rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/letter/support-students-and-teachers-at-chicago-city-colleges?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-letter-area-support-students-and-teachers-at-chicago-city-colleges' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> Alliance for Community Services https://actionnetwork.org/groups/alliance-for-community-services https://actionnetwork.org//images/generic_facebook.jpg The core mission of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) - promoting education and life-long learning for diverse student populations to overcome socioeconomic inequities – is being undermined by a wide range of administration policies. We, the CCC Adult Education Faculty of AFSCME Local 3506, our students and our allies, are calling for a renewed commitment to quality education for those in greatest need, including: ·         Reverse the administration policies and practices that are drastically reducing enrollment, including o   Stop dismissing students that need to repeat a class more than four times. Students who are most likely to need to repeat a class face great challenges such as discrimination, violence, housing instability, and disabilities. They are the people most hurt by this policy. Choosing this pandemic as the time to start enforcing a long-ignored and self-defeating policy is direct negation of life-long learning for diverse learners. o   Stop narrowly measuring success of students and effectiveness of AE teachers. The A.E. department, students and teachers, represent the rich and complex mosaic that is America’s promise. People who have an opportunity to continually learn are able to help their community and our nation to become a better, secure and prosperous place for all and the future generations. Using narrow metrics like retention rates and standardized tests is not supported by research in the field and is a disservice to our communities. o   Stop the outdated top down bureaucratic recruitment. This approach, including a web site only in English and sending recruiters to high schools, has proven to be an ineffective way of engaging students with our Adult Education program. It has resulted in plunging enrollment and missed opportunities for thousands of Chicagoans.   ·         Recommit City Colleges to its historical mission consistent with Chancellor Juan Salgado’s promise: o   Make Adult Education accessible to all. o   Engage pro-actively with, and energetically promote the civil rights of diverse communities, students with disabilities, and other marginalized populations to better meet our educational responsibilities. o   Implement a strategic recruitment plan specific to the Adult Education program, led by our A.E. Faculty, which has the experience and relationships with our diverse communities. https://actionnetwork.org/letters/support-students-and-teachers-at-chicago-city-colleges