400,000 metro Atlanta adults don’t have high school diplomas. APS wants to change that.
Atlanta Public Schools says its Adult Education Program is growing.
Channel 2′s Berndt Petersen stopped by an English class on pronouns on Friday.
“It takes the place of a noun,” the instructor told the class, but Gaelle Petit-Homme already knew that.
She came to America and the Atlanta Public Schools Adult Education Program years ago.
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When Petit-Homme lived in Haiti, there was no high school near her home. She emigrated to Atlanta and set her sights on earning a diploma. She already spoke three languages, but English was not one of them.
“I would never change anything. It’s the best thing I did to come here,” Petit-Homme said.
“She dove into the GED portion and taught herself English by watching American TV. She rose to the occasion,” Dr. Monique Brown said.
Dr. Brown runs the program. She says 400,000 metro Atlanta adults don’t have a high school diploma. APS is tackling the problem.
“When the dust settles, people need a high school credential in order to gain employment and careers instead of just jobs,” Dr. Brown said.
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The program currently has 360 students. Administrators want to triple enrollment this year.
Petit-Homme graduated last semester at the top of her class and is now in college.
“The GED program helps people to achieve that, and with the help of the teachers you can get there,” she said.
Click here to learn more about the APS Adult Education Program.
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