Schools

Hartford Stops Governor's Plan to Shift Tech Schools to Towns

Legislature sponsors 10-month study to improve tech schools, not shift them from state to local funding.

State Representative Michelle Cook, D-65 of Torrington, was present at Friday's vote on the Vocational Technical School Bill. She reports, “The Education Committee will study every angle, with an eye towards improving the schools rather than eliminating them. Nothing can happen until the study is complete, which will be due January 15, 2012. What will happen is the Education Committee will get to see that report and will make further decisions across the board.”

 Bill number 6385  states who can sit on the task force and how it will formed. Cook said, “The governor is going to have to come up with another way to save money. The vote was unanimous. No one wants to see the change go through. We are one step closer to where we want it to be, to maintain the vitality and educational component, and to strengthen it in every way possible.”

Deputy State Education Commissioner George A. Coleman, Acting Commissioner of Education, said, “One of the things that should please the people is that the governor has acknowledged that the technical schools are very high functioning schools, and they have made a tremendous investment in the state. The students are the highest performing in the state, and given the tangible evidence, these schools, in fact, are an asset not a burden.

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"I lived in Danbury, and Abbot has a tremendous program for students. We want to assure that those opportunities are not abridged or undermined," Coleman said.

There are many reasons why maintaining Connecticut's vocational schools is important. Superintendent Patricia Ciccone, Connecticut Technical High School System, said, "All of the technical schools meet a specific mission, which is different than high school. They have the same burden of providing immersion, life long learning, success in completing academics and preparing the students for college. However, the vo-tech schools also have a responsibility to respond to changing technologies. They are working with hvac, carpentry, green products, all new environmental technology. We need a school like Abbot to be sure that when changes in technology occur, we have the capacity to incorporate those changes into trade curriculum. We are presenting a knowledgeable work force that is state wide."

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While 40% of the students go directly into the trade technology workforce with full time jobs, approximately 55% of graduating students attend universities. The adult Licensed Practice Nurse program has a 100% job placement rate. Another 5-6%  go into the military, and we have recruiters who are looking for the skills these kids have. When a career becomes a component, this particular school is significant. Other kids may have been slightly exposed to heating or electrical, but our students come out electricians. There is a very big difference in what we are doing."

Besides the technical aspect, Ciccone said, "When you overlay the technical education and academics, and when that is done well, you see performance enhanced boosts. It gives the students a level of confidence. If you think about what they are doing, they are entrusted with equipment, they are learning that when they get a length of magnificent cherry wood, it is a very big deal if they cut that wrong. They become very confident, and responsible, and that is an important component. Women used to have math phobia, but our kids have confidence, and that level of confidence allows them to ask for help, to seek out the steps to solve problems. The more confidence they have, the better they do in academics. Many students in mainstream schools don't have an ability to put their knowledge into practice until they finish college."

State Representative Dan Carter, said, "A lot of businesses were concerned that the quality of education would be decreased if the schools are handed over to the towns. They voted to make it a study....give it a little more thought and time. That means they are going to have to raise revenue.  The governor is going to make some sensible reductions in spending, line by line. Each reduction has an impact on somebody, and people don't want to lose what they already have. We have to look at who is doing the best job, especially when talking about vocational schools that serve the region. We have to look at that."


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