- Minutes - DRAFT
Adult Education Advisory Council Meeting
April 10, 2017
Bates Technical College, South Campus
http://www.sbctc.edu/about/task-forces-work-groups/aeac/meeting-materials.aspx
Members Present: Lynn Christofersen, Chair, Laurie Shannon, Vice-Chair, Catherine Cantrell, Michele Cook, Christie Flynn for Mindy Coslor, Susan Crane, Anne Goranson, Kathi Hiyane-Brown, Diane Klontz, Mike Paris, Eleni Papadakis, Dave Petersen, Babette Roberts for David Stillman, and Jon Kerr, BEdA State Director and AEAC Secretary
Members Absent: Marty Brown, Mindy Coslor, Bryce Humpherys, Bob Raphael, David Stillman and Lisa van der Lugt
Staff: Ha Nguyen, BEdA staff; and Christy Lowder, BEdA staff
Welcome, introductions, and agenda review
Lynn Christofersen welcomed the council and introductions were made. The agenda was reviewed and accepted as proposed.
Business Meeting
· Approval of Meeting Minutes - Motion made to approve the Winter 2017 meeting minutes as submitted. The motion was seconded – minutes were unanimously approved.
· Announcements:
o Marty Brown is retiring 6/30/17 – Jon recapped the section from the Fall minutes.
§ 5 candidates have been interviewed this past week.
§ 4/28/17 will be the stakeholder forums in the SeaTac area
o Reminder that meeting materials will be posted to the AEAC website two weeks prior to each meeting, so you are able to print and review items prior to the meeting date. We will only bring copies of items that were not posted prior to the meeting.
Review of Mission, Vision & Values – Lynn Christofersen
Lynn reviewed the draft of the Mission, Vision and Values for adoption by the council – Motion made to approve the Mission, Vision & Values as submitted. The motion was seconded
Discussion:
· Vision question – what’s the difference between living wage and self-sufficiency? Yes and No, it’s determined by location/where living/region.
· The vision stimulates conversations among partners and communities
· What’s the end goal? To put food banks out of business? Getting people to the Tipping Point, it’s a progression getting to a living wage and then becoming self-sufficient.
Vote called – for: yes, opposed: none, abstentions: none
Review of Goals – Ha Nguyen
Ha had the members break into small work groups to work on the goals developed at the last meeting and here are the results:
· Goal 1:
Foster, support, and advocate the scaling and sustainability of innovative college and career pathways that move Washingtonians to wage progression resulting in vibrant communities and economic stability.
· Goal 2:
Advocate at the state and federal levels for a stable funding model for adult education.
· Goal 3:
Work with system partners to ensure that every BEdA student is funded to complete their workforce education objectives.
· Goal 4:
Implement proven marketing strategies to engage individuals, families, employers, and others in basic skills workforce education opportunities.
· Goal 5:
Promote relevant faculty, staff, and partner professional development in support of the implementation of the Talent and Prosperity for All (TAP) and Basic Education for Adults WIOA plan.
· Goal 6:
Use data to ensure equitable student access, success, and completion in order to close the achievement gap for unserved/underserved populations.
· Goal 7:
Participate fully in local WIOA partnerships to identify, support, and meet employment and training needs of all WorkSource customers by working as one system.
Legislative Update – Jon Kerr
· Operations Budget Request, AEAC website
Most important to AEAC in terms of Adult Education is in the Operating Budget
~ Stable Funding: $49.6 million to covers funding for current level of operations, Cost of living adjustments (SOLAs) for faculty and staff.
~ $81 Million to Close the Skill Gap and Fill Jobs: The $81 million for guided pathways—with $7.3 million dedicated to expand the MESA programs to all colleges
~ $11.3 Million for I-BEST for additional 900 FTE
~ $10.3 Million to expand Opportunity Grant: 660 more students could be funded.
~ $34 Million to Invest in Teaching and Learning: increase faculty and staff salaries and move more part-time positions to full-time.
~ 13.6 Million Create a Safe Learning Environment:
And we support WSAC’s request to increase the State Need Grant.
