Karen
Reynolds
Contributing Writer
Tricia
Johnson, director of adult education at the Southeastern Career
Center in Versailles, addressed concerns about the GED or General
Education Developmental Diploma program being cut.
According to Johnson, the possible cuts are more like a restructuring
or re-vamping of the program. She sees it as a challenging opportunity
to work through the process to come out better, stronger,
and more effective.
The situation revolves around being able to write an acceptable
grant by this Friday, May 7. The paperwork to write the grant
usually arrives in January of a new year but arrived in April
this year. And, once the grant proposal is accepted, the adult
education department will actually see an increase because the
Department of Workforce Development is adding funding for regional
coordinators.
This means there could be potential for more funding in the
long run, but the concerns are "not knowing", which
stirs up a lot of questions. While this is the usual procedure,
all teachers for this program have received RIF notices including
the director of adult education, Johnson. This is normal based
on the fact that the department doesnt even know how much
funding they will receive from year to year. The budget is tight
and will be even tighter if they dont get state and federal
funds which they usually receive, according to Johnson.
The funding for the GED program in 2010 is being restructured
by the State of Indiana. This local program has been based on
six counties, but will be restructured to reflect the new Region
9 Workforce area. Funding also comes through 12 local schools
who feed into the career center. They support programming with
funds and space.
What difference does the GED program make in our community?
Anyone over 16 years of age who doesnt have a high school
diploma is eligible for the GED diploma. Receiving one enables
people to improve the quality of their lives. The program is
free and covers six counties: Ripley, Dearborn, Jefferson, Jennings,
Ohio and Switzerland. It also includes ESL or English as a Second
Language.
The Adult Education Center does more than just GED classes and
testing. They pre-test people to see where they place academically.
They counsel people as to which step to take next in their academic
placement.
In addition, they work with Workforce 1 and Family Services.
They feel that support is key to the success of
the individual student. They do all this hard work to improve
the quality of peoples lives through education, according
to Johnson.
The mission statement of the Adult Education Center is simple:
Believe to achieve. Their goals are clearly stated
as making a difference in the lives of others by seeing people
have a learning gain, get their GED, gain employment, retain
employment, and enroll in post-secondary education or career
training.
The program has been in existence for more than 30 years. It
has grown steadily and has continued to change with the changing
needs of students. While the amount of students enrolled varies
from year to year, right now 355 students are enrolled for the
2009-2010 school year.
If you are interested in enrolling for the GED program or night
classes of any kind, contact the Southeastern Career Center
and talk with Tricia Johnson at 812-689-5253 ext. 233 or email
her at tjohnson@sccenter.k12.in.us. She will be happy to answer
questions and help get you enrolled.