Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

img src=”/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/news-icon.png” alt=”news” width=”40″ border=”0″ /><Milwaukee NNSMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!

 

Advertisement
Advertisement

 

  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • On the Block
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • Calendar
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

Thursday, February 21, 2019

You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / Pressure mounts for local GED students as deadline approaches

Pressure mounts for local GED students as deadline approaches

December 4, 2013 by Edgar Mendez Leave a Comment

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Blanca Rodriguez studies for her math exam. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Blanca Rodriguez studies for her math exam. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Admitting that she’s nervous, Blanca Rodriguez sits down to prepare for the final leg in her race to earn her GED (General Educational Development) certificate before changes go into effect and wipe out the progress she’s made. She already passed four of five tests needed for certification. Her final hurdle is the math test.

GED students must pass all their exams by Dec. 12, the last day to take the current version of the test. Beginning in 2014, a costlier, and some say more difficult, version of the test will be administered.

Rodriguez, who’s attended GED prep classes at Journey House, 2110 W. Scott St., since January, said she’s worried because math is her worst subject and she might not pass in time. She wants to earn the certificate for her three young children.

Rodriguez first came to the center at the encouragement of her mother, who took GED classes at Journey House when it was still located at the site of a transformed church on the 1900 block of West Washington Street in Clarke Square. Her mother never finished, but Rodriguez plans to.

“I’m taking my math test later today,” she said.

Adult education centers across the city are making a final push to help students such as Rodriguez to obtain their GEDs now, rather than start over next year. As of June 2013, more than 2,800 students had passed some, but not all, of the GED tests required for certification. MATC, the organization responsible for keeping track of the data for all the sites, could not provide the number of students still in that situation. A spokesperson said 1,648 students earned GEDs at MATC this year.

Glorianne Mather, adult education director at Journey House, has helped 24 students obtain their GEDs this year. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

Glorianne Mather, adult education director at Journey House, has helped 24 students obtain their GEDs this year. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

“Students are nervous, frightened and on edge about finishing,” said Patricia Adams, workforce training and education director at the YWCA, 1915 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. Adams said that since July, 122 students have completed their GEDs at the center. Calls are still coming in from students interested in enrolling in the program, but it’s too late, according to Adams.

“There simply will not be enough time for many of them to successfully finish during the window of time remaining,” Adams said. She added that instructors have to focus on current students before the window closes.

Journey House is still taking new students, but, unless they’ve already passed some of the tests, they are preparing for the new test in 2014, according to Glorianne Mather, adult education director. But most are there to finish.

Chanta Lee, who’s taking her final test before the deadline, thought she had her GED after paying $400 to take the test online. But, when she signed up for phlebotomy courses at MATC, she found out her certificate was not valid. A recent NNS report revealed that “predatory” schools are offering GED hopefuls quick-fix diplomas that are not accepted at most post-secondary schools.

Lee had to start over. She has been taking a test each month, and studying from 9 to 11 a.m. at Journey House daily for six months. She said she ran a successful day care business for seven years, but she’s looking for a career change, and also has something to prove.

“I want my kids to know that they need an education,” said Lee, adding that she didn’t want them to think that because she found success without it, they could too.

Lee will be taking her final exam at the UMOS testing site, 2701 S. Chase Ave. According to Tony Tsai, education manager at UMOS, 161 students have obtained their GEDs there since June, compared to 83 during the same time period the previous year. Tsai said the number of participants is overwhelming, and supplies are running low. But, he said employees are working hard to fill testing slots with people who are near completion, and scrambling to get supplies for them.

“We want to give those students priority and will work to guarantee a seat for them,” said Tsai. UMOS is running seven testing sessions a week for 20 participants at a time, he added.

UMOS and the YWCA both received grants from United Way to help with the final push. The grants enabled both centers to increase staff hours and provide more tests over the past few months.

At Journey House, Mather has been trying to contact students who are only a test or two away, and urge them to come to class and schedule their tests.

The closer the deadline gets, the more nervous she gets, she said. However, for those who choose not to finish by Dec. 12, “I’ll be there tomorrow and they can wait until 2014,” Mather said.

Rodriguez has no need to come back, according to Mather. “She passed her test!”

Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Related

Filed Under: Carousel, Economic Development, Education, Home, Neighborhoods, News Tagged With: Economic Development, Education, ged

About Edgar Mendez

Edgar Mendez is a beat reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service, covering Clarke Square, the neighborhood in which he lives. Prior to joining the team at NNS he was a feature writer for El Conquistador Newspaper in Milwaukee, and a web writer/reporter for Scene262.com in Racine.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Advertisement
Black homeownership is at a historic low. Find out why this matters and hear solutions to the crisis

Black homeownership is at a historic low. Find out why this matters and hear solutions to the crisis

By Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Black homeownership dipped to 41.7 percent nationwide in 2016, a 50-year low. “Locked Out: Solutions to the Black Homeownership Decline” will examine the problems and offer some solutions.

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

Most Popular

  • New editor vows to ‘proceed until apprehended’ New editor vows to ‘proceed until apprehended’
  • ‘We deserve to feel safe in our own skin:’ North Division students march for Black Lives Matter ‘We deserve to feel safe in our own skin:’ North Division students march for Black Lives Matter
  • MPS defends decision to keep schools open despite storm MPS defends decision to keep schools open despite storm
  • Milwaukee County reveals potential locations for youth secure residential facility Milwaukee County reveals potential locations for youth secure residential facility
  • What the closing of Lincoln Hills youth prison means to you and Milwaukee What the closing of Lincoln Hills youth prison means to you and Milwaukee
Advertisement

How To …

How to stay safe when temperatures plummet

How to stay safe when temperatures plummet

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

The City of Milwaukee Health Department (MHD) is reminding all residents to take precautions as single-digit temperatures and record below-zero wind chills move into the area.

Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Email this to someone
email

More "How To" articles

Connect with us

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Upcoming Events

  1. Resume 101: first steps to building your resume

    February 25 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
  2. Locked Out: Solutions to the Black Homeownership Decline

    February 26 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
  3. Lyft offers rides to Wisconsin Black Historical Society in Milwaukee

    February 28 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

View All Events

Advertisement

Links

  • Former Verlo Mattress president to lead Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitteremail Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: biztimes.com Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.   FacebookTwitteremail Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Carmen struggles to bring northwest side school up to success of south side flagship
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitteremail Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: jsonline.com Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.   FacebookTwitteremail Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • Alverno College to host Its first annual girls summit in response to new report
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitteremail Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: milwaukeecourieronline.com Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.   FacebookTwitteremail Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • The legacy of Dr. James Cameron: Founder of America’s Black Holocaust Museum
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitteremail Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: wisconsinlife.org Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.   FacebookTwitteremail Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

  • New pre-apprenticeship programs now available in Milwaukee
    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Print Friendly, PDF & Email

    FacebookTwitteremail Subscribe to NNS Daily: Leave this field empty if you’re human: communityjournal.net Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.   FacebookTwitteremail Related

    Share on Facebook

    Facebook

    Tweet about this on Twitter

    Twitter

    Email this to someone

    email

    Did you like this story? Subscribe to NNS today.  

    Share on Facebook
    Facebook
    Tweet about this on Twitter
    Twitter
    Email this to someone
    email

    Related

Compiled by Andrea Waxman

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • Special Reports
  • Multimedia
    • On The Block
    • NNS Videos
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect Radio

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story
  • Calendar

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Internship opportunities
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2019 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2019 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in