Atlanta Public Schools Adult Education Program

The Atlanta Public Schools (APS) Adult Education Program is helping adults create life-changing opportunities for themselves and their families.

The Adult Education Program, which has four sites around metro Atlanta, offers free basic reading, writing and math skills, high school equivalency (HSE) preparation classes for both options, GED and HiSET, English as a Second Language (ESL), Integrated Educational Training (IET), career services and more.

“I’m really excited about what I’m seeing at our Adult Education Program,” APS interim superintendent Dr. Danielle Battle said. “We need to see more of our community here, more of our parents. If they are literate and have their GED or marketable skills, it’s an opportunity for them to break the generational curse of poverty.”

REGISTER FOR ADULT ED COURSES HERE

Gaelle Petithomme, a recent graduate of the Adult Education Program, always wanted to be a nurse, but needed help to reach her goal.

Petithomme, 27, is from Haiti and did not speak English before arriving in America in 2015.  As she started learning English by watching TV shows, she eventually enrolled in the Adult Education Program and seized the opportunity to continue pursuing her goal of being a nurse.

“[The program] was wonderful. My teachers and everybody were encouraging,” she said. “The program is very helpful. Especially, when you’re from a different country and everything is brand new.”

Petithomme finished the Adult Education Program with her GED and is currently enrolled at West Georgia Technical College pursuing a degree in nursing. She is also the APS Adult Education Exceptional Adult Georgian in Literacy Education (EAGLE) delegate and is in the running for the EAGLE Student of the Year.

“Sometimes, I would doubt myself and think that I could not do it, and then the fact that I accomplished that made me feel that I can do everything that I set my mind to,” Petithomme said. “You can be whatever you want once you graduate. You can go to college, live your dreams or whatever you want to accomplish.”

Not only does the Adult Education Program provide educational resources, but it is also a certified gateway partner able to assist students with government funded programs, such as child and parent services (CAPS), food stamps, Medicaid and Medicare.

REGISTER FOR ADULT ED COURSES HERE

Students can earn a variety of stackable credentials and certifications through integrated education trainings (IET), which can improve their eligibility for better paying jobs.

“There are some 1 million people in the state of Georgia who don’t have a high school credential, and approximately 400,000 of those individuals are in the Atlanta metro area,” APS Adult Education program administrator Dr. Monique Brown said. “We know that there’s a huge gap in earnings between those who hold a high school credential or equivalency as well as those who hold higher education or advanced training. We want to fill in the gap.”

“It’s very important for individuals to be able to help their children with their schoolwork and homework so that they can progress and matriculate through their educational experience and become successful in education,” she added. “We want to assist those who don’t have a high school credential with opportunities that provide them with livable wages, sustainable wages and career exploration, so that they are able to take care of themselves and their families and contribute to their communities and society.”

Adult Education made all the difference to Jane Williams, who has been working for the program as an office assistant for 20 years after completing the program herself.

“We have some really good teachers that are really motivating,” Williams said. “I was 55 years old when I got my GED. If I can do it, you can do it.”

With the encouragement of her teachers, the Adult Education Program boosted her confidence and opened up a job opportunity where she continues to motivate students and recruit others to begin their educational journeys.

“Adult education can mean the difference of being able to work 2-3 jobs at minimum wage and still not making enough money to take care of yourself and pay bills, to earning the stackable credentials in as little as two weeks,” Dr. Brown said. “That pay goes from $13-$15 an hour to $16-$24 an hour with those stackable credentials. That is the difference we’re making in Adult Education.”

REGISTER FOR ADULT ED COURSES HERE

The Adult Education program is also working to remove barriers for adults who may have unique educational needs.

Eric Smart is a current adult education student who is deaf and struggled to find test centers that could accommodate his need for an interpreter. After speaking with Dr. Brown about the barriers hindering his progress, she worked with him to find a better testing center and better accommodations. Once he had what he needed to succeed, Smart was able to pass the test and continue his educational journey.

“This is actually a really good school. I feel like everyone is very friendly and nice,” he signed through Tori Duggins, an interpreter from Dancing Hands Interpreting LLC. “I try my best online to get the learning that I need, and the teachers have been really patient with me, teaching me, working with me and supporting me through the process.”

Smart volunteers with Caring Works Hope House, a peer support group for deaf people struggling with addictions, and hopes to inspire the people there to take advantage of the Adult Education program.

“I really want to focus on breaking down a lot of the barriers that I’ve experienced here,” he said. “Being able to provide interpreters and things of that nature so that when the other people come they can have a better experience all-around in that area.”

There are many more stories of people like Jane Williams, Gaelle Petithomme and Eric Smart who have taken on adult education to improve themselves, their families and the people around them.

“I’ve been doing this for over 20 years now and I’ve worked in adult education in three different states,” Dr. Brown said. “It is always rewarding to see students come full circle. There’s a myriad of stories that stand out that help us come into work and do what we do every day. Plenty of success stories.”

For more information on the Adult Education Program and how to sign-up for courses, visit https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/domain/8413.