In times like these, educators are often forced to strategize new options to ensure their programs meet the needs of the students they serve. This is especially true within adult education, which is facing drastic changes due to increased budget cuts.
ACSA’s 2009 Adult Education Conference has been specially designed to help school leaders make their way through the financial crisis, which has led to staff reductions, programmatic changes and even school closures. “Adult Education: Not Business as Usual” will feature a variety of speakers and a strategizing session to provide an opportunity for administrators to consider new options for the revival and survival of their programs.
Scheduled for Sept. 23-25 in San Diego, the focus for attendees will be to learn about and discuss new resources to create and maintain programs, provide professional development and apply technology in new ways.
Attendees will have the opportunity to exchange ideas to see how programs are achieving success in a game where the rules have changed.
Conference co-chair Dominick Gagliardi, principal of Escondido Adult School, said the theme, “Not Business As Usual,” focuses on the fact that school districts are going to have to take different approaches to keep their programs fiscally viable.
“Essentially with the current budget reductions to adult education funding and the categorical flexibility that has been applied to that funding – meaning school districts could use that funding for purposes other than adult education – programs will need to be innovative and creative to remain effective and to provide services to their communities,” he said. “While the budget cuts have negative consequences, the categorical flexibility can also provide the opportunity to conduct business differently. There are less restrictions.”
Gagliardi said another change in store for the event is its structure. Rather than the typical conference model of general sessions and breakout workshops, this year participants will remain together on the first day to listen to a variety of speakers and panelists who will provide:
• budget, legislative and credentialing updates;
• suggestions from the state-funded projects such as the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network, California Adult Literacy Professional Development Project and Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems with regard to using technology and providing professional development innovatively;
• marketing and the new adult education brand; and
• recommendations on how to develop successful school board relationships.
On the second day, all participants will be divided into five groups to take the information learned on the first day as a foundation and to discuss how their programs can implement those strategies. Part of the discussion will also include other measures programs are taking to remain viable in their communities and school districts, with a reporting-out session on these ideas before lunch.
“Conference attendees will gain insight into how their colleagues from around the state, from large and small programs are coping with the current fiscal situation and learn how they are doing things differently,” Gagliardi said. “In many respects the content is somewhat the same, but it is the application and implementation of the information into programs that will be different. There will be a greater emphasis on networking, so colleagues can truly learn from each other.”
Gagliardi said that, although many districts are restricting travel and professional learning due to budget restraints, this event is an investment in that it provides practical tips for school leaders to maintain a consistent level of service within their programs.
“The conference committee, along with ACSA staff, felt it was important to continue with the conference to maintain some sense of momentum within the adult education field,” he said. “Additionally, it was felt now more than ever, adult education practitioners needed the opportunity to network with colleagues to learn strategies that could help them keep their programs viable.”
For more information on ACSA’s 2009 Adult Education Conference, click here or contact Kelly Moreno in ACSA’s Educational Services Department at kmoreno@acsa.org or (800) 608-ACSA.