Today is July 1, 2015. July 1 is the first day of the fiscal year. "Fiscal" means money. The first day of the calendar year is January 1. The first day of the fiscal year is July 1.
"A new day" is an idiom that means the start of something big and new. It has a happy feeling.
There are new rules for Adult Education and a new budget. This is great news.
During the bad economy, Adult Schools and Adult Education had many cuts. Many Adult Schools closed. All Adult Schools became smaller.
All across California, we spoke up for Adult Schools and Adult Education. We wore red for Adult Ed. We wrote letters and emails. We went to Sacramento. We told the Legislature and Governor Brown: Adult Education Matters!
People listened. The people of California passed Prop 30 to raise the sales tax and help all Public Education. And the Legislature and the Governor made a new budget for Adult Education.
Now we are beginning again. We this new money, we can grow again like a plant with new water after a long, dry time.
New rules
In the new rules, Adult Schools and Community Colleges work together in Regional Consortia to provide the best Adult Education possible. The name of our Regional Consortia is ACCEL. There are four Adult Schools and three Community Colleges in our Regional Consortia. It serves all of San Mateo County. You can read more about the new system here and here.
New Budget
Finally, we have some money coming in. We can relax and take a breath. We will keep going! The money is not as much money as before the economy crashed. But it is something. It is a good beginning. We can begin again. It is a new day.
Questions and Answers about the Money
How much money is there for Adult Education?
For the next fiscal year (July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016), there is $500,000,000.
Who can use that money?
Members of the new Regional Consortia system. These members could be
- K12 Adult Schools
- Community Colleges
- County Offices of Education
How will the money be given out?
The Superintendent of the California Department of Education and the Chancellor of the Community College System (the two big bosses) will figure out how much money was spent on Adult Education in Adult Schools and County Office of Ed programs in 2012-13 (in certain programs). That amount is called the Maintenance of Effort - the MOE. That means the amount of money to keep things going. Whatever that amount is will go to Adult Schools and County Office of Ed programs. They will get the money by August 31, 2015. The most they can get is 375,000,000.
The leftover money will be given to the Regional Consortia. They must have plans on how to spend the money for Adult Education. They will get the money by November 30, 2015.
What happens in the next fiscal year?
In the fiscal year after this one, there will be new rules.
The Regional Consortia will get money based on
* how much they got before
* how much they need for Adult Education in their area
* how good a job they are doing
Who is the Fiscal Agent?
Remember the term, "fiscal agent"? The fiscal agent is the person in charge of the money. They are kind like the banker in a Monopoly game. They hold and hand out the money. It isn't their money but they are in charge of it.In the new rules, each Regional Consortium can decide to have the money go directly to members or elect a single fiscal agent to hand out the money. Each Regional Consortium can decide.
This is important. Our school community and many other schools asked the Legislature and the Governor for this rule. We wanted to decide who will be the banker for our Regional Consortium.
What programs will get money?
* Basic skills, high school equivalency and diploma (GED and High School Diploma)
* Citizenship and ESL
* Workforce entry or re-entry, including older adults entering or re-entering the workforce
* Adult programs, including for older adults, that help adults help schoolkids to do well in school.
* Adults with disabilities programs
* Short-term Career Tech Education
* Pre-apprenticeship programs and activities.
How will Regional Consortia decide how to give out the extra money left over from the MOE?
Each Regional Consortium has to create a 3-year plan for money and spending money on Adult Education.
All the decisions about giving out the money have to be made in an open meeting with input from stakeholders. Stakeholders are people who have a stake in something. They will feel the results in something. Putting your stake in something means you own it. How will they decide if schools are doing a good job and how will they keep track of everything?
In Fiscal Year 2016, the Community College Chancellor and the California Department of Education Superintendent (the two big bosses) have 25,000,000 to create a data system that can be used for both Adult Schools and Community Colleges. They must also decide what results the Regional Consortia must report on. These results will include these things (and can include more):
* How many adults are served by a Regional Consortium
* How many of the served adults have
-- improved their literacy skills (reading & writing)
-- completed their high school diploma or equivalent (GED)
-- completed a postsecondary certificate, degree, or training program
-- got a job
-- improved their wages (how they money they make at their job)
Gratitude for This New Day. Gratitude for You.
This new day for Adult Schools and Adult Education happened because of hard work from many, many people.
If you
wore Red for Adult Education on Tuesdays
put a bumper sticker on your car
write a letter to the Governor or a Legislator
went to Sacramento
helped make a video
talked to a journalisttalked to your friends and neighbors about Adult Education
joined CCAE
wrote an essay
made a poster
made a banner
went to a conference
or did anything else to help get the message out that Adult Education Matters -
you should feel good. You made a positive difference!
Your effort helped bring this new day to Adult Education.
Your effort made a positive difference for millions of people and their families and communities.
You matter. Your effort matters. Thank you!
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