"Perceived Roles"

I personally believe school guidance counselors are important at all levels from elementary to high school who help students prepare for the future. Guidance Counselors additionally promote a student's social and personal well being. School Counselors provide career and educational counseling. They advocate for student's and help them to determine what their talents, interests and abilities are. Guidance Counselors also help with career and college information. They also connect and coordinate compatible advising programs and activities, such as student schedules, grade level orientation, grade level and senior projects, career day programs and scholarship and financial aid information.

In my school we also have a graduation coach, which is almost similar to a guidance counselor. Graduation Coaches and school counselors both identifies issues that may prevent a student from graduating from high school. School Counselors engage parents who are not involved to become more active participants in their child's academic success. School counselors are involved in character education, violence prevention,  and much more.

Perceived Roles

Personally I think the roles and responsibilities of guidance counselors are to ensure that students are matriculating in the appropriate manner, given a place to speak in confidence about academic and personal issues that may affect school performance and provided with various resources that will aid the student holistically.

I am sure that there are many other roles that guidance counselors play, but I think that those 3 are the primary responsibilities. Counselors are the gateway to the students transcript and performance record. They use information within the students transcripts to assist with placements and make recommendations for further class placements. They also provide students with a sounding board to address issues that may be of a personal or academic concern. Students can use them as a resource for emotional help and advice as it relates to exterior elements that can impact that students education. Lastly, counselors are also the extension of the school that provides students with outside resources that may be needed to aid students in need. Examples of these types of resources would be transportation, referrals for emotional therapy, family financial crisis and emergency aid for erratic and unusual behavior.

PERCEIVED ROLES

Guidance counselors are vital in the overall achievement of our students in schools across this country. The guidance counselor is there to "Guide" the student through the areas of Academics, Career and any Personal or Social issues that the student may encounter. They also work in public and private schools where they meet with students individually or with entire classes for special events, such as substance abuse lectures and college recruitment information. To work in any given school, counselors must first be licensed by their state.

Licensing requirements vary, but most states require a master's degree in school counselling from an accredited program. Some states also require guidance counselors to have a teaching certificate and teaching experience to work in a school. Most guidance counselors work in elementary, middle and high schools; however, some work in colleges or universities and may be called academic advisers. Those who do not work in a school find jobs in vocational rehabilitation services and individual or family services. Experienced guidance counselors may take on directorial or supervisory roles for counseling personnel services or become counseling educators, school administrators or work for a state's department of education

School guidance counselors spend the bulk of their time with students who are having trouble with their schoolwork or who are experiencing emotional problems, such as stress and peer pressure. College guidance counselors primarily act as academic advisers and help students who are having difficulty selecting a major or identifying career goals. High school guidance counselors also take on academic advisory roles. They help students select colleges, apply for financial aid and generally assist in the application process. Guidance counselors also help those not planning to go to college prepare for the workforce by assisting with resume writing, job searches and interview practice.
 

Rewards and Challenges

I believe that to see a student(s) become successful should not be based on money, status in life, or material possessions. Guidance counselors are required to guide a student needing educational planning, but quite often social or behavior problems are dominant challenges.  Sometimes a student has all three challenges to overcome.  I do counsel students, and many times it is heart-breaking; any of these challenges lead to lack of self-confidence.  Lack of self-confidence can destroy a students’ ability to overcome other areas that lead to success.  The guidance counselors’ major problem is being able to juggle all the teaching and guidance criteria.  The rewards do happen, seeing a student’s improved grades, a smiling face showing improved confidence, a returning (visiting) student  telling you I decided to go to vocational school, or I am going to college. 

Changed Impressions

I realize this is a very important and challenging occupation.  While some would refer to being a guidance counselor an occupation or career, instead I believe this position requires educators that desire to make a difference in society and educational successes.  Empowering students in gaining success in society and education will help students obtain success in their lives.  After reading information on the websites regarding guidance counselors, once again my mind is overwhelmed and I am reminded of the many responsibilities associated with being a guidance counselor. The students, students’ families, administrators, and teachers must all be included in planning and directing the problem/troubled student.  While helping the students become successful, a guidance counselor must maintain open communications between all parties involved.  Guidance counselors do not only provide educational advice, but help with social problems.  The guidance counselor walks many paths to enable their students to find the right pathway to emotional, educational, and career success.

"Changed Impressions."

