Various factors contribute to adults and youth being disconnected from school and work. Some adults and At-Promise youth may be unable to find educational opportunities or employment, while others choose to drop out of school or the workforce for personal, family, or financial reasons. Disconnected youth and adults may come from communities that are also disconnected from opportunity. Our member spotlight features one school and school leader in Southern California that is working to change this issue and connect adults to valuable opportunities.
Pathways Academy Charter School - Adult Education, (PACSAE) was specifically created to meet the unique needs and challenges of students and learners age 16 and older. In collaboration with WIOA partners PACSAE operates in a means that is best for the student to earn a fully accredited high school diploma in a virtual setting. Since 2019, Jarom Luedtke has been the Director of PACSAE and in 2022, became the CEO & Executive Director. For more than two decades Jarom has been leading schools that primarily serve At-Promise students. Prior to educational leadership, he taught in similar schools for many years and even worked as a Probation Officer. As a life-long learner, he holds California Clear Teaching and Administrative Credentials, as well as Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Jarom has significant experience including but not limited to organizational leadership; strategic planning and growth; instructional development; curriculum (especially asynchronous), assessment, accountability oversight; and institution turn-around.
When he is not busy serving the At-Promise community as a father to four amazing children Jarom loves to spend quality time with family. He is also an adventurous explorer of the outdoors, lover of nature, fluent in Spanish, and a voracious reader.
Jarom has a passion for supporting At-Promise and Opportunity Youth students most in need. In collaboration with WIOA partners throughout the state, Pathways Academy's goal is to leverage a holistic approach and provide the full span of educational and support services to meet the needs of each student and get them to the finish line to earn their diploma.
Thank you Jarom for all that you do for your students and communities!
To learn more about Pathways Academy, Jarom can be reached at jluedtke@pathwaysacademy.education