Stronger Together: Students Meeting with Students

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Adult Education matters, right?

Right!

For everyone in California!

So how can we work work together to save and rebuild Adult Education for all California?

San Mateo Adult School students visited Berkeley Adult School to talk about this.

Every month, Berkeley Adult School has an open meeting in the morning and in the evening for students.  San Mateo Adult School students came to the morning meeting November 25th, 2013.

Teacher Kristen Pursley came from West Contra Costa and COSAS to carry the message back to students at her school and everyone she knows in COSAS.

San Mateo Adult Students attend the Berkeley Adult School Monthly Student Meeting
  Morning Pres Marco, Advocate Marina, ESL & GED Student Leo, Evening Vice Pres Maricruz, and Teacher Cynthia

We discussed the situation now for Adult Education:

     * Adult Schools need their own money - Designated Funding

     * We are starting a new system - the Regional Consortia system

     * Students need a voice in planning for the new system

     * We feel hopeful but we don't know the future - we need to keep working.

We discussed things we have done to help save and rebuild Adult Education:

     * Writing letters, emails, postcards to the Governor and the Legislature
    
     * Making and signing petitions

     * Rallies and press conferences

     * Events - Adult School Week, Essay Contest, etc.

     * Going to Sacramento to talk to Legislators  or attend rallies and inviting Legislators to campus

     * Attend School Board meetings - connect with local City Council - invite them to visit

     * Press - radio, tv, Newspapers, Letters to the Editor
    
     * Videos and websites and blogs

     * Bumper stickers

     * Join CCAE

     * Make and build community - get to know each other - increase school spirit and power

     * Make money so students have the power to buy things and support advocacy

     * Attend the Townhall about the new Regional Consortia

     * Write essays for the Student Blog - encourage others

     * Red for Adult Ed every Tuesday.

We discussed things we want to do in the future:

      * Red for Adult Ed every Tuesday - statewide campaign

     *  More student participation in planning the new Regional Consortia

     * Student Council for Berkeley Adult School
 
     * GED and High School Diploma participation in SMAS Student Council

     * Sign petitions for Adult Education and Designated Funding

     * Attend the CCAE Bay Section Conference March 1st in Berkeley

     * Go to CCAE Leg Day in Sacramento March 19th


It was a very powerful meeting.

We realized:

     *  We are not alone

     * We all have strengths and challenges

     * We can work together.  We are stronger together.



We hope to have more meetings with more schools. 

We encourage you to meet with us or other schools.

Why?

 

Because Adult Education matters!

 

for all of us!

Kristen Pursley of COSAS, Berkeley Adult School Students,
San Mateo Adult School Students