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Adults Going Back To School For New Start

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Sonia Sanabria reads a book in her English for speakers of other languages class at SUPPORT Inc.

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By ADAM EMERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com

Published: February 28, 2009

TAMPA - At a nondescript building near the corner of Armenia and Sligh avenues, dozens have sought salvation from the darkening economy in adult education.

On one side of the building, Marino Martinez, 55, is learning the English language to find better work beyond the smattering of cleaning jobs he and his wife have found in Tampa. In his native Colombia, Martinez worked as a civil engineer. However, most employers here have turned him away. "We just want a better job," he said.

On another side, Priscilla Hernandez, 23, is studying for the GED, eager to find work to support a son at home and another child due in April. Her husband recently left, and, with no high school diploma, she had no job prospects. "I had nothing," she said through tears. "I want my children to say, 'She did what she had to do to make a better life for us.' They are my motivation."

With unemployment rising, they and hundreds more out-of-work adults in Hillsborough County are swamping adult education classes to prepare for the General Educational Development test or to strengthen their English-speaking skills.

Demand for GED classes alone in Hillsborough County increased about 20 percent in the last six months of 2008 from the same period the previous year, according to school district figures.

Each student has a story, but all are there for the same underlying reason: the economy has boxed them into a corner and they need a better education to fight their way out.

Martinez and Hernandez are attending classes at Support Inc., one of dozens of adult education centers in Hillsborough County whose programs are administered by the school district.

Like most of those centers, the recent demand for services at Support Inc. has created a constant waiting list. Many who seek entry are referred to other programs, said Michelle Loango, an adult education administrator with the school district.

As the economy worsens, however, it becomes harder for schools to meet that demand. State revenue to the school district has declined, so it becomes harder to open more programs for students waiting to get in.

Although enrollment has spiked, state support for workforce education has declined by 4 percent, said Elsa Tuggle, the school district's director of adult and community education. The county's programs now are running with larger classes and the district has cut some positions with falling support.

"It's a real challenge," Tuggle said. "We have to do more with fewer resources."

The same is true in practically every county, but the same economic forces socking state revenue are pushing more people back to school.

Many of these students found plenty of work during the Bay area's boom years, but rising unemployment has made them unattractive to employers who can select applicants with advanced degrees, Loango said.

Even the GED isn't the final step. Many who successfully take the test move on to technical education or to a community college for a shot at a better job.

"Now they have the time, unfortunately, to pursue a higher education," Loango said.

For Charleen Vereen, a 26-year-old mother of three from Tampa, the adult education she receives has a residual effect on her children, she said. Since she returned to school, she says her children have improved academically themselves.

Now, she has her eye on college, and a future as a patient care technician.

"I can't sit and wait around," Vereen said. "I just want to get my foot in the door."

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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