After reading the early history of counseling, obviously the field has broadened from targeting vocational education, to the entire field of education.  What is interesting to note, is that history continues to repeat itself with the lack of support, particularly funding being allotted to the field of counseling.  The overall goal of the school counselor as a profession appears to have have started based upon the need to provide services beyond education to include social services. Taking a further look, the United States continues to fall behind the rest of the world in the fields of math and science.  The reading also suggests that the development of the field was a slow process, aimed overtime at providing much needed services to students, and though the mission seems to still be relevant, the process of specific, defined roles, aimed solely at student success, seem to allude us, particularly in the district that I teach in.  I often hear counselors speak to 9th grade students about the importance of starting off strong and maintaining high GPA's and involvement in extracurricular activities so that when they begin to apply to colleges they are able to compete with other students around the world. The problem is that the speech here or there is not enough. Just last week, I had several 11th grade students to come to me after they had gotten the latest class ranking report asking me how they could go back and recover credit from their 9th and 10th grade years. I heard complaints such as "I should have been more serious my 9th grade year", and "I had a good time that year, I wasn't thinking about school".  It is my belief that if more support and resources are aimed at the underclassmen, then the remediation and summer school courses will become less of an issue at the "11th hour."  After reading all of the articles, I realize that the field of counseling has made great strides over the years, but more support is needed in order for counselors and students to reap the benefits of the services that many of our students depend on.

Rewards and Challenges

Unfortunately for many educators we are not rewarded enough, in my opinion.  We are responsible for shaping the future of our students and yet a simple "thank you" seems to be less popular than asking students to do homework.  I have many friends that are school counselors and prior to becoming a teacher I did not understand just how much responsibility that is placed on their shoulders.  Our last school counselor, the third one in three years worked her last day last Friday, and I remember asking her was she happy to be leaving. She summed up for me the rewards and challenges that she faced during her short time as a high school counselor working in an urban district.  The reward for her was that many of the students who had not passed the GGT at the beginning of the school year had finally passed and were on their way to graduation. One of her last tasks was to announce to students the latest test results from the GGT and she told me that the face on the students that had failed the test multiple times and had finally passed was priceless. She also talked about helping students to fill out college applications particularly those who felt that the only way out of their current circumstance was to further their education. So in a nutshell, her reward was the prospect of a brighter future for the students at our school. Unfortunately the challenges outweighed the rewards in many cases, which helped lead Ms. H to leave our school.  In addition to being the school counselor, she was also the registrar, the attendance clerk, the back up secretary, and even a disciplinarian when fights would break out right outside of the principals suite.  Ms. H. shared with me that for all that she was able to do, she never felt like she had enough time to provide the students with the services that that needed.  Students often needed help with filling out food stamp applications, job applications, referrals for clothing and other social issues that were just as important as registering for the ACT, or the SAT.  I was sad to see her go, but I understand. Unfortunately the students, especially the seniors were left disappointed but a new counselor has started and my hope is that she will at least last until the end of the school year.

"Perceived Roles"

I actually have a mixed opinion on the role of counselors because the role of my counselor in high school is much different than the role of the counselor(s) at the school that I teach at currently.  I remember being able to walk into my counselors office and sit down and talk about anything. When I got ready to begin applying for colleges, I really had no idea what I was doing because no one in my family had gone to college prior to me.  She helped with all of the applications including the financial aid piece.  At my current school, we are now working on a third counselor within the last 3 years. Our last counselor was introduced to the students last week and right after telling them her name she announced that she did not want any of them coming to her office without a hall pass. As a matter of fact, she reiterated that point several times in her short introduction.  I got a chance to work with the last counselor regarding pathway completer's, and I sensed that she was so overwhelmed, many of my emails and requests went unnoticed for long periods of time.  However I saw a change in her behavior toward me as well as the response times to my emails when I walked up to her one day and said hi, and asked her to reach out to me if she needed anything. I realized that her role is certainly not one that I would ever want because it even though there is a job description in place, there are so many other hats that she had to wear and there is simply not enough time for one person to give 350 students who are at or below the poverty line what they need.

Rewards and Challenges

I think the greatest reward of a guidance counselor is when they have the ability to see the fruit of their labor. Many times the seeds that they plant don't show growth until a student has grown-up, graduated or moved along. When the "at risk" student gets the job, or the scholarship, or the rescue from a dangerous environment, that's when a guidance counselor can know that their job was successful, and I think that is what they find most rewarding. I think the most challenging aspect of their job comes with the frustration of not having the time to meet the individual needs of students. I believe their goal is to really give personalized guidance and  they are pulled in so many different directions that it is almost impossible to spend the time needed to offer guidance and direction in a meaningful manner.  It must be very frustrating to know there are needs and also know that some of those needs will go unmet because there are only so many hours in a day.    

Changed Impressions

As a previous school nurse, I have had opportunities to work with school counselors at elementary, middle, and high school levels and I have always been impressed with their abilities to reach and connect with students.  While I could physically treat a student with an anxiety disorder, the guidance counselor could give the student tools to avoid panic attacks. If I had to treat a student who was physically abused, and I did on far too many occasions, it was the school counselor who was my partner in making sure that every base was covered and no student fell through the cracks. I have had the privilege of experiencing their super hero tendencies. After reading the history, educational and credentialing requirements, and their current roles in Georgia education, I am even more in awe as they balance their multi-faceted roles.  Guidance counselors have a lot of bases to cover when their duties are so diverse. At every level they are treating students who need emotional guidance and other students who need career guidance, and not just the students. They are trained to incorporate the family, teachers, and administrators. The degree of knowledge they must have in just the areas of  scholarships, grants, duel enrollment, and college and career readiness is amazing! One of the things I particularly liked and had no idea was occurring was the career lessons they do with younger children. They do a whole lesson with 2nd graders on health care careers - very cool.

