Berkeley Adult School blog

Here’s an important message from CCAE Bay Section President and VP, Debbie Norgaard and Bob Harper;

For many decades The California Council for Adult Education has been the voice of the field advocating for public adult education in our state.  Since 2008 we have experienced devastating cuts to adult schools, and school districts have been given the “flexibility” to sweep adult education funds.   In these last few years no organization has been more effective in keeping our interests on the radar.   Although the details of Assembly AB189 did not fully resolve the threat to adult education, its success this year, passing both houses of legislature and being signed by the Governor, was the most hopeful news for adult ed. from Sacramento in a long time.   That happened in large part due to the coordinated efforts of CCAE.

The next legislative cycle begins this spring.   Even as the economy continues to recover much too slowly, the ideas about what adult ed. will be in the future need to be formed and presented now.   The advocacy efforts of CCAE will continue and expand.  They need the support of all those in our state who care about the future of adult education.   Our future may well be decided in the next two years.

If you are a current member of CCAE, can you ask your colleagues if they are members?  Can you recruit those who have never been a member of the organization?  If you were a member in the past, can you renew your membership now?   We need to expand the circle of support.  Working together we can assure that adult students in all parts of our state will continue to have an adult school to welcome them.  If our advocacy is stronger with more members to our organization than ever, 2012 can be our year to make a difference.

Renew membership or send new members here to join:

http://ccaestate.org/how_to_join.html

Debbie Norgaard, President – Bay Section CCAE

Bob Harper, Vice President, Membership – Bay Section CCAE