District Administration - October 2012 - (Page 66)

VocatIonal M 66 October 2012 Not Your Grandparents’ By RoN SCHACHTER • Manufacturing biodiesel fuel. • Building a geodesic-domed greenhouse. • Measuring the environmental impact of abandoned industrial canals. These might well fit the mission of cutting-edge companies specializing in green technologies, or they could be part of the curriculum at an institution of advanced science and engineering such as MIT or Cal Tech. Instead, all of these projects belong to the everyday learning regime for students at some career technical education (CTE) public high schools. Formerly called vocational-technical schools, these institutions have long been known for turning out auto mechanics, carpenters and cosmetologists, as well as graduates in dozens of other trades. The recent “greening” of such schools—in equipping their students for careers in areas such as renewable energy, recycling, environmental engineering and sustainable agriculture, and in bringing environmentally friendly practices even to more traditional trades—is changing the face and the outcomes of vocational training. Programs such as Environmental Technology at Worcester Tech in Massachusetts, the Green Energy Academy at Bloomfield Tech in New Jersey, and “Greengineering” in the Newton (Mass.) Public Schools not only are breaking new ground; they also are sending a large majority of their graduates to two-year and four-year colleges. In addition, these initiatives are proving fertile ground for a STEM curriculum that other high schools are only beginning to implement (see sidebar). While many of these programs—as well as programs in more traditional trades—are offered by regional CTE schools and in some cases include students from more than a dozen surrounding high schools, others are offered by individual districts. All have their own superintendents, principals and program coordinators. Most are also guided by advisory panels consisting of representatives from industry, business and labor. Panel members keep the schools advised of changes in standards and equipment for a given trade, such as construction or HVAC. Some programs are set in individual comprehensive high schools, such as Laguna Creek High School in California. Inevitably Green The green movement in vocationally oriented schools comes as no surprise to Jan Bray, executive director of the Association District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - October 2012

District Administration - October 2012
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Facilities
The Democrats and Republicans’ National Education Platforms
District Profile
Administrator Profile
The Challenge of Assessing Project-Based Learning
Why Teaching Civic Engagement Is Essential
Superintendents’ Frustration Grows, but Intangible Rewards Remain High
Not Your Grandparents’ Vocational School
CIO News
Keeping Pace with Technology Innovation
Managing BYOD Effectively
New Products
Noteworthy Books
Professional Opinion
Professional Opinion
Problem Solution
Going Mobile

District Administration - October 2012