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Adult Ed: Taking the Long Road Back to SchoolEWA Webinar

Aug. 7, 2014Emily Richmond, Public Editor

+Adult Ed: The Long Road Back to School

For many Adult Education students, the first of day of classes is coming after a long break from learning – in some cases, it may have been decades.

Who are the newcomers to your district’s Adult Ed program? Are they new to town, or are they local dropouts returning to the system? What motivated them to give school another try? How are they balancing school with work-life obligations?

+Questions to Consider

How much money does your district have for Adult Ed? Are there new resources this year, such as competency-based online programs? What resources would the administrators add if they had more funds?

How is your district preparing for the switch to the new online GED?

What public-private partnerships are supporting the Adult Ed program? Are the trade unions offering apprenticeships? Are companies providing job re-training?

+The Hidden Story …

Many Adult Ed students are actually still teenagers – often as young as 17. Ask why they’ve opted out of their traditional high school. In some cases, students are eager to escape the campus climate: Bullying and gangs are common threads. Be prepared to hear students – particularly the girls -- talk about “too much drama.”