.@JanResseger's critique of the privatization of the G.E.D. makes excellent use of Professor @MikeRose7971's work. https://t.co/ZGlCJYIcaE
— RD Skeels LAUSD 2013 (@RDSkeels4LAUSD) July 10, 2015The New GED: Making A Second Chance So Much Harder
Showing posts with label adult education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adult education. Show all posts
Friday, July 10, 2015
Jan Resseger's critique of the privatization of the G.E.D. makes excellent use of Professor Mike Rose's work
Thursday, May 07, 2015
Rally against the cuts to Adult Education, Early Education, School Nurses, and Counselors
.jpg "Rally against the cuts to Adult Education, Early Education, School Nurses, and Counselors")
All the Pieces Matter
Join us at LAUSD headquarters on Beaudry next Tuesday, May 12, for UTLA's "All the Pieces Matter!" rally against the RIFs. Come together and show support for our students and Adult Education, and other programs being cut such as Early Education, and counselors. As educators, we are all an important piece in the fight for the Schools L.A. Students Deserve: Parent-enriched Early Education to K-12 to Adult Ed to every classroom to Health and Human Services.
Wednesday, April 08, 2015
Stabilize the LAUSD DACE budget now!
March 24, 2015, Los Angeles Unified School Board meeting. Over 2200 petition signatures collected in support of all classes beginning in the fall. The full text of the petition is: "The students and teachers urge the Division of Adult and Career Education (DACE) to give us a full and consistent schedule of classes for students beginning at the start of the school year, rather than holding back appropriated funds. DACE has established a pattern of holding funds, especially from the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), until well after the beginning of the school year, despite the fact that the funds are appropriated by the state and available to the district before the beginning of the school year. This policy deprives the students of a full year of education and destabilizes programs. It drives away good teachers who cannot get health benefits, tenure, or make a living wage. This is not a good policy for the students or the teachers and we ask that you change it."
Friday, September 26, 2014
In memory of Benjamin Reyes, a champion of Adult Education and Public Education
¡Benjamin Reyes Presenté!
In memory of Benjamin Reyes, a champion of #AdultEd and Public Education. #LAUSD #RIP pic.twitter.com/W37VPknxWL
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) September 26, 2014
Monday, February 03, 2014
Forum on for-profit education this Thursday evening at UCLA Hammer Museum
"This is part of the reason they are cutting Adult Education, so they can funnel the students to the for profit industry. Diane Feinstein's husband is a large stock holder in ITT Tech, and former Rep Senator, Olympia Snowe's husband has federal indictments against him for his shady activities as the CEO of the for profit chain, EDMC."—Lisa
http://hammer.ucla.edu/programs/detail/program_id/2085
THE PRIVATIZATION OF EDUCATION
As for-profit colleges proliferate and billionaires publicly push for private charter schools to replace public education, we examine the impact on students, who now carry more debt than the housing sector. David Halperin, a senior fellow at Republic Report, discusses the taxpayer-subsidized for-profit college industry and its successful lobbying efforts. California Competes director Robert Shireman works to rein in abuses by for-profit colleges and student loan companies. He led the Obama administration’s efforts to reform student lending. USC researcher, PhD candidate at the Rossier School of Education, and Gates Millennium Scholar Constance Iloh offers a nuanced perspective on the nature of the student presence in the for-profit sector. Her research addresses privatization, access, equity, and the experiences of low-income students and students of color in higher education.
Michelle
Restore Adult Education Now! Letter Writing Campaign
INCREASED FUNDING IS NEEDED NOW, NOT "SOMEDAY,"
TO RESTORE OUR PROGRAMS
California funding for Adult Education is expected to increase in 2015. However, there is no additional funding in Governor Brownʼs budget for adult education this year or next.
With the passage of Proposition 30 and higher state revenue in general, the current funding levels (a 70% or more reduction to what we used to run on before 2009) is unacceptable. In other words, maintaining present "skeleton" funding only continues the devastating cuts that adult education has experienced over the last five years since flexibility was implemented.
As you are well aware, these ongoing cuts cripple the ability of our programs to improve the education and skill level of the communities who depend on us to improve their lives and break the cycle of poverty. Due to ongoing insufficient funding, popular classes and entire programs have been cut, and there are long waiting lists for those that remain.
