Minutes 2014-09-10.pdf - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

2.) The second vote was to accept the Superintendent's recommendation as presented(16 programs as listed on the top sheet of Attachment B). 2 voted in favor, 1 was opposed,and 1 abstained. The Chair of the Education Plan Task Force also stated that he thought saying that the HVAC program would become a part of the Plumbing program and that the Welding program would become part of Advanced Manufacturing overstated the degree to which the eliminated programs were being incorporated into the other programs. He stated that he felt it was more accurate to say that element of the eliminated programs would be covered in the other programs. The School Committee Chair explained that the Task Force does not have the authority to determine the ultimate outcome. Their goal was to explore the issues and make a recommendation to the full School Committee. A request to clarify exactly what the vote means for current students was also made. The Superintendent explained that no student currently in the Welding program would be negatively impacted,and will complete the program entered. Regarding the details of the State Frameworks,he pointed out that he can't articulate the details at this time,but that Minuteman folks have been visiting programs. Those who visited the Blackstone program earlier in the day,including Michelle Roche,Ernie Houle,and Ford Spalding,spoke of what they observed and how the program works in that school. Michelle explained the majors; Ernie spoke from his experience as a welder,and pointed out that many of the students from Upton are getting co-op placements in Waltham or Woburn,and that as Minuteman moves into the 21St century,students can take advantage of the proximity of those placements as well. He pointed out that Blackstone and other schools are trying to retrofit their programs,while Minuteman's program will be ahead of the curve in its design. In response to a question,he confirmed that there are 4-5 schools going in the same direction with Advanced Manufacturing. The certification process and equipment investment were also discussed. Ford spoke about the equipment,the number of females he observed, and about welding being connected to metal fabrication and machining. He also urged that as the details are developed,the Welding Department needs to participate in the process. Appreciation was extended to all the speakers for what they shared that enhanced learning about application to real work settings. In response to a question about whether teachers had been invited to the Task Force meetings,it was pointed out that while they were not formally invited by the Task Force, there was a broad representation of faculty present. In response to a question,the Superintendent pointed out that DESE no longer recognizes Welding as a"stand alone"program,but that the Frameworks call it Metal Fabrication and Joining. It was pointed out that the School Committee hasn't seen these Frameworks. The Superintendent explained that the Frameworks are listed on the DESE website,and they were just completed at the end of July; the School Committee hasn't met since then until this evening. He also pointed out that the vote is on the Education Program Plan, not on the curriculum. Another question arose about hour requirements for certification, and it was pointed out that there is not enough information at this time. Another question related to why Minuteman got rid of the machine shop they once had. The Superintendent pointed out that this was before his time,and he did not know. A question was raised about how the process for implementing the Blackstone Model would work. The Superintendent explained that he has meetings scheduled with both faculty and students. He also noted that relevant materials will be posted on the School Building website.Another comment was made that the School Committee might like to be more involved in the design. It was pointed out that programs need to be promoted,and that schools don't have to accept all out-of- district students who apply. It was pointed out that Blackstone Valley turned away 300 students, as there was not enough room. It was also noted that the Education Program Plan relates to a new school, anticipated to be built in 2019-20. Future orientation was urged. It was noted that MSBA was anticipating Town Meeting approval in 2016,or Minuteman will be taken off the list after being on it for 7 years. 5