RE: citizenship in a democracy

I am a school site administrator for adult continuing education.  As administrative leaders in adult continuing education, I hope we are sufficiently concerned with the care and culture of our students to be advocates for their education and not just their schooling.  While it may be necessary for them to improve their vocational skills to secure better job opportunities, it is the other aspects of our mission that help to prepare adult continuing students for participation in a democratic society.  With the current emphasis on accountability, it important for administrative leaders to bear in mind that not all benefits of education may be demonstrated by test data or other statistical measures.  The difference that educators can make in transforming their students' lives is the true measure of effective adult continuing education programs.