CCAE│California Council for Adult Education

The Voice of Adult Education in California

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Action Alerts Adult Education on LAUSD Chopping Block February 11, 2012—Daily News Los Angeles By Barbara Jones Call it a school for second chances. High-school dropouts can go there to earn a GED or diploma. Veterans, laid-off workers and young adults with vocational aspirations can learn a trade. Immigrant parents can acquire basic English and math skills so they can help their kids with homework. At nearly three dozen adult education and occupational centers operated by the Los Angeles Unified School District, nearly 300,000 students are enrolled in low-cost programs designed to help them better their lives. Their fate now lies in the hands of the school board, which is set to vote Tuesday on a budget that would cut the program and divert most of the $200 million in state money earmarked for adult education to ease the district's $557 million deficit. Their fate now lies in the hands of the school board, which is set to vote Tuesday on a budget that would cut the program and divert most of the $200 million in state money earmarked for adult education to ease the district's $557 million deficit. While LAUSD leaders say they desperately need the money to fund core programs at K-12 campuses, adult education advocates say the program is essential to building an academic support system for LAUSD parents and training a skilled workforce for Southern California. "Los Angeles Unified is the perfect storm," said Chris Nelson, president of the 3,000-member California Council for Adult Education. "Ending all services for 300,000 students will have a huge impact -- not only on the students, but on the community." There is no easy solution to the quandary facing the school district, which is wrestling with how to balance the $6 billion budget for 2012–13. • Californians Together: Championing the Success of English Learners (PDF) • Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles (PDF) Legislative Advocacy Changes for CCAE November 30, 2011 Over the past few years, dramatic changes have occurred in California's Adult Education system with the most impact of the implementation of flexibility of adult education funding for K-12 purposes. The CCAE Board decided that it was time to take a second look at how we approach legislative advocacy. We determined that it was in our best interests to combine resources with the California Adult Education Administrator's Association (CAEAA) and hire a new firm for legislative advocacy for adult education that will take us in a new direction. CCAE owes tremendous thanks to our former legislative advocate, Jeff Frost for his many years of service to the field of adult education and generosity in time committed to CCAE specifically as well as the development of various initiatives which he was instrumental in getting passed. The CCAE Board along with the CAEAA Board voted unanimously to hire McHugh and Associates to develop and support legislation that ultimately protects adult education funding. Dawn Koepke will be our legislative liaison and joined McHugh & Associates in December 2003 lobbying in the areas of public safety, health and human services, environmental issues, and now will focus her attention on adult education. Prior to joining the McHugh team, Dawn served as Special Assistant to Governor Gray Davis managing the Governor and assisting the Legislative Affairs and Communications teams. Dawn graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and studied abroad at the Universidad de Salamanca in Spain. Dawn also completed her Masters Degree in Public Policy & Administration from California State University, Sacramento. CCAE welcomes McHugh and Associates and Dawn Koepke to the work ahead of us to ultimately protect adult education funding. The Governor Signed AB 189 October 10, 2011 The Governor signed AB 189 this afternoon. Congratulations to all of you on a valiant, passionate, and emotional fight on the behalf of adult education and the students we serve. A very special thanks to Assemblymember Mike Eng who took this battle on for all of us. Early in the game, it was his courage in the face of stiff opposition that kept our bill alive. Never forget that Edward James Olmos opened the door for us. We would not have gotten out of the starting blocks if it was not for Mr. Olmos. A big thanks to our lobbyists: Jeff Frost for getting us started, and for Craig Brown closing it out in a magnificent display of strategy. Historically, this is the first time that administrators, teachers, support staff, students, teachers' unions, civil rights groups, community organizations, and business/industry pitched in together to all pull on the same side of the rope. Let's keep this coalition alive as we move forward. Go to http://www.gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=17271 and see it in black-and-white. Mike Wada CCAE		Legislative News February 11, 2012—Adult Education on LAUSD Chopping Block...More February 10, 2012—A Message from the California Department of Education: Elimination of Adult Education Opportunities...More January 28, 2012—Adult Education on L.A. Unified's Chopping Block, Read the full article in the Los Angeles Times...More January 28, 2012—Adult Education on L.A. Unified's Chopping Block, Read the full article in the Los Angeles Times...More January 25, 2012—Legislative Update from CCAE State President, Chris Nelson...More January 24, 2012—Does California Adult Education Disappear with Brown's Weighted Student Pupil Funding Proposal?...More January 15, 2012—Brown Administration's Budget Builds Upon Current Flexibility...More December 13, 2011—Department of Finance Trigger Cuts...More December 8, 2011—Final Draft of Adult Education Strategic Plan is available: Linking Adults to Opportunity: Transformation of the California Department of Education Adult Education Program (PDF) November 30, 2011—Legislative Advocacy Changes for CCAE...More LEGISLATIVE EVENTS March 5, 2012—CCAE Annual Legislative Day May 4–5, 2012—CCAE State Conference in Fresno, California...More State legislative committee Joanne Durkee, Chair Bay Section Mt. Diablo Adult Education 1266 San Carlos Avenue Concord, CA 94518 (925) 798-7340 durkeej@mdusd.org Vittoria Maghsoudi Bay Section Mt. Diablo Adult Education 1266 San Carlos Avenue Concord, CA 94518 Lariann Torrez Central Section Tulare Adult Education 575 West Maple Ave., Tulare, CA 93274 Work: (559) 686-0225, Fax: (559) 687-7447, Cell: (559) 920-0664 larriann.torrez@tulare.k12.ca.us Phil Dwyer LA Metro Section LAUSD-Evan CAS 717 N. Figueroa St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 626-7151 (231) 626-4487 (Fax) pdwyer@lausd.net Candace Lee LA Metro LAUSD-Metro Skills Center 2801 W. 6th Street Los Angeles, CA 90057 (323) 567-5603 (323) 567-7990 (Fax) candace.lee@lausd.net Cris Johnson Northern Section Sacramento City Adult Education 5241 J Street Sacramento, CA 95817 (916) 452-1431 criskingjohnson@yahoo.com Mike Neary Southern San Bernardino Adult School 1200 N. E Street San Bernardino, CA 92405 (909) 388-6000 Membership • Please join or renew your membership today! • CCAE is unique in that membership is available to Teachers, Administrators, Classified Staff Members, Counselors, Students, and Friends of Adult Education. • For more information please click on the button below to find out how you can become a member of CCAE or renew your membership. Contact CCAE Address: PO Box 978 Los Alamitos, CA 90720-0978 Phone: 888-542-2231 Fax: 866-941-5129 Email: membership@ccaestate.org Website: ccaestate.org Follow us on: