| The need for Adult Schools |
5/23/03 10:13 AM |
| Author:
Doug Baltz
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First, let me thank this committee for this unique and wonderful opportunity to provide input on these issues this past week. I have been impressed at the high level of constructive and civil dialogue of these discussions. This seems to me to be the cutting edge of democracy in the 21st Century.
I am a GED teacher at an Adult School. In my 25 years of teaching experience this is the best and purest educational environment I have ever seen.
My initial response to this bill is "If it's not broke, don't fix it." I do welcome any and all studies to assess Adult Schools' effectiveness because I am confident that the more exposure Adult Schools have the more they will be seen as a valuable contributor to the people of California and the California educational system.
There has been some discussion about moving the Adult Schools under the umbrella of the Community Colleges and I do not believe this would benefit either institution. The Adult Schools are small, safe, and secure parts of the local community. The Adminstrators know 80-90% of the students by face and/or name. The students get individual attention from counselors and teachers on a daily basis if it is needed or warranted. I do not believe you could set up such an intimate setting in a Community College environment.
Adult School classes are open entry/open exit, which does not fit well into Community College structure. Also, the Adult Schools deal with minors who have been referred to us from the courts or other alternative schools and sometimes need disciplinary action by the Assistant Principal.
Which Community College administrator has the training or inclination to deal with those issues. Our Principals and Assistant Principals come from a secondary education backround so it makes sense to keep Adult Schools in that realm.
Finally, an appeal to maintain Adult Schools as they are from or for my students. The Adult School is a part of the community and literally 2-3 generations of families have come to this school for their basic educational needs.These students are the working poor(bus drivers, waitresses, CNA's, mechanics,) who can move up economically with the education provided by Adult Schools, but they are scared to death of the very idea of college. In fact, we have college career guidance couselors on our campus that literally take prospective students on tours of Community College campus's to orient them to that totally foreign environment.
The Adult Schools are a safe haven of learning for our students and are an integral part of each community. Please don't take this special educational environment away from the students who walk, bike,or take a 5 minute drive to "their" school.
Posted as a reply to:
SB 823 - Adult Education by Charles Ratliff 
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