December Board of Ed: adult education

Wyvonne Stevens-Carter: 

adults seeking high school equivalency or English learning; workers following pathways; those imprisoned exiting; adults working 

Multiple pathways in one system with multiple providers
now reaching over 27 thousand students 

great deal of people (20K) learning English; 7000 or so obtaining high school 
by age group: largest number of students in 25-29 age category
Student Ambassadors: to elevate student voice, build leadership, guide policy from lived experience
"we can be more than dishwashers and housekeepers"
25 students to teach us about work and their experiences
asked to solve the waitlist problem; facilitating classes with students on the waitlist
Future Ready Institute: online academy
Adult Basic Education and English
will next be moving beyond into workplace and industry credentials

"putting learners first above all else"
programs grown when there are funds; when funds are lost, work to make cuts that don't impact students
Hills asks about geographic distribution
Stevens-Carter: statewide online virtual program "can touch anyone in the state"
students will often travel to the closest and nearest program

West: engage in evidence-based policy
"may be the most evidenced based that we have"
"you're doing good work"
where is supply relative to demand?
Stevens-Carter: most operating at full capacity
Some at lower levels; "there is fear in our communities...many fear if they show up at a school that is teaching...we have had ICE show up...more highlighted, definitely more fear"
waitlist is about 20,000
increase in students who have migrated here, there is an increased need for English skills
Mohamed: how long are people on the waitlist? 
love the internally driven initiatives; what are the partnerships
Stevens-Carter: work with 11 community colleges; each industry credential program has a work partner
length of wait depends on local community; all students from the first round of the conversation cafe were able to enter a classroom
Smidy: really living the DESE educational vision
work that is being done is not compliance-focused, it's support focused

Tutwiler: supplemental budget had funding to address waitlist