More to come later, but details were unveiled today for a proposed vocational high school that would be run under a partnership of the Wake County school system and Wake Technical Community College.
The career and technical education high school would open in August 2013 and offer courses in areas such as air conditioning, heating, refrigeration, biopharmaceuticals, collision repair, cosmetology, plumbing, game development and welding. Pending an approved lease, it would be located at the former Coca-Cola Bottling Facility at 2200 South Wilmington Street in Raleigh.
In addition to working with high school students, the facility would offer evening technical courses for adults.
The proposal would be to open for the 2013-14 school year and eventually house up to 700 high school students.
Students would graduate with a high school diploma and college credits that would entitle them to a Wake Tech diploma or a certificate.
The reaction was generally positive today from school board members and county commissioners. But school board member Jim Martin said said he’s concerned about having a standalone high school focused on students who don’t plan to attend college.
UPDATE
Click here to view the handout about the CTE high school.
Comments
...but school board member
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 16:05 — starsonours...but school board member Jim Martin is concerned about having a stand alone high school focused on students who don't plan to attend college... Is it me or does Jim Martin have concerns about everything? He has such a positive attitude and sunny disposition.
...
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 16:15 — SideburnsI don't understand his concern. Maybe it's just not explained enough in the blog post -- but what's wrong with a school focused on students who don't plan on attending college? Isn't that a good thing? The other option may be to watch them drop out.
Not everyone wants a PhD, Mr. Martin.
I'll elaborate more in the
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 16:22 — KeungHui (author)I'll elaborate more in the print edition story, but Martin's contention is that freshmen really don't know yet what they're going to do so putting them in a standalone CTE high school isn't necessarily the best option for them. He's also concerned that the academic courses won't be as rigorous. He said he'd prefer that it be a component of a regular high school so that it would combine college-bound and non-college bound students. He also says that the CTE courses that would be taught would benefit the college-bound students too, giving the example of how the shop courses he took as a student helped him later on.
Way back when I was going to
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 17:24 — loriacWay back when I was going to school, we had regional Cooperative Education centers. Kids went to their regular high schools for Freshmen, Sophomore year. Then, in Junior and senior year they would spend half day or more at the regional center or working in the chosen field - plumbing, car repair, construction, cook, etc. By the time they graduated from high school they had learned a trade and had real world experience.
Let's explore this, Loriac
Fri, 03/30/2012 - 07:39 — clarkshereImagine if this regional center could take two shifts of students, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I agree with Martin - no child should be restricted at 14 to trade school cutting off any hopes of attending a four year institution. However, my plumber and electrician makes more per hour than I do.
Tooling up a high school such as this will take mega bucks. Ask Wake Tech - the computer diagnostic equipment for automotive alone is a huge chunk of change. CNC equipment, welding, this is a huge financial undertaking that should be studied. Where's the money coming from? Tata seems to throw ideas around without building a consensus or developing funding formulas. He reminds me of my niece with ADHD - lets do this, lets do that. No cohesive plan to make it all happen. He's spinning too many plates, considering the CC tight purse strings. However, I like his dreams. But if he cannot get basic funding for regular classrooms, how does he plan to fund this? Tata's writing checks this county can't - no strike that - won't cash, as long as the same CC are in charge.
Ditto...
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 20:06 — Bob_SconceOur county had something like 47 school districts -- they banded together and funded a central vo-tech school that operated about on that model.
I was interested to see computer games in there. I don't think of that as a traditional trade, and I'm not sure it belongs in that category, since games need a *lot* of math. Sure, it's possible to teach, say, 3-D animation tools, but that's not really the same thing.
Is he aware of the OCS
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 16:30 — starsonoursIs he aware of the OCS program that I believe all High Schools currently have? Freshman are place into this program which is almost the same as the stand alone concept.
Let's see
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 15:24 — clarkshereLet's see Gurley fund this!
Gurley won't be the one funding it
Thu, 03/29/2012 - 15:29 — FSandYOUYou will.
And all the rest of the tax payers.