"Perceived Roles"

It is interesting that we have been asked to  blog about what we perceive to be the roles of our school's guidance counselors. I have wondered that myself based on some of the reasons students ask to see their counselor.  I am not exactly sure of what their specific are roles now because some of those roles may have changed since I was in school. I think that one main role is to meet with students individually as well as collectively regarding the requirements for high school graduation by grade level. This is done throughout the highschool career. Another one of their responsibilities is to ensure that each student is enrolled in the core and elective classes necessary to gain the specific number of credit hours for completion of high school. I also believe counselors are to also assist students with personal issues that prevent them from being able to attend school and/or meet the requirements for passing courses or complete the requirements for graduation.

"Rewards and Challenges"

I think the most rewarding part of being a Guidance Counselor would be to see students become successful.Success would not be measured on how much money or things that they have, but, the ability for the student to have a positive outlook on the choices they have made on the route we call life. As a teacher I am proud of my students success and I think it would be very satisfying to see a student that you helped guide become a success. I feel the most challenging aspect would be to learn how to juggle all of the many responsibilities without loosing focus.

"Changed Impressions"

After reading the links provided all I can really say is "Wow". I had no idea how much the Guidance Counselors are responsible for. The name should be changed to Guidance and Counseling to better explain what they do. I was vaguely aware of some of the responsibilities but the research brought it into the clear. The guidance counselors serve as social counselor ,behavior counselor, student to teachers liaison, student to parent liaison and teacher to parent liaison along with providing academic and career guidance.They have a ton of responsibility and I know I would need counseling after a couple of weeks doing the job they are required to do. I am also impressed that the GADOE site shows how soon the elementary counselors start preparing students for CTE.

Rewards and Challenges

The challenges that I see and understand for school counselors are many. Their role is ever changing and is dependent of the culture of the school and community that they are in. They have to be flexible and willing to adapt to new issues, learn about new issues formally and informally in order to be "in touch" with their clientele.  That is another challenge, their clientele. That would include students, families, teachers, administrators and their community.  I feel that their roles and responsibilities are far too expansive, at least for the student counselor ratio  (1:550) that I see in local high schools. I think it challenging at best for them to conduct any  therapy in the daily routine of high school. The rewards, I  might image,would be similar to teaching in the sense of making the connection and influencing a student in a way that could change their future for the better. Helping students achieve a goal or make the best choices to get on  the pathway to make the goal a reality.

“Perceived Roles”

With only my limited exposure to guidance counselors, I probably have a very outdated perception of what their role is. As a high school student “once upon a time” myself, their role was mostly that of registering us for our next set of classes if we needed it. They were there to offer advice if we were not sure of what classes we needed in order to graduate on time. Most of the time, I knew what I needed and just registered for classes myself. A minor role that our counselor played (once upon a time) was to help those students that had personal problems that maybe made it into the school setting.  We never saw our counselor who was always behind closed doors or at meetings.  What they did exactly was a mystery. My most recent experience as a new teacher with guidance counselors and their role had not changed much. At the first school I taught at, I again never saw them and yes, assumed that they were busy registering students for classes and counseling behavior issues thrown their way on occasion.  I did not know their names and rarely saw them in their offices. I did learn that they were very busy with testing and graduation issues. But again, it was a mystery to me exactly what they did.  I heard many teachers complain that counselors were out of touch and just put the students that had no career goals in classes that had room for them regardless of whether the student wanted to be there or not. This was especially true of CTE classes.  I must add at this point that in my new school which is much smaller and has only one counselor that she has a multitude of responsibilities much like we do as teachers! I know her name and she is very approachable and helpful to me when I have issues I need help with regarding my students.  She deals with not only registration of classes but all the other things that come up that include emotional, behavioral and education issues to name a few!

Perceived Roles

When I was in High School, at the same school I now teach in, my perception of the guidance counselors was they helped you plan for your future after you graduated. When you walked into the guidance office you saw college posters and racks of recruitment material. The military recruiters would arrange meetings in the guidance office and speak to the staff about potential recruits. All of the pre-college tests were scheduled through the guidance office. You could obtain scholarship information and work with the guidance staff to insure you had the necessary courses for your post high school career or education. All course schedules were handled by the guidance office and the two guidance counselors.

My perception of the guidance office now is clouded by my high school days. I still expect them to do the same things but school and the students have changed. For a time we had guidance counselors that also served as behavior counselors too. Our counselors were over worked and had little time to be academic/ career counselors. In the past year that has changed and they are now back to providing educational guidance and becoming a liaison between the students,teachers,recruiters and the work force.

