NYACCE 59th Annual Conference:
Workshop Session Tuesday May 4, 2010
Pre-Session Fitness Workshop
7:00 a.m. — 8:00 a.m.
Sunrise Basic Yoga Stretch
Presenter: Maria Chefalo, Director of Community Education,
Gates -Chili Central School
Room: Salon F
Start your day off right and enjoy a basic yoga stretch class. Discuss the basic
concepts of yoga, learn yoga breathing and try a few feel good yoga flow moves.
This class is for everyone! The goal is to relax, celebrate and focus on you for an
hour. If you have always wanted to try yoga or already enjoy the benefits of yoga,
join us today. If you can, bring yoga mat, beach towel, or blanket and dress
comfortably. Come see if you might like yoga.
State Education Department: 8:30 a.m. —10:00 a.m.
Presenters: Robert Purga, Supervisor of the Adult Education and Workforce
Development Team,
Dr. Patricia Mooney, State General Education Diploma
Test Administrator,
Constance Carroll, Associate, Adult Education and Workforce
Development Team
Room: Salon A, B & C
New Directions for Adult Education for 2010 –
The merger of the Adult Education and Workforce Development Team with VESID
and the Bureau of Proprietary School Supervision will create a new Deputy
Commissioner-level office dedicated to adult education and training. Robert Purga,
Supervisor of the Adult Education and Workforce Development Team, will discuss
the goals of the new office and the benefits and opportunities that this
reorganization will provide.
Pat Mooney, GED Test Administrator, will provide an update on the Board of
Regents’ Career and College Readiness Committee. This committee was formed in
January 2010 to develop recommendations to be submitted to the Board of Regents
for discussion and approval in July. The recommendations will focus on High
School Diploma Requirements, High School Assessments, and GED policy and
program.
Constance Carroll will present the final draft of the Quality Framework for Adult
Education, first unveiled at the 2008 NYACCE conference and discuss the process
for implementation.
Keynote Speaker - Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier
10:15 a.m. —11:15 a.m.
Dr. Brenda Dann-Messier was nominated by President Obama to be the Assistant Secretary for Vocational
and Adult Education on July 14, 2009. On October 5, 2009 she was confirmed by the United States
Senate and began her official duties on October 13, 2009.
Prior to coming to the United States Department of Education, Dr. Dann-Messier served for a decade as
the President of Dorcas Place a community-based adult education agency based in Providence, Rhode
Island. While working to expand educational and career opportunities for low-income, low-literacy adults,
Brenda has been commended by the R.I. Department of Education for her commitment to the low-skilled
learner.
Under her leadership, Dorcas Place Adult & Family Learning Center has built its capacity to
address the persistent demand for adult education in Rhode Island. Since opening nearly 30 years ago in
Providence, Dorcas Place has expanded from helping four single mothers earn their GEDs to serving more
than 1,000 adults statewide. Programs include day and evening ABE/ASE/ESOL classes, civics and
financial literacy education, college preparatory, family literacy, workforce education and job training programs linked with employers
and industry sectors. The agency also has a statewide Clothing Collaborative program that provides professional attire free of charge
to low-income adults.
Dorcas Place has created innovative programs to meet the changing needs of the diverse community it serves. In 2008, it opened
the RI Welcome Back Center, one of only seven programs in the nation to help foreign-trained health professionals enter the health
care workforce in RI. Recognizing the need to provide intensive academic and personal support to help low-income adult learners
succeed in college, Dorcas Place also recently opened the Developmental Education Institute for reading and math, in collaboration
with the Community College of Rhode Island. In 2008, the agency was one of only 10 in the nation to receive a five-year, federal
Full Service Community Schools grant to establish school-based family literacy and support services at five inner city elementary
schools in Providence.
Dr. Dann-Messier has been a tireless advocate for the adult learner, serving on numerous state and local boards. She was a member
of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education and chaired its Academic and Student Affairs Subcommittee. Brenda
frequently presents at national and international conferences and forums, including the National Commission On Adult Basic
Education, Council for Opportunity in Education, National Center for Family Literacy, and the European Access Network.
Workshop Session 5: 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.
Roundtable Discussions — Join your colleagues in relevant, solution-focused discussions on the following topics:
ABE/GED
Facilitator: Lorraine Bouchard, Herkimer County Boces
Room: Albany
|
Work Force Development
Facilitator: Jeremy Donlon, Literacy West, NY
Room: Troy |
ESOL
Facilitator: Deborah Bokobza, Teacher, Buffalo Adult
Learning Center, Buffalo Public Schools
Room: Colonie
|
Program Managers
Facilitator: Kate Buckley, Greater Southern Tier BOCES
Room: Salon A |
Community Education
Facilitator: Bonnie Coddington, Rush-Henrietta Schools
Room: Schenectady
|
Distance Learning
Facilitator: Alex Pacific
Room: Salon F |
