Colleagues,

Beginning on Monday, March 17th, on the Special Topics discussion  
list, we will have a discussion about transition from corrections  
education to community education.  Our guests include Dr. Carolyn  
Buser, Steve Schwalb, John Gordon, and Dr. Stephen Steurer.

I hope you will join our esteemed guests for this discussion. You  
will find background information on them below.

To subscribe to the discussion, go to
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discussion.  If you are already subscribed yourself, please pass on  
this announcement to your colleagues who may be interested.

Background on Discussion Guests

Carolyn (Cay) Buser
Cay Buser joined the United States Department of Education in May of  
2006 as an adult education program specialist with duties as the  
Adult Education and Family Literacy Act (AEFLA) liaison with  
correctional education.  Dr. Buser works with the Western States to  
assist them in the administration of adult education grants.  She  
also is the national resource for coordination with correctional  
education programs and adult education grants.

Prior to her federal appointment, Dr. Buser was director of  
correctional education for the Maryland State Department of  
Education.  Her responsibilities entailed management of the education  
and library programs in Maryland’s adult and juvenile correctional  
systems.  She provided direct support to Maryland’s Educational  
Coordinating Council for Correctional Institutions, the “school  
board” for correctional education headed by the State Superintendent  
of Schools with the State Secretary of Public Safety and Correctional  
Services as a member.

Dr. Buser has been an active member of the Correctional Education  
Association serving as a regional director and is currently on the  
editorial board of the Journal of Correctional Education.  Her  
academic background includes a master’s degree in special education  
and a doctorate in educational policy and administration.  Dr. Buser  
taught English in public middle and high schools in the Midwest, and  
in community colleges in Maryland.  She taught for seven years in  
Maryland’s correctional education program and served as a principal  
in three correctional settings before her appointment as director of  
the State program.


Steve Schwalb
Steve Schwalb has served as President and CEO of Pioneer Human  
Services since April, 2007. Prior to that, Steve had a 33-year career  
in the field of corrections.

After receiving his B.A. degree in Business Administration from the  
University of Washington, he began his corrections career as a  
Personnel Management Specialist trainee with the Federal Bureau of  
Prisons.  He subsequently held various positions of additional  
responsibility, including Personnel Director, Chief of Internal  
Affairs, Warden, Deputy Regional Director and Assistant Director.

In the latter position, Steve was responsible for nationwide  
oversight of the education, vocational training, recreation,  
parenting, transition preparation, citizen volunteers and industrial  
work programs.  Serving in the role of Chief Operating Officer of  
Federal Prison Industries, Inc., he oversaw over 100 factories that  
employ 21,000 inmates and 1,400 staff, and that generated $800  
million in annual sales.

In the mid-1980’s, Steve served as Associate Superintendent and  
Program Manager with the Washington State Department of Corrections,  
and as Director of the King County Jail in Seattle.

During his federal career, Steve was appointed by the President to  
the Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely  
Disabled, and served as chairman for four of his twelve years on the  
committee.

John Gordon
John has worked at the Fortune Society since 2001, first as Director  
of its Education program and more recently as an Associate President  
of Programs. The Fortune Society works with people after they’ve come  
home from prison or jail. Their Education program serves 200-300  
students per year; they offer classes in Adult Basic Education, ESOL,  
and computer skills. Many students are on probation or parole; others  
are mandated by the courts to one of Fortune’s Alternatives to  
Incarceration programs; some are no longer under any criminal justice  
supervision.
Before coming to the Fortune Society, John worked for 16 years as  
Teacher-Director of the Open Book, a community based literacy program  
in Brooklyn, NY. At the Open Book, some of his central concerns  
revolved around developing student leadership and student  
participation in program decision-making; publishing student writing  
and oral histories, and welfare and literacy issues. He published  
several articles on these topics as well as More Than a Job:  A  
Curriculum on Work and Society (New Readers Press). He is an active  
participant in the New York City Coalition for Adult Literacy.
The Fortune Society was founded in 1967 with two main goals: (1) to  
educate the public about prisons, criminal justice issues, and the  
root causes of crime and (2) to provide support for people as they  
come home from prison. Fortune serves over 3,000 former prisoners a  
year, offering education, career development, counseling, substance  
abuse treatment, housing, health services, and alternatives to  
incarceration. It continues to play a strong role in advocating for  
criminal justice and prison reform.

Stephen J. Steurer, Ph.D.
Steve is the  Executive Director of the Correctional Education  
Association, a professional organization of educators who work in  
prisons, jails and juvenile settings.

David J. Rosen
Special Topics Discussion Moderator
djrosen at comcast.net




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