RE: Adult Education's Flexibility; A Resource to All

I agree with Melanie Wade and Bob Harper. As educators we must look at the whole person and design a school that reflects the values of our democratic society and validates the student as an individual. What is school like when it isn't compulsory? What do schools look like when they can't rely on a captive audience? They look like adult schools. They are student-centered, responsive to students' needs both in a curricular sense and in a broader life skills sense.   Classes are held when the students want to come, and teach the students what they are most motivated to learn - how to raise and support a family, how to create a productive, stable and meaningful life in a new country, and how to fully participate in the community around them. They learn the skills they need quickly and efficiently, and then return to school when they are ready to face their next challenge, whether it be learning the skills for a better job, preparing to pass the GED, or studying to become a U.S. citizen.
What do adult schools need to continue to succeed at their mission? 1) Redistribute unused ADA, or, better yet, remove the ADA caps that limit the students they can serve. Our adult school, capped at 682, serves a community of over 250,000 residents.  2) Improve technological funding for adult schools so they can keep current with new trends in instructional and workplace technology. 3) Increase the revenue limits for adult schools, which are currently about one third of K-12 revenue limits, to a level that can support consistent, quality, cutting edge education for California's adults.