Changed Impressions

After reading all the websites required for this assignment my impression has changed. The history of the school guidance counselor has evolved in reaction to the societal changes. Early on they were focused on assessment and vocational guidance. It was not until the 1950s that they developed a professional organization. Their profession responded to the changes happening in the 60's and 70's by expanding cultural sensitivity and increasing therapy. Finally, in the last 25 years because of  IEPs/SSTs/504s and all the legally required special education accommodations, the counselors role has changed and expanded. Interestingly enough their standard in training and credentialing isn't nationally accepted. Although in reviewing  the GSU website and the course work required for the Master's program in school counseling, their education is mostly in counseling, interventions and therapy. My impression is that school counselors are still evolving and will always evolve as a response to the trends in society and our culture. Their education will also need to evolve in response to their school atmosphere and culture.

Perceived Roles

What do I believe is the role of a GC in High School? I see a part of what they do and they are "mega-mulit-taskers". I believe their role is to guide students on what classes to take, guide them on life after high school and handle minor social services issues. However I see them do much more than that. Student scheduling issues, parent- student issues, student-student issues, environmental issues and home issues. They roll with the changes and look pretty overloaded most of the time.

Perceived Roles

I believe that the role of a guidance counselor in a high school setting is to offer direction for a student. This guidance can be emotional or social if needed or requested by the student but should have the primary goal of offering guidance for goal setting, and direction for the future. This should be available and required for all students.  In order to do this successfully, I believe the guidance counselor must know, to at least some degree, the "shape" of that student. For example, what are their dreams, aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses.  What I have sadly seen in my high school are guidance counselors who would love to invest in students to that degree but are unable. We have over 2000 students and 4 guidance counselors. We do not have graduation coaches. Counselors are so busy with administrative duties, like testing, that they no longer have the time to give thoughtful direction for the individual student.  

"Perceived Roles"

Counselors are extremely needed and in many cases can make a difference in educational decisions made by their students.  We are a necessary tool the students can utilize in order to improve their educational course and enable them to often become clear on what path they can and will pursue.  The counselor's attitude toward their students and the students' individual needs can make a difference in a student's life decisions.  Counselors must be trustworthy and dependable listeners; have a caring personality.  We must realize our students are facing many challenges and sometimes just need an encouraging word, but often they need extensive support.  Whatever educational support a counselor can provide their students can make a difference in their students' career and future.

We could go on and on with this one....

I am approaching my 1 year anniversary next month and I see why teachers quit. When I came in, there was a registered nurse who had not taught a full year who decided to resign because of the work load compared to the money.  She simply made more money for less work working at a hospital. Many people, including myself, explore the area of teaching because of the ‘school hours’. Well, it’s more like industry, self-employment hours. The bad part for our school is that they paid about $10,000 for her to get certified, so it was not incentive enough. It takes a person who is very driven to do the jobs we do. In my county I am the only chef. Although we complain about the drive-ins, conferences etc., those are the places when I search for help from those in my field.  Of all of the culinary instructors in our state, I am told only 9 are culinary trained. That is amazing to me. I was looking forward to GATFACS, but due to our school’s lack of funds, we were on our own to go and they were not interested in paying for substitutes. Giving our schools the money for subs and paying for industry/program driven conferences would be a nice touch – professional development at it’s best.

I think the money should also be re-purposed to pay Chefs (and all CTE instructors) a comparable wage to their industry.  They should also have courses like NTI to address and learn the things we have. Finding ways to partner the program with businesses for fundraising, support and job shadowing for students would be helpful. Some businesses just don’t seem to have any interest in giving back (or a visible incentive to do so). Also, investing more in an in-depth program for other culinary instructors beyond the 2 week CIA course would give them a greater depth of knowledge of the field. Paying them to do a summer internship with a local catering facility or restaurant so the establishment would not bear the burden financially but provide the insight needed.

It would also not hurt to supply more money for supplies as $4,000 per year for 60 students is not enough to get them work ready with the kind of experience we are wanting to put into the industry. There is nothing more frustrating than not having the funds to produce the results you need to. This is why places like Disney and large hotels draw so much interest. Although they have their budgets, there is nothing they won’t accomplish. I’m not saying we have to be swimming in money to be satisfied (although it would be nice), but we could stand to have better conditions as it relates to being prepared, supplementing our standard way of life (being an educator) and having the supplies we need to effectively do our job. The equipment I have is worth nothing to the students or to me if I don’t have food to cook.

New Mentor System

The plan that I would implament to keep teacher retention down would create a better mentor system for new teachers. The plan would make a better transition from the work force to the classroom. The mentor for the new teacher would be some one that has taught the course or a related course area. The mentor system would also provide new teachers with a game plan for the classroom which would include the base lesson plans and educational work shops that would provide them with information that should be taught in a standard base classroom. New teacher would be on this plan for 2 years to provide the necessary help that is neeed to make a smooth transition into a classroom setting. I think this plan would not make new teacher feel like they are being set up to not be succssful. The revised mentor system would give each teacher a great base to build on to become a better teacher in there subject area.

