Director

In August of 2019 I was promoted to Director of College and Career Readiness in my school district. My experience in Career Technical Education helped me secure the position which includes support of all 8 indicators on the California Dashboard College/Career Readiness indicator. My new professional responsibilities and the challenges of my personal life through the last two years have kept me from posting here, so I don't know if anyone is still tuned in. If you are, please leave a comment below.

As the majority of employees in my school district are waiting at home for the Coronavirus pandemic to pass, I continue to work with a small team of administrators in the central office brainstorming ideas of how to support our families. We are diligently studying the resources provided by our neighboring districts and contemplating what this lengthy school closure means to our students.

I am preparing a longer post about the impact of COVID 19 on education that I will share soon. While we educators are separated from our students, classrooms, and each other, it's important that we continue to dialogue about education and the issues we are facing. Hopefully the time away will be an opportunity to reflect and prepare for the inevitable changes that await us.

Mastering Competencies?

The student learning experience in Career Technical Education, and by extension in all of public education 6-12, will be focused on a pathway of instructional units based on mastering competencies. These competencies will be identified by specific industry sector partners working with post-secondary and secondary educators identifying key skill sets required for entry level jobs in their industries. Each competency will be assigned 1 unit of college credit from the post-secondary institution, and embedded into the secondary course curricula. Students will retain earned credit as they work towards a degree awarded upon completion of the pathway at the post-secondary institution.

Hybrid High?

Did I mention that my children are homeschooled? I was recently challenged about being a public educator and a homeschool parent. Really? The best possible model for instruction is 1 to 1 regardless of setting. That’s difficult to achieve in a public classroom; it’s much easier if you have a parent willing to stay home with a child and devote their time to his or her learning. Another option is alternative education. No, not continuation school, although that is a wonderful option when it fits the needs of the student. I’m talking about a hybrid model that supports individual students.

Independent study is an option that some students exercise within the public school setting. They are not dependent on a teacher to pace a class, or focus the instruction based on the needs of all of the students in a class. They do not have to go to a building, or wait until tomorrow for their next class session. Instead, the independent study student meets with a credentialed teacher to set his or her own academic goals. The student is then free to pursue their education on their own schedule checking back in with the teacher to assess their progress.

The industrial model of education no longer fits our technological world. Teachers are the facilitators of knowledge, not the keepers. Flipped classrooms, online courses, and alternative education settings are all excellent options for students who want more from their education than they are currently experiencing in the 6-7 period day and the 35+:1 classroom. I believe that a new hybrid model of education that embraces all of the educational resources available, maintains the rigor and relevance of current courses, and that supports students pursuing their own academic interests without restraint is the best possible preparation for college, career, and life.