House Education hears adult learners urge continued support for literacy and workforce programs
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Summary
Students and former students testified to the Vermont House Education Committee on April 16, describing how adult-education classes helped them find jobs, pursue diplomas and rebuild lives; speakers urged more remote classes, better transportation and wider Internet access to remove barriers to participation.
The Vermont House Education Committee on April 16 heard hour-long testimony from adult learners and program staff during Adult Education and Literacy Advocacy Day, as students described how local adult-education programs helped them gain skills, jobs and confidence.
Brian Kravitz, director of outreach and workforce development at Central Vermont Adult Education, opened by thanking the committee and saying students from Central Vermont Adult Education and Vermont Adult Learning would share their stories. "This committee has been so incredibly supportive of our students and our work," Kravitz said.
The first student, Igori Tomelli Smith, identified herself as a Brazil native studying English at Vermont Adult Learning and said limited transportation and lack of affordable Internet keep her from taking online classes. "I have no Internet. I cannot afford Internet right now. I cannot take the online class my teacher wants me to," she told the committee, and she urged expanded remote-learning options and more class availability so she can gain the language skills needed to work and study further.
Michael Glazek, who said he hopes to receive a high-school diploma by June 30, described interrupted schooling, decades of addiction and recent sobriety and credited adult-education services with helping him change careers. "It's never too late to learn," Glazek said, recounting that a referral through a HireAbility program led him to enroll and work with instructors who adapt teaching to his disabilities.
Other learners described similar impacts. A student identifying as Homerson said attending Vermont Adult Learning improved his job performance and confidence and reduced reliance on translators at work. Another participant described going from relying on a phone translator during job interviews to becoming a Walmart team leader after a year of classes.
Former student and artist Michelle Ivar told the committee that classes in civics and persuasive writing helped her engage in community advocacy, support victims of domestic violence and take leadership roles in local organizations. "I learned how to build an argument, how to research an audience," Ivar said, and she urged continued investment in programs that help adults reenter civic life.
Refugee student Dault Tungwa recounted fleeing civil war in South Sudan, years in refugee camps and eventual enrollment in a Montpelier-area adult-education program. He said he expects to graduate with a diploma this June and wants to continue to college and law school; he thanked the committee for support that makes education accessible to refugees.
Across testimony, speakers emphasized concrete barriers: lack of affordable Internet service that prevents participation in recommended online coursework; unreliable or unavailable transportation to attend classes; and limited seat availability in in-person classes. Several asked the committee to sustain or expand funding to preserve existing classes and to support remote-learning options that accommodate adult learners with jobs and family responsibilities.
No motions or votes were recorded in the transcript. Committee members thanked the speakers and offered encouragement; one member noted a background as a math teacher and wished the students success. The hearing concluded with no formal action and no committee directive recorded in the available transcript.