Adult education needs to be restored to pre-2009 levels in order to meet the demand for our programs.
It is teachers' and students' responsibility to communicate with our state representatives to let them know that the current level of funding is insufficient and hurts the communities that depend on adult education.
Please organize letter writing campaigns at your school directed at California state senators and Assembly members. Include these points:
- Adult Education needs more funding now.
- In the last few years adult programs have been deeply cut or eliminated.
- Adult education is essential for getting better jobs.
- Our classes have long waiting lists, and many remain closed.
- Many sites and programs remain closed, including popular Saturday classes.
- We serve only about one third of the students we used to serve.
Here's the website to find legislators' names and contact info:
Adult students fought along with us to get Prop 30 passed.
HERE IS A SAMPLE LETTER YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE
WITH STUDENTS:
Date:
from:
to:
Dear Legislator ________ (name/title here):
I am an adult school teacher/student/community member from your district in Los Angeles. It's great that there are no new cuts to California adult education this year. It's nice to know that so many of our lawmakers understand how important adult education is. However, current funding levels are not sufficient for our needs. We respectfully ask for your support to rebuild our essential programs now, not in a few years.
The deep statewide cuts to adult education during the budget crisis have left our schools and programs much smaller, much more crowded, and in many cases, shut down completely since 2009. In LAUSD, we still have adult education; however, we now have less than half of what we used to. Too many students still don't have classes to attend, and too many teachers did not get their jobs back.
Adult education students and teachers sacrificed during tough economic times, and we worked hard to get Proposition 30 passed in 2012. As a result, money is now coming back into the school district. So why are so many motivated adult students stuck on long waiting lists to get back to our studies? Why are so many classes and programs still closed, or cut back? We need our classes and programs restored this school year.
Adult education is essential to help people get better jobs. It also helps people improve their families' lives and supports healthier communities in many ways. We ask you to invest in the future of our families and our state, and restore funding now to support quality adult education.
Thank you.
Your signature
Your name
link to a copy of this letter in PDF for easy printing here:
This spring, teachers and students should work together to strengthen relationships with local elected representatives and community groups.
As we move ahead in this turbulent restructuring period, we have to to build/strengthen relationships with decision makers in our schools' communities. We want them to get to know us and the great work we do, the students we serve, and the challenges we face.
Ideas: Organize small delegations to your school neighborhood's state legislators' home offices on Fridays. Invite them to visit your school. You can also reach out to City Council members, and speak at your school's neighborhood council and ask for a resolution in support of restoring adult ed.
Places of worship, community groups, what else? Be creative!
For state Senators and Assembly members:http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislators_and_districts/legislators/your_legislator.html
Los Angeles Neighborhood Councils: http://empowerla.org/councils/
Bob Yorgason, CTE teacher, Chair of CFT's CTE Committee, and your UTLA Adult Ed Committee Secretary, is interested in helping coordinate communication with neighborhood councils, on our AE issues as well as the District's misplaced priorities (for example,iPads instead of restoring adult ed and other important things). Contact him to work on this at ryorgason@gmail.com.
THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ANSWERED OUR CALL LAST WEEK
TO PROTEST TEACHER EXCLUSION FROM THE AB 86 CONSORTIA PLANNING PROCESS
Teachers across the state, with the support of our statewide unions, CFT and CTA, are fighting for inclusion as equal partners as planning for the future of CA adult ed moves ahead. The good news is that our voices are definitely being heard.
We refuse to stay quietly in the background and then react to already-completed plans created by administrators and other bureaucrats. Stay posted for more on this, including future actions you and your students can take.
Here's a link to to the video of the hearing January 29th hearing in Sacramento, including public comments at the end by teachers, students, and other supporters.
This video is really worth watching, because of all the supportive and positive statements about the need for improving and rebuilding our programs.
Your Dues at Work (CFT members)...
As a result of union pressure, CFT Secretary-Treasurer Jeff Freitas was speaker #1 during the public comment part of the hearing and very accurately spoke to our concerns.
