Budget Cuts Run Deep on Adult Education

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AT A RECENT STUDENT COUNCIL MEETING, EVANS ADULT SCHOOL TEACHER JUAN NOGUERA CALLED FOR A MEETING.
Noguera: Why? Because a lot of important changes are happening…in terms of money, budget, how we need to allocate the money. It’s going to be very difficult because the whole the whole district is going into cutting, cutting, cutting.
EVANS ADULT SCHOOL IN DOWNTOWN L-A IS PART OF THE L-A UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND AS NOGUERA SAYS, IT’S CUTTING CUTTING CUTTING. LAUSD IS FACING A 640 MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT. AND THAT’S LEAVING EVANS IN A VERY DIFFICULT SPOT. AT THE VERY MOMENT THE DOWN ECONOMY IS FREEING PEOPLE’S SCHEDULES TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL AND APPLICATIONS ARE UP, BUDGET CUTS HAVE MEANT EVANS HAS NO ROOM FOR THEM.
EVANS ADULT SCHOOL PRINCIPAL DANETTE ROE SAYS SHE’S BEEN FORCED TO CUT TEACHER HOURS BY A WHOPPING 41 PERCENT. SHE SAYS THAT’S SIMPLY MEANT SLASHING CLASSES.
We had to look at totally cutting our Sunday program. We cut down our Saturday program. And the other classes we just filled up to the max. Then we started out in September having a lot of closed classes, meaning we had to turn people away.
TALK TO TEACHERS AND ADVISORS AROUND EVANS AND YOU’LL FIND THE LITANY OF CUTS IS LONG.
“We used to have 160 teachers. Now we have 100.”
“Fewer materials. We’re were worried about paper. We’re worried about how many clicks there are, meaning the use of a Xerox machine. We’re searching around for pens and pencils and paper clips. It’s gotten pretty bad.”
THAT WAS 40 YEAR ADULT SCHOOL VETERAN ANGELO D’ELIA AND 36 YEAR VETERAN TEACHER LOIS COMEAU.
LAUSD SUPERINTENDANT RAMON CORTINES AGREES ADULT EDUCATION IS A CRITICAL PART OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
“Most districts and this one, have overlooked adult education. They have not connected it with pre-k, early adult education, etc. How do you support parents? How do you help parents? Not only to help their children, but how do you help them in acquiring skills so they can get better jobs and they can create a better life for their family.”
BUT CORTINES SAYS HE’S FORCED TO SPREAD THE PAIN AROUND, AND ADULT SCHOOL IS NOT IMMUNE.
They have to understand it is going to be different, and I don’t have anything to say about that. It’s the economy in this state and in this nation.
TEACHER JUAN NOGUERA, WHO ADVISES EVANS’ STUDENT COUNCIL KNOWS THE IMPORTANCE OF ADULT EDUCATION. NOGUERA FLED CIVIL WAR IN NICAUGUA IN THE LATE 80’S. NOGUERA LANDED IN L-A WITH NO EDUCATION AND NO ENGLISH. HE QUICKLY FOUND HIS WAY TO EVANS ADULT SCHOOL. NOGUERA WENT ON TO GET A BACHELORS DEGREE AND HE’S BEEN TEACHING OTHER ADULTS AT EVANS FOR 10 YEARS NOW. NOGUERA WORKS NON-STOP. HOLDS FUNDRAISER AFTER FUNDRAISER, AND HE BUOYS EVERYONE AT THE SCHOOL’S HOPES.
Hope is the last thing we have to lose. I don’t think we’re going to lose any hope here. I think we need to continue. Why? Because I am a product of adult education. I am the result of adult education. I am the example of what adult education can do to a human being. I think that is important. My job here is to try to get more students into becoming more effective elements in this society and to make California a better place.
WHILE THE SITUATION AT LAUSD REMAINS GRIM, EVANS RECENTLY RECEIVED ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS IN HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEY’VE ADDED A FEW MORE CLASSES JUST THIS MONTH. PRINCIPAL DANETTE ROE SAYS IT’S ONE QUALITY OF ADULT EDUCATION. IT’S NIMBLE AND CAN REACT QUICKLY TO WHATEVER IS THROWN AT IT.
RICHIE DUCHON ANNENBERG RADIO NEWS.