CTAE New Teacher Retention

Many of you shared thoughts of how teacher recruitment and teacher retention could use improvement in the CTE area. Please be creative and think and write about what you think would be a good process to improve teacher retention in CTE. If you had the Perkins money to spend in this area, what would you do?

In order to improve teacher retention in the CTE programs I believe the new teacher needs a support network  that includes a seasoned teacher from the program area, a mentor that is an administrator from the school in which they are employed and the funding to become certified for the position they are hired for. The new teacher also needs to have someone assist with the certification process.The new teacher should be put in contact with a NTI program immediately and start the process in a seamless transition from the industry in which they left.

I started teaching in the public school system at the three quarter mark of the school year. My CTAE director was in my classroom daily and I had a para-pro assigned for the day. If I did not have that kind of support and a background of teaching experience my teaching career would have been short lived. I stepped into a class that had been filled with problem students, the necessary shop tools had disappeared and the good students felt I had kicked the old teacher out of his job.I knew how to deal with discipline issues, just not how the school wanted them dealt with.

If I had money from Perkins, I would try to expand my lab to have a washer and dryer in my dispensary.  I have to get the ESS students to wash them for us.  My lab only has 10 stations so the other students have to work at their desk or do nails.  But I only have 4 nail stations.  I think a lab that is seperate from the classroom would work better.  I have enough supplies to run my classroom.  That has never been a problem.  Just wish the builder knew how to layout a salon and that every dispensary should have plumbing for a washer and dryer. 

Teacher Retention: Perkins Funding and Legislation

In order to retain individuals in any given field, an organization or entity would have to give those individuals a purpose for commitment. In regard to CTE, most teachers in this field already come into the classroom with other career options. It would be great if Perkin's funded post-secondary education to those who choose to commit to the classroom. In addition, it would also be nice if there was some part of the legislation that would provide those CTE educators with needed components that would engage more commerce between the school and it's surrounding community. It would also be advantageous to see an arrangement that would allow loan repayment in exchange for service, similarly to that of the military GI Bill. That way a CTE professional educator can focus on their career and not the burden of repaying a loan. In addition, this would guarantee a longer stay for needed teachers in their respective areas. This narrowed focus would encourage educators to not only stay, but also build on their current careers as educators and perhaps enhance other areas of CTE, such as research, administration, career forecasting for students and program development.

Repurposing Perkins Legislation to Recruit & Retain Teachers!

This is a headline I would love to see!  As we have learned in earlier classes this semester, CTE has come a long way but I feel could use even more updating.  As we all now know as new CTE teachers, the job is challenging but can be rewarding as well when we see the success of our students. The problem is that we are overwhelmed so quickly when we start that we burn out on average after three to five years. This just does not serve the education system well in my opinion. These numbers clearly point out that we have a real problem!  I hear my fellow NTI teachers all saying the same thing. Basically we are “thrown to the wolves”: here is your classroom and here is your list of students” and then you are on your own.

I feel that some of the Perkins money should be set aside to focus on the new teachers. We certainly are hired for our expertise out in the field.  Most of us however do not come with the experience of actual teaching in the high school classroom but have the energy, enthusiasm and desire to share this knowledge with these students. Why not use Perkins money to first of all pay for the certification classes for a new teacher? This is often a standard practice in the business world and would be an incentive for new CTE teachers to help supplement the notoriously low wages that teachers can expect. Why not use Perkins money to provide at least a part-time teaching assistant to help out especially in the skills labs as that plays a major role in the curriculum requirements?  Having that extra help to just take care of the large number of students that have to be trained and tested on a mostly 1:1 basis would ensure skills are learned more efficiently and accurately. More skills could even be taught with the extra help.  Why not use some of the Perkins funds to provide a mentor for a new teacher?  Paying a seasoned and successful teacher to mentor the new teacher would certainly be an incentive for both parties. One is rewarded for sharing his/her experience and one is rewarded with the support of knowing they had someone to go to with questions and concerns. Our school tried to do a mentoring program last year but there was no follow-through. I think part of the problem was that CTE mentors were not matched up with new CTE teachers but just teachers in general. Mentors need to be in the same field as the new CTE teacher to be effective.

So, I again say I would love to see the headline that Perkins Legislation is being repurposed to recruit and retain teachers. It could be done cost-effectively and would pay off in big ways down the road if that CTE teacher lasted past the predicted three to five year period. It is more costly not to do this as recruiting and recruiting and recruiting adds up!  When a CTE teacher is lost out of the system, the students then get a substitute teacher that usually has no experience either teaching or even teaching that subject. The bottom line to this is that the students are the ones to suffer “the cost” from having to have one permanent substitute teacher after another.  Isn’t this one thing that the Perkins Legislation is supposed to prevent or should prevent?