ESL students from Northern CA speaking at the hearing
Thanks also to L.A.'s Irma Becerra-Nunez, who spoke on behalf of a statewide coalition fighting for state support for Older Adults programs.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Final Grade: first class back UCLA after 19 years—5 unit Capstone Seminar: Classics: Ancient Novel
First class back @UCLA after 19 years—5 unit Capstone Seminar: Classics: Ancient Novel #UCLA http://t.co/h1LlpKYVuU pic.twitter.com/2bdvdmBgzO
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) December 17, 2013While my initial goal was just to pass, earning that “A” really boosted my morale. Class was hard though, hundreds of pages of reading a week for 10+ weeks. Two classes next quarter and I’m done!
Friday, December 13, 2013
UCLA F13 Survived
Noon: turned in overwrought 3750+ word Classics 191 paper. @UCLA F13 done. Won't miss carrying these everywhere #UCLA pic.twitter.com/HSQfjHCnId
— Robert D. Skeels (@rdsathene) December 13, 2013Monday, November 25, 2013
What's left for me to do at UCLA?
It's been a long road for this 48 year old undergraduate. My last complete year of high school was the tenth grade. I passed the GED test while stationed at Pearl Harbor in the Navy. I started at Glendale Community College in 1988 and transfered to UCLA in Spring 1991. I was forced to drop out of UCLA by my capricious employer at the end of the Winter 1995 term before I was able to graduate. Recently, after finishing second in the 2013 LAUSD School Board elections, my wife strongly encouraged me to return to UCLA. Readmission to the UC was painless, and under the new requirements I only had 12 units left to graduate.
I'm currently finishing this, which was the only required class...
and then all that's left is...
I had classes with Professor Morris when I was last at UCLA some nineteen years ago. She's one of the smartest people I've ever known, and it will be nice to study under her again.
I'll be walking in June of 2014—the first time graduating from anything ever for me. Then hard choices. UCLA GSE&IS? Peoples College of Law? A MSW program somewhere? The first two choices are pretty attractive given my social connections and the people who would recommend me. However, I'm not sure at this point. First things first.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Follow the money and you will see the LAUSD School Board's priorities...
This image and introduction are courtesy of my favorite Social Justice Educator. Nothing like a Superintendent and School Board that place profits before pupils!
Please share with others. Don't let Monica Garcia and friends fool people into thinking they are ending the school to prison pipeline when they don't spend money on the classroom and Health and Human Services. Nothing helps end criminalization like great schools! That is where resources need to go!
Follow the money and you will see the LAUSD School Board's priorities.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
VIDEO: United Adult Students' Gilberta Gonzalez speaks in Sacramento
Gilberta Gonzalez of United Adult Students speaking at CCAE 2013 Conference in Sacramento. She is introduced here by CCAE Conference co-Chair, Branka Marceta. Holding the 10,000 petition signatures is Teacher and Evans Adult School graduate Juan Noguera.
UAS: Adult Education and Career Technical Education students presente! We need dedicated funding!
Adult Education & CTE students presente! We need dedicated funding! #AdultEd #Literacy #LAUSD #DTLA #CApolicy twitter.com/AdultStudentsL…
— UnitedAdultStudents (@AdultStudentsLA) May 15, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
United Adult Students (UAS) to rally against Governor Brown's plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
United Adult Students (UAS) to rally against Governor Brown's plan
Los Angeles, California - April 16, 2013 - United Adult Students (UAS) have announced that they will hold a student rally and present petitions containing thousands of signatures opposed to Governor Brown's plan to move adult education to the Community College system.
The details for the event are as follows:
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
7:00AM
Evans Community Adult School
717 N Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
UAS released the following statement.
"We are against Governor Brown’s plan to transfer the Adult Education program of LAUSD to the Community College system. We want our Adult Schools to remain open and accessible in our communities, and with dedicated funding streams.
Estamos en contra del plan del Gobernador Brown de trasladar la Educación de Adultos del Distrito Escolar (LAUSD) a los Colegios Comunitarios. Queremos que nuestras Escuelas para Adultos se mantegan abiertas y acesibles en nuestras comunidades, y con fondos dedicados."
The petitions and ten reasons provided by UAS for signing it can be found on their website at http://www.unitedadultstudents.org/petition_against_governor_brown_s_plan
Founded by students in response to Mónica García and John Deasy's threatened elimination of LAUSD Adult Education in 2012, United Adult Students (UAS) successfully defended much of the program. Through organizing, activism, and lobbying, UAS has proven the collective power of adult students. UAS is the voice of adult education.
