• Adult Education State Director Wyvonne Stevens-Carter continues to issue updates for ACLS programs in Massachusetts to help programs navigate operations while schools and businesses are closed.

• The Raise Up Massachusetts Coalition is asking for your support for Emergency Paid Sick Time legislation, which would expand access to sick time for low-wage employees not covered by federal legislation. Please sign on to support this bill.

• Massachusetts is launching a public awareness campaign to help connected people with resources regarding parent/family support, clothing/household items, physical health, crisis lines/helplines, food/meals, mental health, substance abuse treatment, housing/utilities or domestic violence situations. Download and share these materials with your staff and students.

• The Massachusetts Law Reform Institute has information and help related to the statewide moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency, including fact sheets in multiple languages and interpretation services.

• The US Department of Education Office of Career, technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) continues to answer FAQs and issue COVID-19 guidance for states. 

• Please consider signing on to this request from the Campaign to Invest in America's Workforce urging Congress to immediately invest at least $15.6 billion in our nation's workforce development system, including adult education.

• Listen to a recent podcast from the National Skills Coalition, featuring Massachusetts ABE program Jewish Vocational Services discussing the move to digital learning in response to Covid-19, and the complications of inequities in digital infrastructure, access, and literacy faced by program participants, and how instructors are tasked with creating new learning environments.

• A recent article from MD Atlanta shares how low literacy contributes to a health crisis.

 

Stay Connected to MCAE

 

• MCAE has launched a free webinar series to bring some of the NETWORK content directly to you and your staff. Register now for the next two webinars: 

• May 11 The Struggle is Real: Teacher Self-Care and Balance
  Presented by Allison Reid, ABE Teacher and Consultant
  Teaching is meaningful, important, rewarding...and hard. If we are to do our best work and sustain our efforts, we must find ways to manage the challenges, amplify the positives and maintain our energy. We'll explore practical steps busy teachers can take.
  Registration link

• May 18  Blended and Distance Learning
  Presented by David Rosen, Newsome Associates and Jen Vanek, World Education
  Explore a new, free, online guide to blended learning published by New Readers Press; as well as World Education Ed Tech Center and LINCS resources for moving to and supporting online classes and tutorials during the pandemic.
  Registration link

• Watch for announcements about additional webinars coming soon, and recordings of past webinars that will be posted to the MCAE web site. 

• Join MCAE as an Organizational, Leadership, or Individual Member to help us offset the cost of cancelling NETWORK this year. As a member you'll get early access to some resources and next year's NETWORK conference. 

• Follow and engage with MCAE on Twitter or on Facebook  - we'll be sharing updates and resources there regularly.

• Make sure you are signed up for MCAE Action Alerts to get the latest updates on the state budget process and our fight to sustain and increase the ABE line item during this difficult year.