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Free City Funding Chopped in Half: Students Left City College Fights to Revive Adult Education Amid Surging Demand to Question Their Fate Under Lurie’s Reign By John R. Adkins jradproduction@gmail.com

alaya Redondiez, a 20-year-old student at City College, says she would not be here without Free City.

Redondiez is in her third year at the college, where she volunteers as a peer educator for Project Survive, teaching a curriculum in domestic violence and abuse prevention. “City College reaches so many places in this country Free city funding continued on page 3

“I came to City College because first and foremost I love learning, and I love learning without the pressure of having to take these courses that I don't even care about to fill in my major. I'm actually able to take classes that support what I want to do right now,” Malaya Redondiez said. Redondiez is one of many students who would not be able to call City College home without the help of Free City. San Francisco, Calif. December 2, 2024. Photo by John Adkins/ The Guardsman.

By Rebeca Becerra Soto rebecabecerra13@gmail.com

ity College grapples with increasing demands for adult education and the administration is now considering how to reinstate and expand these programs despite significant challenges related to funding, staffing, and logistics. The demand for adult education has reportedly grown as more working adults seek opportunities for career advancement and personal development. The American Federation of Teachers Local 2121 has raised concerns they had regarding the needs of English-learning adults specifically. Students and advocates are particularly interested in courses that offer career-oriented training, foundational skills like English and math, and pathways to higher education. Professor Alisa Messer, who teaches an English 1A class, noted in June 2024 that her waiting list was as large as a full-sized class. English 1A is a gateway course required for students pursuing advanced courses, and Messer is not the only professor dealing with long waitlists. More than 200 students are currently on waitlists for the English 1A class, aiming to use this course as a stepping stone to further their careers. Historically, City College used to offer a wide selection of adult education courses, serving thousands of students annually. However, reductions in recent years due to budget cuts and declining enrollment during the pandemic have significantly scaled the program back. The pandemic caused a sharp drop in adult education enrollment as students faced financial and personal challenges, a trend that has persisted even after the return to in-person classes. This continued decline has further strained the college, which was already grappling with reduced funding and staffing. Six people in the English department were laid off in spring 2022. This Adult education continued on page 2

Lead Contamination Found in Child Development Center on Ocean Campus By Maxime Leonard mapleleonard3@gmail.com

wo sinks tested positive for lead in the City College Child Development Center on Ocean Campus. Sinks in the child care center were tested without warning by the state of California. The topic was brought up in the Facilities Committee meeting on October 28 by Maria Salazar-Colón, claiming that while parents of children were notified, employees were not. “No one notified the workers that there was lead found in the water, that’s inappropriate,” Salazar-Colón said in the meeting. “It puts the workers in danger [and] it puts the children in danger.” The realization of the state’s inconspicuous presence also raised concerns at the Facilities Committee Meeting about unauthorized individuals being able to enter the childcare center. The sinks were tested on August 19, although there were originally no plans to test the sinks considering the current bungalows the childcare center resides in were built after 2010. The sinks were tested as a precaution, and two sinks had lead levels higher than the standard, according to Akiyo Mineo-Aldis, the head caretaker in the child development center. The bungalows in which the child development center resides were originally built with 200 bungalows but later moved to where the soccer field currently resides before its current location behind the library and next to the football field. Nathan Garcia told Mineo-Aldis that bungalows 215 and 216 were built in 2016 or 2017 meaning they did not need to be tested. Child Development Department chair Rosario Villasana and Facilities Committee Chair Alberto Vasquez did not respond to requests for comment

on the results of the tests. As soon as lead contamination was confirmed, parents were swiftly notified, and both sinks had their water supply turned off and taped off to prevent them from being used until they could be replaced. A bright yellow pamphlet was handed out to parents warning of the dangers of lead around children, and parents were encouraged to get testing done at the doctor's office. The pamphlet was two-sided, with one side written in English and the other in Mandarin. At the time of publication, both sinks in question have already been replaced. After they were replaced, staff in the childcare center were instructed to run both taps for 30 seconds, four times a day, for three weeks. As of Dec. 9, the childcare center is in its final week of running the faucets before a secondary lead test can be conducted to ensure the problem has been resolved. While Mineo-Aldis was concerned about the kids, she was not concerned about getting tested herself. Parents who tested their children for lead all reported back clean results. Mineo-Aldis also noted that these tests and procedures are standard preventative maintenance and should not be indicative of the quality of facilities in the child development center. As of 2018, California has had an amendment to a health and safety code around lead exposure in childcare centers stating that “A licensed child day care center… that is located in a building that was constructed before January 1, 2010, shall have its drinking water tested for lead contamination levels on or after January 1, 2020, but no later than January 1, 2023, and every five years after the date of the initial test.”

One of two sinks in the Ocean Campus child development center that tested positive for lead. As of November 15 it had not yet been replaced and remained taped off to ensure its dormancy. San Francisco, Calif. November 15, 2024. Photo by John Adkins /The Guardsman.

The sink on the right had recently been replaced after testing positive for lead. This was one of two sinks in the Ocean Campus child development center that needed to be replaced. San Francisco, Calif. November 15, 2024. Photo by John Adkins /The Guardsman.

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Interactive Art Tour Around CCSF Campuses

CCSF Students Get Free Entry at Home Games

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