By Dr. Michelle Walker-Davis
On April 14, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel at the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE) 2026 in Indianapolis, Ind., on a topic that sits at the heart of both education and economic opportunity: adult public charter schools. I was joined by Lecester Johnson and Alma Gabriela Salado - leaders and learners who brought this work to life in powerful ways.
What made this conversation particularly meaningful is that it challenged us to confront a reality we can no longer ignore. Our adult literacy crisis, affecting more than 36 million Americans, is not separate from our workforce challenges. It is one of the root causes.
Lecester, with years of experience leading an adult program, and Alma, a graduate of an adult program, made this real. When adult education is designed around learners’ realities and connected to real opportunities, it does more than build skills. It creates pathways to stability, leadership, and generational impact.
Yet millions of adults are still navigating systems that were never designed with their lives in mind. Too often, those systems fail to account for the realities of balancing work, family, and learning. At the same time, we are seeing important national conversations emerge about how adult education should evolve to meet this moment.
From my vantage point as Executive Director of the DC Public Charter School Board, I see adult public charter schools as a critical part of the solution. This is an area where Washington, DC is helping to lead.
In Washington, DC, 16 adult-serving schools serve more tha 5,000 learners under the same legal framework of autonomy and accountability as our PK-12 schools. What makes them distinct is their intentional design for adult learners, offering flexible schedules, integrated supports, and clear pathways to careers and postsecondary success.
But this is not just about access. It is about outcomes.
That is why we introduced the ASPIRE System for adult schools, which defines what quality looks like and how it is measured. ASPIRE focuses on the outcomes that matter most for adult learners: credential attainment, workforce readiness, and postsecondary success. It provides a clear, transparent way to ensure that schools are not only serving adults—but helping them achieve meaningful, life-changing results.
When we invest in adult learners, the return is tangible. We see stronger workforce participation, higher earnings, and more stable families and communities. In DC, adult learners are gaining the skills and confidence needed to re-engage with education and move toward economic mobility.
What I emphasized during the panel is that adult charter schools are not simply programs. They are public schools. They are infrastructure. They represent a fundamental belief that opportunity should not have an expiration date.
If we are serious about building an inclusive economy, then we must be equally serious about building systems that meet adult learners where they are and support them in getting where they want to go.
Other states should be asking: what would it look like to build this kind of infrastructure for adult learners?