Great Preparation = Great Success

A person once said "It's better to be prepared and not have the opportunity than to have the opportunity and not be prepared." That saying has stuck with me every since I heard it. How is it that CTAE teachers are given the job but not the preparation that comes with it. I feel the money given should be allocated to a year of mentoring programs. The CTAE mentors should also go through training on how to properly guide the mentees. The funding should also go towards the first year CTAE teachers to help them purchase what's needed for their classroom. They should be awarded funds for continuing education throughout the school year. The students need funding as well. I hear a lot of teachers having to do fun raisers at the beginning of the year because their department barely received money to make the program successful. How do you expect the kids to excel if they are not giving the necessary tools to succeed. If the CTAE department was treated more like the core classes, I don't think we would even be having this discussion.

The Cost of Retention - Priceless

The concept that a portion of Perkins funding is delegated toward CTE teacher retention is novel to me.  I personally have not seen any evidence of the monies being spent in that direction.  I hesitate to sound quite so negative but I believe that there is power  in truth, so here it goes...  If I had the power of the purse strings this is how I would spend it:
1. I would pay for NTI. The counter argument to this could be why invest monies in a person who has not yet proven to be effective and have staying power. I say: take the risk.  I am being asked to teach 3 different classes/preps, solely advise a student organization, complete all the steps to reach certification, serve on a SACS committee and industry certify all at the same time. I am working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. If I broke down what I am getting paid per hour based on my provisional certificate pay scale minus the cost of the NTI program, I'm making less than minimum wage. 
2. I would give new CTE teachers the first 2-3 years to focus on learning how to teach effectively before I overwhelmed them with the requirements of an expert teacher.  Daily lesson plans posted, weekly webpage/calandar updates, industry certification, and extra committee assignments are not bad things but can WAIT. It's the whole concept of first crawl, then walk, then run. We are being required to run from day 1. Where is the wisdom in that?  New CTE teachers are running....running away.
3. I would schedule the CTE department chair at each individual school to have the same planning period as every new CTE teacher.  This could serve as mentoring or just assistance with the new teacher learning how to manage all the administrative duties, such as field trip paperwork, fundraising, B1's, B3's, IEPs and the list goes on.
4. I would pay, if need be, the principal at every school to meet with their new CTE teacher once a month and the principal would be required to say, "What can I take off your plate to help you be successful?" Whatever that teacher shared would then have to be granted. Where's my magic wand and fairy dust.....?
You know, the interesting thing about this list is that out of the four suggestions, only one requires the actual spending of funds. The other three could all be accomplished with a little bit of grace, support, and collaboration.....priceless.      

Needed Supplies

We have Perkins money left over. Due to our lab being remolded we have additional stations, but unfortunately there are not sufficient styling chairs.  The lack of styling chairs for the new stations prevents students utilizing the new stations.  With Perkins money available, it appears the need for styling chairs appears to be an essential need. The current enrollment in cosmetology also shows the need for the chairs.  When approaching the idea of purchasing this equipment I was advised that it was not an improvement to the program. I maintain the belief that this purchase should be considered an improvement. I have ordered supplies which we use most frequently, along with supplies that I do not have in order to teach some of the standards that need to be taught.  Until recently I shared an assistant with another teacher, but that employee has left our school.  In a technical class, quite often there is need for an additional instructor.  Perkins’ money could be applied to having an assistant. This is true especially when students are learning and working on the shop floor.  Often students can feel intimidated when practicing and learning a new skill.  An assistant could enable the instructor to be more hands-on. Therefore, students can be helped to be more at easy while learning new skills.

Retention intention....

Retention, as I am understanding, is a concern for CTE teachers.  I think we all understand why too.  It's kind of sink or swim, and some of us have felt like it's sink or swim with a gorilla on your back and ankle weights. If I had Perkins monies to spend on it I would institute "team teaching".  The new teacher would be part of a two man-team. The team would have 5 classes to teach together. The new teacher would have one class, the veteran teacher would have four.  They would have to be CTE teachers that teach in the same field.   It's kind of like training wheels.  The more comfortable the  new teacher gets the more classes they take over until at some point the new teacher has all the classes and veteran  is an observer. They would be given extra planning time to prepare and discuss things like operations and all the "extra" duties, not to mention become familiar with technology available. The team teaching would be self driven.  If the new teacher progresses quickly the team would disolve and the veteran would be a consultant for some prescribed time period.  Of course the mentor would receive an insentive.  

