For the 32,000 residents within Bedford Public School District, the dedication of local educators has left a powerful impact.

“One of the students was very, very successful, scored very high and had amazing computer skills,” said Cherie Reed, director of Adult Education and Enrichment programs at Bedford. “I wanted to promote his success and decided to hire that student to work with our students as a computer technician. So this former student is going to be in the computer lab helping.”

Having its students become the teachers is something Reed finds unique in her program.

“We’ve had students who finished the program and came back and volunteered,” Reed said. “One came in and is almost finished with their computer training program, and another is in the medical field.”

The adult education program, which began in the 1960s, is currently serving 45 students in ABE and GED preparation courses. Though funding cuts have caused the program to drop its high school completion and ESL courses over the years, the staff remains optimistic of the program’s future.

“It’s thinking spur-of-the-moment and being innovative,” Reed said. “We’re always trying new things.”

Bedford Adult Education works with students aged 18 to 62. Though at one point they had many nationalities enrolled, the majority now are white.

“Now that we don’t have ESL, we don’t have many countries represented. At one time, we had 11 countries represented,” Reed said.

When Bedford dropped its adult education program acceptance age to 18, staff found that most students had basic computer skills but still needed help. Instead of trying to figure out which class a student best fit into, they started an assessment test to see what skills its students had, and which ones they lacked. Classes are offered based on the needs identified from the assessment test results.

Bedford also promotes group studies, graduation ceremonies and holiday parties, where students can bring a dish to share with staff and other students.

While the staff strives to understand what the adult learner needs in the classroom, they also understand that getting to class is perhaps the most challenging task for that student.

“There’s always a challenge with the adult student and all the other things competing for attention or their time,” Reed said. “Whenever they have the opportunity to work, they want to work.”

Bedford does its best to adapt to these unsure situations, such as family issues or car problems, by working to provide childcare, or at times, calling a taxi.

For the winter semester, the program is implementing a new format that will adjust the class and time offerings to better suit their students.

 “We have four students who are very low in literacy skills,” Reed said. “So we’re trying to boost that up. We’re involved in the library and literacy council in Monroe so they don’t have to drive (there), which is a 20-mile drive. That’s hard when your car’s breaking down or you don’t have any gas money.”

Recently, the program received a No Worker Left Behind grant and was able to hire extra staff, add computer training and career skill courses, and a mentorship program. This comes as monumental help for a program with three teachers, a tutor and a computer technician.

“We’ve been running on a shoestring for so long. We weren’t able to purchase new books. We had a volunteer librarian checking out old books because we can’t get the new books,” Reed said. “Sometimes people will donate, but we do whatever we can to cover the basics.”

In addition, Bedford’s Community Education program was awarded MACAE’s District of the Year Award, showing that it’s not the size of the district, but the devotion that leads to success.

“It was really a good feeling to be recognized by your peers,” Reed said. “A lot of times, you look at the numbers, and we don’t have those numbers. So it was really an honor to be valued for what we do and do well.”

Reed, who has been working in adult education for 11 years, finds value in the daily tasks her job offers.

“It is a challenge, and there is a lot going on all the time. Situations occur and you have to make quick decisions, but when you see the success stories, when you know you’re making people’s lives better, it’s so inspiring,” she said.
In Bedford it’s the teamwork, camaraderie and determination of everyone involved that makes this program such a success.

If you would like more information, please visit the Bedford Community Education Web Site, or call (734) 850-6036.