· Senate and House Budget – highlights from Edward Esparza, Policy Associate, SBCTC, AEAC website
The House budget is supportive to basic skills; however, the Senate budget is not as supportive, they came up with a new take on TANF, to use the money for Opportunity Grants/State Need Grant
· Basic Education for Adults WIOA Master & IELCE Grant Update-Jon Kerr
~ We have preliminarily approved 41 providers from the 2017-22 RFA; we received 43 applications, 1 was not funded and 1 withdrew their application
AEAC Task Forces – Ha Nguyen
· Outreach update – Troy Goracke (SBCTC) and Laurie Shannon (OSPI) have been meeting with partners and finding that the relationships need to be rebuilt, there has been turn over and the meetings have gone by the way-side. We need to help rebuild the face-to-face relationships so that there isn’t doubt about who you are referring and what will happen when they get there.
· Fine Forgiveness update – Troy and Laurie have also heard that fines are a problem with getting people back into school.
AEAC draft work plan – Lynn Christofersen and Ha Nguyen
SBCTC populated a draft work plan based on the Vision, Mission, & Values. The council broke into work groups to work on the draft work plan. These drafts were gathered and SBCTC will take and implement the requested modifications and bring a new draft to the Retreat.
A Work Plan Task Force was developed to work on this prior to the Retreat: Eleni Papadakis, Babs Roberts and Jon Kerr.
Federal Update – Jon Kerr
Jon shared that there is a national campaign to save adult education funding
· March on the Hill report, AEAC website
· We were lucky to provide input into the questions asked of Secretary DeVos at her confirmation hearing. As a result, this was the question asked:
“As you well know, while some adults enrolled in adult education are still seeking their high school diploma or equivalent, a surprising number of American adults with a high school diploma still struggle with basic skills. Twenty percent (20%) of adults with a high school diploma have less-than-basic literacy skills and 35% of adults with a high school degree have less-than-basic numeracy skills. According to a recent study, conducted by OECD's Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), at least three million low-skilled American adults would like to enroll in Adult Education services, but cannot access a program. Without access, undereducated, underprepared adults cannot qualify for jobs with family sustaining incomes that require not only a high school equivalency, but also some college-preferably a one- or two-year certificate. Adults without a high school diploma or functioning below high school level have a difficult time qualifying for community college programs or access high demand occupations. If confirmed, how do you envision the Department and the Administration incorporating Adult Education into its competitiveness agenda?”
Betsy DeVos’s response: “In raising the issue of "undereducated, underprepared adults" you make a case for the need to improve education. When schools fail our students, there are long term consequences, both for individuals who are deprived of the knowledge and skills they need to be successful and our nation which is dependent on the innovative, creative and economic contributions of it citizens. It is why we need to do more to provide parents with high quality educational options. Sadly, too many Americans are suffering from a lack of skills.
President Trump made improving the employment opportunities of these Americans a cornerstone of his campaign, and his administration will work to improve the prospects of those left behind in this economy. If confirmed, I will work with the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education and other relevant agencies to improve outcomes for adult learners. Combined with other efforts across the government, we have an opportunity to restore the American Dream for all Americans.”
While her answer did not seem to provide any specifics on Adult Education, it at least put us on record as being instrumental to the education of basic skills adults and tied more closely to the Administration’s agenda.
· The March on the Hill launched the joint Call to Action by the National Council of State Directors of Adult Education and COABE (Coalition on Adult Basic Education). Their goal is to work with all providers and supporters of Adult Education to generate a massive outpouring of support.
The Message is simple: No Cuts to Adult Education
They hope to:
o Generate a massive outpouring for our provision
o Goal: 500 contacts per congressional district and 5,000 per senator (WA has 2 senators & 10 representatives)
o Letters directed to DC offices of the members of Congress
o Telephone calls directed to DC offices of the members of Congress
o Email directed to DC offices of the members of Congress
We will be working with CBS to engage students and faculty in this work as allowed. We of course provide guidance on what is allowable and not allowable in terms of lobbying.
So the question to the council is this, would you like to lend your support to the effort as a council and or individuals?
Lynn asked the council, do we have a motion to support this work and send a letter on behalf of the AEAC? Motion made to send a letter from the council, vs. individuals and have Lynn Christofersen sign was unanimously approved – no abstentions. The letter will be shared with the council prior to submission.
· Contact Info for WA State Senators and Representatives, AEAC website
Next Meeting Potential Topics:
§ Detailed overview of Work Plan & Definitions/glossary and what it means
§ Can someone come present on Guided Pathways (YVC/Pierce)
§ Funding update – options we know
§ Meta-majors
The 2016-17 AEAC Meeting Schedule:
· June 7-8, 2017 (1.5 days, usually 8:30 to 4:30 and then 8:30 to 1:30 ) – The Icicle Inn, Leavenworth, WA
Draft 5/22/17 Page 4