Tomorrow many of us will march and rally and walk out (if we are still teaching or can get into a class) for the cause of public education.

California was famous for its record of forward thinking about higher education. In 1960, the state passed a Master Plan for Higher Education, which promised a nearly free college education for any student who could make the grades.

I moved from the East Coast in the late 60s and took part in this great system. Within a year I was paying about $30 per semester at San Francisco State. A lot of us who came for the education benefits stayed and have contributed to the state’s economy since then.

In recent decades, and especially in the Schwarzenegger era, the reality of the Master Plan has eroded and almost disappeared. And there is another part of the education system that is disappearing that is even older than the Master Plan.

I discovered California’s record of forward thinking extended back to 1850 and statehood a few years ago when I added an adult credential to my K12 credential and junior high school teaching experience of some years before.

Since before the Gold Rush, Californians have flocked here from all over the country and the world for a chance to remake their lives. Adult education is the ultimate “remake, reuse, recycle” story.

Our system of free basic adult education was founded in 1850. So, for almost 160 years of California history, if you wanted to learn English, skilled trades, or obtain a high school diploma or its equivalency, you could do this for free.

In February 2008, the governor took a small contingent of lawmakers into a closed-door meeting and began the process of reducing California’s budget deficit by reducing its longstanding programs and guarantees. One of the victims was adult education.

Before this meeting the adult education system, which included some very low fee classes like the “Over 50” programs, computer education and language classes, had a dedicated revenue stream that was funded by Average Daily Attendance (paying the district a certain amount per hour per student), similar to the K12 system.

This ADA guarantee was eliminated during the secret 2008 negotiations as most districts slashed their programs to prepare for funding losses. Oakland Unified School District Adult Ed immediately eliminated most of its Senior and AWD (adults with disabilities) programs.
 
Many teachers in this program receive a low hourly wage and limited benefits and are themselves seniors who depend on these modest earnings.

English as a Second Language Programs, which had been the gateway for immigrants, many of whom attend class after working long hours in restaurant kitchens or other people’s homes, went hat in hand to the district’s K12 administrators and school trustees for any crumbs left after the governor appropriated many of their funds.

Now the state has forced local districts to lay off many of its teachers (OUSD is still paying big bucks for consultants, but that’s another story) while still maintaining its programs for children.

Many of our adult students are considered the throwaway people of our society. They’re old, disabled and poor. They’re immigrants, both documented and undocumented. Worse yet for the students I teach, (when I can teach) most are victims of our justice system and our disintegrating social system.

Instead of attending high school, they were in jail, or raising children at a young age, or taking care of siblings, parents, grandparents. Some of them couch-surfed when no one wanted to take care of them, without ever achieving the most basic educational goal.

I was a counselor to many of these students and had to hold many crying students in my arms, or take them to the nearest shelter, or sign their childcare forms.

Their lives are so stressful that I can hardly describe them for fear that the reader will turn away from the pain their stories invoke.

Now they are showing up after numerous bus rides, little children in tow, to find out that the class they need is not being offered or that there may soon be a fee being charged.

Yeah, I’ll be marching tomorrow for myself and my union, AFT Local 771. We’ve been told that we will no longer be needed after this June. But I’m also marching for my students, our students, whose hopes and dreams are being crushed and whose lives are being rendered unbearable. Please join us.

Oakland Local has a slew of stories about Thursday's events planned to run throughout the week. See our round-up for ways to participate.