Contact:
United Adult Students (UAS)
http://www.unitedadultstudents.org
(213) 986-2492
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Last week was a busy week for the Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board campaign
Monday saw Robert D. Skeels at the Northeast Democratic Club (NEDC) where he and three other candidates, including the incumbent, were asked a series of questions in addition to making an opening statement. The questions were challenging and policy oriented, allowing each candidate's fundamental principles to show. The incumbent, who easily thought she'd win the endorsement, lost heartily with only 70 of the 110 necessary votes to win. We believe that this vote of open endorsement along with the one earlier this month at the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, demonstrates that Los Angeles Democrats have grown tired of the harmful right wing policies embodied by Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and anti-public education reform leaders like the incumbent School Board President. We think these open endorsements indicate people had been waiting for a progressive alternative to Los Angeles education politics long dominated by DFER and the like.
On Tuesday, Robert participated in the third of the candidate forums held by the grassroots organizations comprising the District 2 Neighborhood Coalition. Held at the Boyle Heights Senior Center, the forum was somewhat relaxed compared to the previous evenings' NEDC debate. Audience members were able to ask questions and the format allowed the candidates to flesh out their positions.
On Wednesday Robert D. Skeels learned that he had been endorsed by the Progressive Democrats of Santa Monica Mountains.
On Friday Robert received exciting news that he had earned another critical endorsement—The Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA), who represent administrators in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Only one District 2 candidate has been endorsed by the unions representing the vast majority of Certificated Personnel. Only Robert D. Skeels is endorsed by United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) and Associated Administrators of Los Angeles (AALA). The professionals know who to trust on matters of policy and pedagogy. He has also been endorsed by a broad range of academia, education experts, immigrant rights organizations, veterans, and community groups. A list of featured endorsement appear on his campaign website. That evening Robert attended a meeting of Adult Education Teachers to learn more about Governor Brown's proposed changes that include folding adult education into the already overburdened and underfunded community college system. While a position paper will be released sometime in the future, Robert expressed that he opposes the plan that would make adult adult education less accessible to the community and pulls parents off of their children's K-12 campuses.
Saturday morning was an exciting time with the campaign's third precinct walk held in Boyle Heights. The first two were in Lincoln Heights, then Historic Filipinotown respectively. Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Chris Hume, captured footage and interviews from the Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board campaign's Boyle Heights precinct walking. Filmed on 1st Street in Boyle Heights at the location of our gracious sponsor, Purgatory Pizza, just prior to the group going out to talk to voters.
Featured in the video are two widely respected educators whose support is greatly appreciated.
- Dr. John Fernandez — Teacher, Theodore Roosevelt High School (Ret.) and former Director of the Mexican-American Education Commission for the LAUSD.
- Martha Infante — 2009 CCSS Teacher of the Year, National Board Certified Teacher, Past-President Southern CA Social Science Association, proud public middle school teacher.
Our group of over twenty-four volunteers canvassed Boyle Heights. We learned that the incumbent's event just south of us had fewer participants. That evening the candidate attended an event held by the Trinational Coalition, CEJ, and PEAC to see educator and author Dr. Lois Weiner and Chicago Teachers Union Staff Director Jackson Potter speak at UTLA.
Sunday afternoon consisted of a group of adult education student volunteers phone banking at Robert and Yoon Jung's house, which has become campaign central for many activities. Another documentarian came to interview Robert during that time. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed pupusas from Pupuseria Menchita, who are staunch supporters and are displaying our campaign placard.
Over the same weekend the campaign received additional endorsements from Anne Zerrien-Lee, Vik Chaubey, Marcy Winograd, Ingrid Villeda, and Martha Sanchez.
This weekend is shaping up to be as exciting as last. We're having a press conference and precinct walk in Koreatown on Saturday. Hope to see you there.
Video: Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board, the Community Candidate
Award-winning documentary film-maker Chris Hume captured footage and interviews from the Robert D. Skeels for LAUSD School Board campaign's third weekend of precinct walking. Filmed on 1st Street in Boyle Heights at Purgatory Pizza just prior to the group going out to talk to voters.
