Jodi Loeffler

In navigating the complexities of Adult Education I have developed several key strengths of leadership. These strengths include the ability to be agile, create inclusive learning environments and respond quickly to the needs of the community. Adult Education leaders need to be adept in their knowledge of local economic and workforce development. This knowledge is critical to assist families as they learn English, complete their adult secondary education and/or get their footing on the rail of employment that will help lift them from poverty. As an administrator at Bakersfield Adult School (BAS) over the last 18 years, I have directed both administrative and instructional changes to support our students, instructors, and staff through a changing landscape. Leadership at adult school is a unique challenge in that students attend voluntarily. Adult school is not compulsory. Our teachers and instructional programs must be relevant to both educational and workforce development needs of the community. In 2023-2024 approximately one third of BAS students had a child attending the Kern High School District or attending a KHSD feeder school. We know when we educate the parent, we educate the child. Another unique challenge of adult school is managing the school budget. As an Assistant Principal, Supervising Administrator, and now Director, I have helped to grow the budget from approximately nine million dollars to approximately 18 million dollars (including multiple account strings). I have spearheaded writing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), The Adult Education Block Grant (now California Adult Education Program), as well as the Carl Perkins Grant. By receiving both Title I and Title II WIOA funding, Bakersfield Adult School is uniquely equipped to support the parents of Kern High School District students as well as the broader, diverse community of Bakersfield. Growing the budget has been a direct result of Student Learning Gains through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (Title II). Within the Adult Education parameters, Student Learning Gains are required to continue to receive WIOA grant funding. The growth of BAS revenue is a direct result of my knowledge of multiple grant requirements and my leadership in maximizing Student Learning Outcomes from the required data collection. Adult Education leaders need to have their fingers on the pulse of shifting state priorities, anticipate changes, and develop long and short-term strategies to respond to the changes. I am passionate about developing programs and centers that can serve the students and community in multifaceted ways. For example, in 2016, I helped to create the 1600 Café, located in Americas Job Center, which provides culinary training to students (in food preparation and service) as well as provide the co-located organizations (e.g., Americas Job Center staff) a cross-pollination of public service employees that further strengthens these partnerships. The Café was a direct result of my relationship with the County of Kern, CAO. BAS was the first call when they considered an educational partner for space in the county building. I have also played an integral role in the development of the Job Spot, a multiagency collaborative micro-campus. Since it opened in 2017, the Job Spot has been co-located with Bakersfield College and has assisted ESL, GED, Citizenship and High School Diploma students to attain their goals. More recently, in 2021, I helped create the Recycling Lives program, working with the County of Kern, and the Kern Alliance for Business to serve adults with multiple barriers including homelessness. In 2023, I was integral to the creation of the Neurodiagnostic program. The first new EEG program in over twenty years was created to alleviate the vast shortage of EEG technicians here in our community. Moreover, very soon BAS will open the Renaissance at Baker (Job Spot 2.0), a collaboration with the Housing Authority. This unique opportunity will bring educational resources directly to the community living in public housing located in the Renaissance at Baker. The pandemic has compressed the inevitable acceleration of distance learning for adult education. This is another unique challenge to Adult Education as we balance the need for in-person instruction as well as online instruction. Technology will continue to transform education, challenging the traditional agrarian calendar—originally designed around farming seasons rather than modern learning needs. As education evolves, strong instructional leadership, digital literacy, and curricular innovation become essential. These leadership strengths are especially critical in serving our students, many of whom are balancing the demands of learning English, gaining basic technical skills, and caring for their families. Strategically embedding “added value” to the adult education learner, BAS can continue to assist the parents of Kern High School District students and lift families with the greatest socio-economic need. Many of the adult students attend BAS to learn English, with the goal of obtaining entry level employment. Once students enroll and begin learning, they gain the confidence to continue to enroll in the high school diploma and/or CTE programs, which improve their employment prospects. With 18 years of experience at BAS, I bring a leadership approach focused on preserving the school’s incredible strengths while thoughtfully addressing areas of need. I remain committed to adapting to student-centered needs and evolving state requirements to ensure our programs stay responsive, relevant, and impactful.

• Bachelor’s, 06/89, Cal State University Bakersfield - Chemistry
• Master’s, 07/00, University of Laverne Bakersfield - School Counseling/PPS
• Teaching Credential CLAD authorized 9/2002
• Administrative Credential 6/2004 University of Laverne Bakersfield
• Associate of Science, Dental Hygiene, Registered Dental Hygienist,1997-Taft College

• Administrative Credential, 06/04
• Teaching Credential, CLAD Authorized, 09/02
• Masters School Counseling/P.P.S. Credential, 07/00
• Associate of Science – Dental Hygiene, Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH), 06/97

• Kern Economic Development Corp Foundation Board Member, 01/24- Current
• Community Transit Advisory Group, 01/21- 01/23
• Kern Adult Literacy Board Member, 01/14- 01/18
• Kern Adult Literacy Secretary, 01/12- 01/14
• Kern Economic Development Corp Foundation Board Member, 01/12-01/19

• Association of California School Administrators, 01/08- Current, Member
• California Adult Education Administrators Association, 01/09-Current, Secretary
• Outreach and Technical Assistance Network Advisory group member, 01/10-Current
• Vice President California Council of Adult Education, 01/08-01/10, Member
• Multiple WASC accreditation teams