Equitable Adult Learning

Anyone who wonders whether education systems can be transformed for social justice must read this book. In Equitable Adult Learning, the leaders of four quite different organizations that serve diverse adult learners very well show readers what they do, how they got there, what their challenges have been, and how they address those challenges. This is one of the most inspiring books I've read about education transformation. - Christine Sleeter, Professor Emerita, California State University Monterey Bay, USA, and Member of the National Academy of Education. How deeply humbling it is to see a framework for transforming colleges of education be so brilliantly and impactfully adapted and utilized in the field of adult education. In this inspiring book, Hughes, Sands, and Kalmus collaborate with four cutting-edge organizations and institutions to model what it can mean to engage in critical self-assessment, creative strategic planning, and courageous changes and initiatives that center equity in adult education. Essential reading not merely for scholars and practitioners of adult education, but really for anyone looking for practical tools and concrete steps to transform organizations and institutions toward justice. - Kevin Kumashiro, Cofounder of Education Deans for Justice and Equity (EDJE). Hughes, Sands and Kalmus have done the field of adult education a great service. While social change and transformation have been consistent themes in adult education, this book allows us to delve deeper and ask whether organizations are doing what they set out to do, what the obstacles are, and in the end how do these organizations view themselves. As Hughes, Sands, and Kalmus conclude, evolution and adaptation are key aspects of organizational survival and growth. This is a welcome addition to the AAACE/Routledge series on Adult Continuing Education (full disclosure - with which I am affiliated). - Amy D. Rose, Professor Emerita, Northern Illinois University, USA. Within this book, four organizations engage in a guided and intensive evaluation process of their own structures, processes, and values. The volume offers both the promise and the challenge facing educators who wish to move beyond transactional training to engage in transformative education. This is not easy work, but it is worthwhile. The end result is a book that represents the best that theory-to-practice literature can offer: a volume that is engaging, accessible, and important. - Joann S. Olson, Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Adult and Higher Education, University of Houston-Victoria, USA.