Like beauty, the answer to that question varies from eye to eye. California has been a pioneer of public adult education, really in the whole world. Public school district-supported ESL classes for adult immigrants were offered in 1856 in the basement of Old St. Mary’s Church in San Francisco. That tradition of local schools offering classes for adults, “night school” for working adults to develop English literacy, or finish a HS diploma, has been a critical service in California’s economic development and commitment to equity and social mobility.
Continue Reading