CTAE...Teacher Retention

I thought about this question a lot, and my first thought was, "what did it take to recruit me?"  The truth is the long summers, Christmas break and a week off in April of every year was enough to pull me away from an industry that I needed a long rest from.  Now when I look back, I realize that I should have weighed more than a few snow days to come to my decision.  If I had to create a list of items that I would spend federal dollars on, it would consist of the following:
1. Classroom Management Training-Many of us industry veterans are like deer in headlights the first time we are cursed out by a potty mouthed teenager.  The process of getting young people to do what you want them to do is more of an art than a science, particularly when you are told everyday that you look younger than most of the students in your class.
2. Mentor Development- I think it is extremely important to pair veteran teachers with novice teachers to prepare them for the day to day tasks as well as the administrative aspects of the teaching profession.
3. Supplies-I find myself searching high and low for items to complete the necessary labs for my program, and the labs are actually what students yearn to participate in. I think it is imperative to have the necessary lab supplies to enhance the experience for students.
4. Technology-In today's society technology is a way of life, more necessary than food and shelter to in the minds of many teenagers. Schools need to invest in technology to keep students up to date and ready to enter the work force on a level playing field with their counterparts and peers.

Falbe: February 6, 2013

Last evening's class focused on Perkins Legislation. Many of you shared thoughts of how teacher recruitment and teacher retention could use improvement in the CTE area. Please be creative and think and write about what you think would be a good process to improve teacher retention in CTE. If you had the Perkins money to spend in this area, what would you do?

While I was not able to attend class last night due to an Open House at work, I can understand the idea that retention should be considered in the CTE field. As a new teacher, coming in from another field, and not being train in education I think more consideration should be given to initial teacher training and mentoring. While I had an unofficial mentor, I think that increased supervision (and stipends for the participating mentors) and a more hands on mentor is crucial.  Using Perkins money to help teachers get their initial certification would be good too, as professionals (who already have a degree in their field and debt related to that), may be reluctant to take the financial risk associated with getting another certificate.

I think that increased training in the field is also a good idea to improve retention.  If teachers feel more confident and current in their field (content knowledge wise) this might improve retention because teachers are happy, and feel on the cusp of what is new.   

CAREER / TECHNICAL EDUCATION A - A MUST!

I believe that career and technical education is needed more now than ever before. With today's economy being what it is and students graduating with degrees and not able to find work fields they spent years studying for, learning trades in the technical education department seems to be the key for many students. Most of whom are directly hired into the occupations they have been training in, or go on to start up their own businesses in Healthcare, Automotive, Public Safety & Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Cosmetology, and the list goes on. Career and Technical Education is now and will always be a major part of the total education system.

CTE

    What I would like written in the history books about CTE is that it is the most needed and relevant source education. We as Americans as a whole have looked over the CTE and forgot how this nation was built with people who had a trade. Still today we depend on people who have a trade. We have come to depend on hair stylist, contractors, and mechanic to make life easy. Just about every business or company has a positions that they need work ready students.

    I attended college for 4 years and recived a BS in Criminal Justice. The cost of a university is about 15,000 per year out of state and 8,000 in-state. I wish I would have attended a Tech school and got a trade. It would have cut my cost of school by more that half. I also could have made 10x more money and finish school in less than 2 years. The tech school will have more students than the college or university in the next few years.

    High schools education in the state of Georgia has become more geared toward the university and college education (College Prep). They have taken away the option for students to recive a Technical Education degree. Every student that we teach is not college/university ready and they need to recive a trade from a Tech school. We are lossing about half of our students due to the College Prep model with the demanding academy classes. As a teacher that understands how important CTE is to the community, work force, and high school students we need to go back to the old model of Technical education and College Prep in the high school.

CTE gives students options for their future...

What I would like to see go down in the history books about CTE in our environment is that it gives students real options for their future. I have heard the same question repeated in each of my classes during the first few weeks of classes. That question is " when are we going to do more hands on"? It is clear that students are ready and willing to begin actively working immediately upon entering the CTE courses.  They look forward to these classes and make often make comments about it being their favorite or best class. I have observed that some students score significantly higher on their progress reports in their CTE classes than they do in many of their core classes.
When it comes to students' interest in specific topics/standards I have entertained many meaningful questions that demonstrated higher ordered thinking when feedback and clarification were given to these questions. The excitement and level of participation that I have observed from my students when they are given assignments that require application of knowledge gained is nothing less than exhilirating. Lastly, I believe that CTE gives students options to gain certifications to begin work immediately following secondary education  and/or the abilility to build on a great foundation laid that can help them excel in college level courses to obtain careers. One example of this would be for a student to become certified as a Nursing Assistant (CNA) while in high school and then go on to complete a four year bachelor of science degree to become a Registered Nurse while working in the healthcare field gaining invaluable experience as a CNA.

I would like to see the impact that today's CTE programs have on students as well as on the community written in the history books. This will serve as proof that CTE is definitely needed. CTE programs not only provide students with skills necessary to obtain entry level position jobs, but it also serves to enhance the self esteem and confidence of students. This will impact their personal lives as well as make them more competent workers. There is an abundance of news articles and research that point to the fact that there is a "skill crisis" in our country. There are jobs open, but not enough skilled workers available to fill the jobs. One of the best ways to combat this crisis is through CTE, producing skilled workers to join the workforce and help strengthen our economy.

