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Important Changes in Texas Adult Education

Questions Answered by Joanie Rethlake, State Director, Texas LEARNS
Administered by Harris County Department of Education

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has entered into an agreement with the Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) in order to better support the adult and community education functions of the agency. Under the agreement, HCDE will provide non-discretionary grant management functions, program assistance and other statewide support services to Adult Education and Family Literacy Providers. TEA will continue to be responsible for all discretionary, policy, and monitoring functions. This realignment is designed to maximize the resources available to support the respective functions of the adult and community education program.

As a result of this agreement, the HCDE assumed operational functions of the Adult and Community Education Division effective August 1, 2003.

Initial transition operations have been conducted out of the TEA Adult Education Division offices in Austin. As of the printing of this newsletter, operations have not yet been physically moved to Houston. Contact information for the new state office in Houston will be posted on TCALL's website, http://www-tcall.tamu.edu, and email discussion lists as soon as that information becomes available.

I am excited to be serving as the manager of the transition and look forward to working with and serving each of you during this period. We have been receiving a number of questions concerning the various adult education programs. This communication will attempt to answer the most frequently asked of those questions, but should you have others, please do not hesitate to contact us.

The Administrators Conference scheduled for August 27-29, 2003 in Austin, originally planned for new administrators, was opened to veteran directors as well. Registration deadline was August 18. For future meetings of administrators, watch TCALL's website calendar.

We are working diligently to complete work on the EL Civics NOGAs (NOGA - notice of grant award) and the Federal Regular Adult Education NOGAs. We recognize that you need these NOGAs as soon possible and we are working diligently to get them to you. We are here to SERVE YOU! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the state office. We look forward to talking to you.

Texas LEARNS
Texas Adult Education and Family Literacy Collaboration
6311 Irvington Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77022-5618
Phone: 713-696-0700
Fax: 713- 696-0797
Toll Free Phone: 866-696-4233

jrethlake@hcde-texas.org