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Montgomery Adult School’s last Viva Vida conference?

Budget cuts will likely end career-oriented workshops

Kevin Leonard teaching a class on interviewing skills at the April 25 Viva Vida conference
Kevin Leonard teaching a class on interviewing skills at the April 25 Viva Vida conference

For the 11th year in a row, Montgomery Adult School, part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, held their annual Viva Vida conference on April 25. The conference is designed to give students exposure to a variety of skills and career possibilities by attending workshops. The unspoken question at the conference and on the campus was, will this be the last one?

The conference is an all-day event put on by the teachers. Workshop offerings included baking, floral design, connections between vision and learning, goal-setting, Zumba, and more.

The workshop on interviewing skills overflowed. Career coach Kevin Leonard gave students tips for interviewing, which included: follow the interview’s lead; avoid debates; don’t discuss your children; watch your grammar. Students left with websites to search for job openings.

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Students also displayed pastries that teacher Adriana Ventura taught them to make. One student, Angelica Avila, has already started her own pastry business, KikCakes.

Principal Adriana Aldana said Montgomery serves 7500-8000 students annually and offers them a wide variety of classes, some of which are recognized as credits by Southwestern Community College.

Aldana said, “You’ve heard people say I will be the first one in my family to get a college degree. For many of our students, they tell us they want to be the first one in their family to get a GED, or high school diploma, to set an example for their children….

“The mission of adult schools,” Aldana continued, “is to be part of making effective workers and strong family and community members.”

But adult schools are an endangered species. All Montgomery teachers and classified employees have been pink-slipped or received notices of transfer (they will be bumping other teachers.)

Aldana says the problem began in 2008, when districts were given the right to “flex”spend — to spend money from adult education in other budget areas.

Last year, Sweetwater took $1.1 million from adult education; from this year’s budget, the district will take $3 million to spend elsewhere in the district.

Several sources in the district have suggested Montgomery Adult School will be the campus of district superintendent Ed Brand’s “Sweetwater U” project — possibly partnering with Alliant University.

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Kevin Leonard teaching a class on interviewing skills at the April 25 Viva Vida conference
Kevin Leonard teaching a class on interviewing skills at the April 25 Viva Vida conference

For the 11th year in a row, Montgomery Adult School, part of the Sweetwater Union High School District, held their annual Viva Vida conference on April 25. The conference is designed to give students exposure to a variety of skills and career possibilities by attending workshops. The unspoken question at the conference and on the campus was, will this be the last one?

The conference is an all-day event put on by the teachers. Workshop offerings included baking, floral design, connections between vision and learning, goal-setting, Zumba, and more.

The workshop on interviewing skills overflowed. Career coach Kevin Leonard gave students tips for interviewing, which included: follow the interview’s lead; avoid debates; don’t discuss your children; watch your grammar. Students left with websites to search for job openings.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Students also displayed pastries that teacher Adriana Ventura taught them to make. One student, Angelica Avila, has already started her own pastry business, KikCakes.

Principal Adriana Aldana said Montgomery serves 7500-8000 students annually and offers them a wide variety of classes, some of which are recognized as credits by Southwestern Community College.

Aldana said, “You’ve heard people say I will be the first one in my family to get a college degree. For many of our students, they tell us they want to be the first one in their family to get a GED, or high school diploma, to set an example for their children….

“The mission of adult schools,” Aldana continued, “is to be part of making effective workers and strong family and community members.”

But adult schools are an endangered species. All Montgomery teachers and classified employees have been pink-slipped or received notices of transfer (they will be bumping other teachers.)

Aldana says the problem began in 2008, when districts were given the right to “flex”spend — to spend money from adult education in other budget areas.

Last year, Sweetwater took $1.1 million from adult education; from this year’s budget, the district will take $3 million to spend elsewhere in the district.

Several sources in the district have suggested Montgomery Adult School will be the campus of district superintendent Ed Brand’s “Sweetwater U” project — possibly partnering with Alliant University.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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