Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/994766
in the same district for years. Almost 90 percent of the teachers are part-time. MacDonald and Hess realized they share the same goals of improving work- ing conditions for teachers and students. The two worked diligently, and soon 23 members were signed up at their school site. Monthly meetings with the new reps b ecam e a regul ar o ccurrence, w h ere teachers openly communicated about job issues, perhaps for the first time in years. With growing membership came the realization that if AE teachers united, they could have a stronger voice and cre- ate positive changes. Change started on a small scale. The scho o l sit e's wat er fount ain had not worked in nearly two decades. The duo and others demanded a working water fountain, and water is now flowing. Ne x t t h e y v o i c e d t h e c o n c e r n s of members about the tripping hazard of the unevenly landscaped school court- yard, which caused several teachers to stumble and one to twist an ankle. After a grievance was filed, the problem was fixed. en they helped to get video cam- eras and lighting installed in the school parking lot to improve safety. Buoyed by these successes, Hess and MacDonald turned their sights on bigger issues impacting AE. Demanding fair treatment L i ke m a ny e d u c a t o r s w h o t e a c h A E throughout the state, MacDonald and Hess have not been offered full-time work by the Pittsburgh Unified School District. By hiring part-timers, districts can avoid paying benefits and health care. e reps have been vocal about the unfairness of this situation. "Adult education teachers have wanted full-time positions as long as I've been working here since 2001," says MacDon- ald. " We are working toward bettering this situation." ey believe the key to solving the AE teaching shortage in their district and others is to offer full-time jobs with ben- efits. They say the shortage has caused students to be turned away, classes to be canceled, and remaining classes to be severely overcrowded. Since the AE teachers became involved in PEA, the union is more aware of their " Adult education teachers have wanted full-time positions as long as I've been working here. We are working toward bettering this situation." — Jean MacDonald, Pittsburg Education Association MacDonald and Hess are both teachers at the Pittsburg Adult Education Center. Adult Education Numbers of adult education students served in K-12 programs and community colleges, 2016-17. K-12 Adult Education programs Adult Basic Education: 45,905 (8.1%) Adult Secondary Education: 127,973 (22.8%) ESL: 203,709 (36.3%) Career Technical Education: 122,195 (21.8%) Adults With Disabilities: 4,250 (0.8%) Subtotal: 560,998 Community College Adult Education Adult Basic Education: 62,480 (22.5%) Adult Secondary Education: 18,856 (6.8%) ESL: 92,242 (33.2%) Career Technical Education: 71,643 (25.8%) Adults With Disabilities: 2,896 (1.0%) Subtotal: 277,315 Total: 838,313 In contrast, in 2008-09, the total number of adult students served in K-12 programs and community col- leges combined was 2,270,649. Source: "Adult Education Block Grant Program Progress Report, October 2017," CDE and CCCCO. 53 J U N E / J U L Y 2 018