WEINGARTEN, COFFEY: Here’s how an Ohio school district has transformed education

In a small rural corner in the south-east OhioThere is something transformative happening. The region’s public schools promote economic and community renewal in Appalachia. While much has been said about America’s declining high school test scores, New Lexington Schools opens up real opportunities for students and offers a blueprint for relevant, engaging public schools that meet the needs of local communities.

At New Lexington schools, every student is exposed early and often to hands-on learning, career exploration, and real-world skills that prepare them for life after high school. On a recent visit, students proudly displayed their work — from the school farm where students manage crops and livestock, to blood draw laboratories, to an industrial kitchen. In middle school, we visited classes full of career exploration. The district’s new workforce development center will include a health clinic, adult education programs and other programs for students and the community.

With support from grants and local partnerships, the district has built a welding program, a fabrication laboratory and an electrical trade track through a partnership with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The students are leaving now high school With industry recognized credentials and apprenticeship opportunities within reach. Through a partnership with Genesis HealthCare System, students begin training as phlebotomists and health care workers before graduating. They gain experience in real hospitals while meeting the workforce needs of the region. The district has also added programs ranging from drone adoption to media production, with more planning around advanced manufacturing and broadband technology.

Randi Weingarten: Trump’s decision to close the Department of Education is not only illegal, it is wrong

New Lexington also focuses on well-being and meeting the needs of the whole child. Every dollar spent on these types of programs generates an average of $7 back into the community. All students receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and schools work with local agencies to ensure there are adequate counselors and specialists Mental health Service providers. Preschool has been expanded to five days a week. There are after-school programs and services for families, and the district is using strategies to address the opioid crisis. Schools have added driver education and other programs to make sure students can get to their jobs.

File – New Lexington also focuses on well-being and meeting the needs of the whole child. (Istock)

The district also works to make child care affordable for teachers and staff and gives students valuable experience at the same time. The Cub Academy day care program provides affordable child care to teachers and others in the community and gives students in the educational program, where they earn college credits, the opportunity to get their clinical field experience in child care and education there.

At a time when many young people feel disconnected from school and uncertain about their future, New Lexington’s approach to career and technical education and career exploration drives student engagement, provides students with true ownership of their future, ensures student well-being and breathes new life into a rural community. It also breaks down barriers by making CTE part of what all students experience, not a separate school that only some kids attend.

The results are impressive. During the past school year, 780 area students participating in these programs earned 1,551 industry certifications linked to job opportunities in their area. By expanding these hands-on learning experiences that make school relevant and engaging for every student and meet the needs of children and families, the district’s graduation rate has increased from 78% in 2018 to 99% today. Attendance rates have increased, and the district is seeing enrollment grow as families want to be a part of the amazing public education being offered.

Click here for more Fox News opinions

In our visit together, we heard directly from students about the impact New Lexington’s approach has had on their lives and futures, including a student participating in the apprenticeship program with IBEW and a student in the media program who will graduate with the associate’s degree he earned while at New Lexington High School.

File Photo – There is no secret recipe for New Lexington’s success. At the heart of this work is a belief in community and relationships – where educators, unions, businesses and nonprofits can partner on programs and supports for students and families and truly make their schools a driver of growth and opportunity for the region. (Istock)

There is no secret recipe for New Lexington’s success. At the heart of this work is a belief in community and relationships – where educators, unions, businesses and nonprofits can partner on programs and supports for students and families and truly make their schools a driver of growth and opportunity for the region. At New Lexington, teachers are truly heard, respected and supported. For this reason, as well President of the National Union of Teachers As District Superintendent, we want to showcase this collaborative approach to CTE and community-based education that can and should be adapted across the country.

The New Lexington area faces long-standing challenges similar to those faced by other rural communities – increasing poverty, the opioid addiction crisis, limited resources, barriers to post-secondary access, and workforce shortages. Only a small percentage of its students were able to complete a full four-year college degree after high school. But New Lexington did not back down from these challenges; Everyone has rolled up their sleeves to identify solutions and partnerships Reimagining public school As a means of transforming society.

FILE – As a nation, we must learn from what places like New Lexington are doing and use it as a blueprint for investing in the kind of strong, meaningful public education across America. (Istock)

Educators worked with families and businesses to ensure that the school met the needs of the community and provided pathways to good jobs in New Lexington. The district looked at the industries in the area and the types of jobs offered in those industries and built programs around them. This work starts early, as third-graders get their first welding experiences (with lots of supervision!). It’s about changing perceptions — about what students can do, what rural schools can be, and what kind of future is possible for places like the New Lexington area and beyond.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

As a nation, we should learn from what places like New Lexington are doing and use it as a blueprint for investing in the kind of strong, meaningful public education across America. We must invest in strategies that provide students with multiple paths to getting to college or university Professional life After high school. The hands-on, project-based learning offered at CTE schools is relevant and engaging and helps students learn how to solve problems, think critically, communicate effectively, and gain real-world experience. That’s why 95% of CTE students graduate from high schools nationwide, and 70% of them go on to college. These programs provide real opportunity for students, rejuvenate local economies, solve workforce shortages, and bring communities together.

America’s future is tied to the opportunities we create for our youth. As New Lexington proves, the path to the American Dream still runs right through our public schools. This requires us to work together to strengthen public education, not abandon it. New Lexington provides a strong example to follow.

Casey Coffey is the superintendent of New Lexington Schools, a public school district in southeastern Ohio.