This day as history...

The truth of the matter is that CTE is needed. The jobs/careers that result is how many people provide for their families.  The skills and services taught are those that are needed throughout society. We have grown up to be dependent on cars (automotive). We cannot live without comfort or we think we are not able to (HVAC). We spend a lot of time making sure we look good (cosmetology). Just taking a look around, most of us haven’t missed any meals and we are known to make up for it if we do (culinary)! As a result of our eating among many other factors, healthcare becomes a requirement. Some of our fields assist other fields. Look at how healthcare benefits: Automotive – through accidents; Cosmetology – plastic surgery; HVAC – lack of heating and air (heatstroke and freezing); Culinary – lack of education and will power in regard to special diet; or development of ailments due to bad habits  which could still point back to education.

What I would like to see written in history is that having CTE is a necessity. That it was widely decided and accepted that this is an area of education that cuts would not be allowed but heavily invested in. I’d like to see that CTE is valued so much that post secondary schools require it as an alternative for students who otherwise have no experience in their field of interest.

I was also one who did not have plans for college while in high school. I believe it was due to the fact that the family around me had never attended college. Becoming a teenage mother quickly put things into perspective. My scenario is still all too common among students today. My vocational high school did not offer culinary.  Today, CTE is growing and giving students the head start they need to compete. As I began to figure things out, I refused to get stuck in something and waste find going to school doing something…I did not enjoy. Students today have the chance to begin gaining the skills of a career or use it to support them while they pursue another career.

People in general seem to have no idea about CTE or understand its value but I think it’s coming. I think at the end of the day everyone will know how important CTE is. However, we have gotten away from why it is important. We (in politics) keep talking around the subject and have the opportunity right now to make history again. Here are a few current articles I ran across today and it made me think of our topic this week.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/pat-mccrory-college_n_2600579.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/best-college-majors-engineering_n_2553445.html?ir=College&ref=topbar

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/03/best-college-majors-engineering_n_2553445.html?ir=College&ref=topbar

Career and Technical Education Programs

Second Blog of the Semester - January 27 - February 3

In our class last Tuesday we talked about the history of Vocational (now called Career and Technical) education.
What would you like written in the history books about CTE in today's environment? Is it still needed? Is it relevant? Support your answer.


The American people needs to learn about, and understand, the need for skilled workers and how they're trained. Many CTE programs offer hands on experiences to students that will equip them with the tool necessary to be successful. Teachers must find ways to reach their students learning potential.
 
We, as Americans, need to adopt a new attitude about work and jobs. Other nations value vocational and technical skills so much they have national policies, practices and programs to upgrade continuously the knowledge and skills of their workers. In America, by contrast, we discourage our youth from seeking careers in so-called blue-collar vocations and insist that college education is essential for happiness and success in life, even though only 25 percent of the population ever receive college degrees.

We must help our youth choose satisfying jobs and encourage them to take extensive training and, in return, see that they are well rewarded. Career and Technical Education is needed for students who are interested in obtaining a career in which less schooling is required. The history of CTE started years ago with various careers associated. I would like to see in history books about CTE, that this educational pathway/diploma is not only offered to students with low academics, but for all who have a passion to learn a new skill. This is needed because so many students believe a Vocational Education degree is for low achieving students. Not all students can have College Prep stamped on their high school diploma.

CTE History Today and Tomorrow

What I would like to see written in the history books about today’s CTE (College and Technical Education) environment is that it has continued to evolve in positive ways and that it remains relevant and fresh.  I would like to read that is has become a mainstream way to approach education versus the traditional “optional” approach to preparing students for the next big step in their lives. CTE has made great strides in the right direction as current history books have pointed out, but it should be always open to change. Just as we discovered and discussed in our last class, CTE is no longer recognized as just “vocational” classes for those students who traditionally would not be successful in their attempt to be accepted into a secondary educational institution. CTE is a successful tool for all students to take advantage of!

History has shown us the relevancy of vocational training to meet the demands of our ever changing economic climates. History has also shown us that it has had to “grow up” or change to meet these demands.  Our current technology evolution continues to support the need CTE training in all fields. As new CTE teachers, we are seeing this first hand! An example for me is that on an almost weekly basis in our school we have community business representatives visit and the message is the same: “We have jobs but we need educated and trained people”. They are not looking for just the traditional college graduate but for the skills trained graduate as well. Current media sources have reported that indeed, CTE training is even more relevant in today’s markets and that these types of programs are producing students that are readily employed in numbers that out-number the traditional college graduates!

My final thought is that I as I stated earlier, CTE is relevant and important today and should continue to be so in the future. What I would like future history books to state is that it is the mainstream method of education along with the academics and more importantly that we finally got it right!