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August 7, 2020 

Dear MCAE community,
 
MCAE is seeking your thoughts about teaching and learning during the pandemic. If you are a program director, please complete this short survey by August 14 to help us understand the top challenges and opportunities for adult education programs here in Massachusetts.  

This data will be compared with national data from similar surveys, such as this comprehensive look at how programs initially responded and implemented distance learning, published by ProLiteracy, the E-BAES Taskforce, and the EdTech Center at World Education. We look forward to hearing about your experiences and discussing how this information helps us move forward together.

Reach out to me if there's something you need or want to share - a challenge, a question, or a success story! Stay safe and be well.


Rachel Gwaltney
Director, MCAE
rgwaltney@mcae.net
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Updates from the Field
 
Massachusetts Updates

At the end of July, the House and Senate passed and Governor Baker signed a $16.53 billion interim budget to keep Massachusetts funded through October. State lawmakers also suspended the rule requiring their work to be completed by July 31, allowing more time to work on the FY21 budget and other significant issues still on the docket, such as the Safe Communities Act. There is no deadline set for this work, and the fall election season may push some issues up and others back as legislators navigate difficult issues while also campaigning. 

Keep the pressure on your legislators to fund ABE! MCAE has revised our budget ask and is calling upon the Massachusetts legislature to maintain appropriations for adult basic education at $41.05 million for FY 2021, level funding from FY20. Learn more and find out how to contact your legislators here. 

  

The Emergency Paid Sick Time bill has been reported favorably out of the Labor and Workforce Development committee and now moves to the Ways and Means committees of both chambers. Tell your lawmakers they need to pass this important legislation to protect vulnerable workers during the pandemic.
 
MCAE is co-sponsoring a series of free, online Know-Your-Rights trainings. These 30-minute weekly segments on Wednesday evenings cover a variety of topics, including food assistance, voting rights, and unemployment. Please share this series with your communities.
 
New from the MIRA Coalition, the results of a community survey: The Impact of COVID-19 on Immigrants in Massachusetts. From the report:

"We also urge state agencies to significantly step up efforts to ensure language access for Massachusetts' diverse immigrant communities - we have nearly 600,000 limited-English-proficient residents who speak dozens of different languages - and invest in targeted outreach to ensure that immigrants know how to access crucial safety-net programs."
 
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 Federal/National Updates
 
David Rosen recently shared the results of a national survey of Adult Learners' Transition to Online Learning. Find key points about ABE students challenges with accessing classes, the types of learning tools used, and what students suggest could make online learning easier for them.
 
As the federal appropriations process gets moving, the House Labor-HHS Committee recently proposed funding for adult basic and literacy education state grants at $663,955,000, a $7,000,000 increase from FY20. Keep letting your federal representatives know that Adult Education funding needs to be a priority!

Senate Republicans unveiled their version of the next COVID-19 relief package, called the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act. The HEALS Act does not include dedicated funding for Adult Education programs; however Senate Democrats included $1 billion for Adult Education in the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA), which means that the funding request is on the table. Negotiations between Congressional Republicans, Congressional Democrats and the White House are underway right now. Now is the time to engage with your Members of Congress to urge them to include $1 billion for Adult Education in the final COVID-19 relief package.
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Stay Connected to MCAE 
  • 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.
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Resources for ABE Programs
(Links here do not equal endorsements. Programs should decide what best meets their own needs.)
  • The EdTech Center at WorldEd has launched Tips for Distance Learning, with comprehensive guidance on the first steps to take in planning, successful implementation (recruiting, onboarding, teaching, and assessing learners), and locating and evaluating online learning resources. We include information on how to meet virtually with students, links to offers for free or reduced online courses or curricula from publishers known to provide quality ABE learning resources, and a professional development events calendar.
  • Our friends at SABES have many online webinars and opportunities for virtual professional development coming up. See the training calendar here.
  • The Barbara Bush Foundation has published at-home learning toolkits for families, caregivers, and adult learners.
  • Visit AIR's Adult Education Research and Technical Assistance Center (AERTAC) for resources that may assist adult educators on topics such as distance learning, online teaching, digital literacy, and health literacy.
  • The MIRA Coalition is building an evolving library of COVID-19 resources for immigrant communities and advocates.
  • The Boston Foundation has launched a COVID-19 Response Fund to rapidly deploy flexible resources to organizations in Greater Boston that are working with communities that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
  • The Nellie Mae Foundation is maintaining a list of Funding Opportunities for Non-profits Affected by COVID-19.
  • LINCS is compiling resources and ideas for online ABE learning. 
  • In response to growing coronavirus scams, the Federal Trade Commission has created a dedicated web page with information about current scams and guidance on avoiding them.
Resources from Vendors
(Links here do not equal endorsements. Programs should decide what best meets their own needs.)
  • NEW! Steps (Student Training & Education in Public Service) has a new guide with over 100 resources for ESL/ELL students, teachers and parents.
  • New Readers Press is offering free 90-day pilots for many of their programs. Find information and links to resources in their weekly News for You newsletter. 
  • GED Testing Service has resources for preparing for GED testing during COVID-19. 
  • Best Colleges has resources for students working on applying to college.
  • English Discoveries has resources for English-language learners.
  • USA Hello has resources for refugees, asylum seekers, immigrants, and the communities serving them.
  • Essential Education is offering assistance to educators in the form of a low-cost, short-term seat license.  
  • NorthStar is making the Northstar Online Learning (NSOL) unit on Basic Computer Skills available publicly for a period of time to serve those who may be unable to access services in public locations due to COVID-19 restrictions. 
  • KET is offering free access to FastForward and Workplace Essential Skills programs for a 30-day period.
  • Burlington English is offering a free webinar to demonstrate their distance learning services.
  • Digital Promise has compiled many resources for schools and programs to adjust to distance learning during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • The Family Literacy Company has resources for parents and children to learn together at home.
Resources for COVID-19
  • The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance has resources in many languages to share with your community for those needing to apply for unemployment or pandemic unemployment assistance.