Featured in the video are two widely respected educators whose support is greatly appreciated.
Dr. John Fernandez — Teacher, Theodore Roosevelt High School (Ret.) and former Director of the Mexican-American Education Commission for the LAUSD.
Martha Infante — 2009 CCSS Teacher of the Year, National Board Certified Teacher, Past-President Southern CA Social Science Association, proud public middle school teacher.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Robert D. Skeels applauds Eric Garcetti's Efforts to Save The NVOC-Aviation Center
Now, our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality. For we know that it isn't enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger and cup of coffee? — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Adult Education means so much to so many people, especially our immigrant and underprivileged populations. One of the most important priorities of Adult Education is to prepare students for living wage jobs. Nowhere is this more true than in the few remaining vocational schools in Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD) Adult Education division.
Recently LAUSD Superintendent Deasy and President Mónica García have once again expressed their willingness to axe an Adult Education program preparing community members for excellent, well paying jobs. On their chopping block this time is the North Valley Occupational Center's (NVOC) Aviation Center. Much like last year when the Deasy and García duo were all too eager to cut all the programs vital to our economic recovery, City Council Member Eric Garcetti has stepped up where the Superintendent and Board President have failed their constituents.
Last year in his eloquent save Adult Education speech Garcetti spoke about saving "the core" to "grow the economy," and he drove home the point that we grow the economy through adult education. Such speeches, support, and City Council Resolutions set the backdrop for an amazing campaign waged by adult education students, teachers, and community members, who were able to save Adult Education from complete destruction.
Thankfully Garcetti has stood up once again and is on the leading edge of the solution rather than the problem. Instead of accepting Deasy and García's logic that The NVOC-Aviation Center isn't as important as A-G Requirements or implementing more mind numbing standardized tests, Garcetti has been taking bold and innovative action to have the City significantly lower the rent to NVOC. He and the Council are working to get the Federal Aviation Administration to accept the deal. In other words, Councilman Garcetti is putting "students first" in practice.
As a School Board Member I will work hand in hand with leaders who want to serve the community instead of the interests of corporate plutocrats, privateers, and the testing-industrial-complex. I admire Garcetti's willingness to take a principled stand that doesn't just benefit Adult Education students, but benefits our communities at large by creating living —and better— wage jobs. It's sad that the current LAUSD leadership has neither the foresight, nor the concern for the community to care about saving such critical programs.
I commend Eric Garcetti and all the City Council Members who have stood up for LAUSD Adult Education. Real leadership doesn't reconstitute, close down, or privatize. Real leadership seeks local solutions that serve real people.
Eric Garcetti is a candidate for the Mayor of Los Angeles.
Robert D. Skeels is a candidate for the LAUSD Board of Education.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Friday, July 13, 2012
Protesting the Mónica García Privatization Celebration Event
On the morning of Friday July 13, 2012 wealthy charter corporation heads, billionaire funded 501c3 "non-profits," and well heeled business leaders celebrated a "Decade of Corporate Education Reforms" courtesy of LAUSD President Mónica Garcia.
Community members, students, educators, and social justice activists showed up on last minute notice to let Ms. García know that her tenure has been, and continues to be, unbearable to those suffering under her neoliberal regime of privatization and school closures. Several members of United Adult Students were on hand to remind everyone that García has stolen many students' futures have closed so many of our Early Education Center, Adult Education Schools, and SRLDP programs!
The Chamber of Commerce was the perfect place for the chief school privatizer—Mónica García to join her fellow one-percenters, profiteers, privatizers, and poverty pimps, since none of them are about education, they're all about business and revenues instead. Joan Sullivan, Marshall Tuck, Angelica Solis, Elise Buik, Veronica Melvin, and a host of other charter school bandits were on hand to salute Eli Broad and Philip Anschutz's avatar.
We're fighting back. http://www.recallmonicagarcia.com
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
July 15 Recall Mónica García South Central, Trinity Park
This Sunday, July 15, 2012 from 9:00am — 1:00pm, South Central, Trinity Park, corner of Wall Street & 25th Street (3 blocks from Santee Educational Complex), 90011
Information: Vera Padilla marver69@hotmail.com or (323)236-0595
See the complete summer schedule
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