stopped the flow” • “Immigration is at net zero” • “Mexicans have returned to Mexico”

19. These are the facts • The very competitive University of CA serves 200,000 lucky students―Adult Ed served 2,000,000 students until it was cut 50% • Adult ed is open access, education for all • Credit students have great need for basic skills and many, discouraged by failure, drop out

20. Incentive to Replace with Credit

21. California Should Be Expanding,Not Defunding, Adult Education • At least 80-90% of NEED is unmet, per CDE estimates and Census data. • At least ten million Californians need adult education. • One million now served; that number is falling rapidly. • For every student now enrolled, nine others in the community could benefit by enrolling.

22. Demand is Suppressed • With slashed budgets, adult ed programs are not advertising and recruiting in the normal way • Schools are not funded for increasing the number of students • Summers, sites, schedule choices are reduced, making classes less convenient

24. Unemployment rate nearly 11% NEED SHOULD BE OBVIOUS ─ CA’s Need for Job Training

25. CA’s Need for Immigrant Education 1 in 5 speaks English “less than very well” 1 in 7 residents is a non-citizen

26. CA’sNeed for Basic Education Only about 1/2 of Latino and African American students graduate high school 1 in 5 adults lacks a high school diploma

27. Other Adult Education Needs Older Adults Parenting Disabled Home Ec/Nutrition Health and Safety

28. Budget Cuts →Political Opportunism • Opponents of public education were waiting to pounce • A global movement by multinational corporations to steer education towards corporate goals

29. Budget Cuts →Political Opportunism • Corporate influence on education is now pervasive, strategic, well-funded, global • A focus on ages 18-24, no lifelong learning • “Produce” BAs in an assembly-line model of education • “High productivity”=state wants to pay less per graduate • No “excess” learning beyond work needs

30. Adult Ed Mirrors Student Needs • Classic noncredit model historically resilient • Features effectiveness, efficiency and equity • Open-ended, human, non-linear, iterative, organic • With full funding, could be used to address social, economic and educational problems • Retaining community control is essential

31. Pushing back is critical! • Pushing back has made many changes in Student Success Task Force Plan implementation • Pushing back will be effective in getting Los Angeles (LACCD) to fund at least SOME adult schools • Push back in your community! • Voice your support and inform others about adult education/noncredit!