RE: Question 1: The Master Plan

It much easier to design or create a system for those students who "fit the mold." They start early, gain experience, graduate high school and go on to postsecondary education eventually graduating.  But if the estimates of recent years are correct, that accounts for about 25% of our youth.  So I believe a Master Plan that under-serves 75% of the students in the system is by design extremely weak  

First we need two separate plans or two division of the Mater Plan, if we are to serve all of public education in California, they would be:
1-	The youth plan, aimed at improving the processes that allow our children to prosper through education in the society they will enter.
2-	The adult plan for those who either by immigration or misspent youth have reached an adult age without the benefit of plan 1.
The reason we need two is that the processes and support structures are extremely different with children and youth then, for adults.  When I speak of adult education I refer to Adult Basic Education (ABE) as contrasted to life long learners (LLL).   For those in ABE, the teaching pedagogy is different and the support structures for independent working adults needs to be uniquely designed for their needs.  

The goal of the Master Plan needs to be; to maximize the resources of the state in order to prepare individuals (type1 and 2 ) to become a fully productive, valued and participative individuals in our society.

The argument between whether community colleges or schools districts do a better job for adults begs the question, which adults?  If you examine adult education today most programs have both ABE and LLL intermixed.  Those who seek English and citizenship with those who are hobbyists and leisure learners are today both part of "Adult Programs" as are those adults in CC's who are taking remedial courses in order to be able to enter into a college level credit program.

In order to maximize the effect of a plan to serve California citizens and ease the conversation between helping youths and/or helping adults, I recommend splitting the two.  In effect, keeping what has been proposed and then working on a second plan that will cover Adult Basic Education, Workforce Preparation, Adult Remediation (for college), and Life Long Learning.   Currently 52% of Community College enrollees are past the age of 25 years, are mostly women (66%), and are composed of a mix of ethnic minorities.  Greater then 10% of Community College enrollees currently hold a bachelor's degree.

Yes, by all means let us try o fix the system for youth education but then, let us convene another statewide effort to look at how and what should be done to improve the educational opportunities for the mature and older citizens.