It is Monday in Western PA and it is raining. I am not usually thrilled with a rainy day, but today I am. Over the weekend during unusually pleasant temps and conditions, I worked outside in my yard and my garden. I planted onions, lettuce, and spinach. I am more of a flower gardener than a vegetable gardener, but this year with the anticipation of increased produce prices, I am taking on a variety of vegetables not just my usual peppers and tomatoes.

The hard and harshly cold rain pounding outside right now will reveal what I knew and what I need to learn about these three varieties of vegetable plants and my anticipated harvest. Was I able to place the tiny and delicate root systems of the leaf lettuce and spinach firmly but carefully into the soil? Will I find exposed root systems when the rain stops, or will the plants take hold and grow? Did the onions get set at one inch like the directions on the tag specified? Will I find the tiny onion bulbs high and dry after the rain stops? What about the crows? How will I ever keep them from pulling out my tiny seedlings?

This very brief description of my garden is my metaphor for our need as educators and as citizens for leadership. Folks who are perceived as being in leadership positions attempt to be gardeners with all of us as the seedlings. These leaders are just like me because they think they understand the principles of gardening. What needs could there be beyond some fertile soil, some seedlings, some time, some rain, and some sun? As we all know, there is plenty more to anticipate and learn when thinking about becoming a gardener–at least a successful gardener.

If we look around us today, we can feel the desire of the folks around us for leadership. Yes, I suppose the ultimate leadership desire is for effective and ethical political leadership because a lack of leadership in the political area seems to effect everything and everyone. A lack of educational leadership has lead us to an ineffective system to deliver services to our students. A lack of financial leadership has left many homeowners without a home. Is this an endless list of endless needs or a chance for growth?…A cup half full or half empty? …Delivery of not what we want, but what we need?

In the most simple terms, my concern is for the future of the garden I have planted. Hard work alone is not enough. I need knowledge, skills, and the ability to translate those two items into an effort that serves my seedlings, the growth of those seedlings, the mature plants, and the soil that will continue to nuture growth. I would disagree with Napoleon who stated that a leader is a dealer in hope. Henry Kissinger, on the other hand, and I am paraphrasing here, said that leaders are responsible for the consequences of their actions, not for running public opinion polls.

The consequence that I want is for my garden to grow and thrive. I will do all of the hard work I can to make it happen. Yes, I will be that prototype farmer with the slogan “Outstanding in her field.”

How about our aspiring leaders on the national, local, and building level? What will the consequences for their behaviors and initiatives be?  Will they be doing their homework to become outstanding or will they be just out standing in a field?

I have a wonderful new experience to share with everyone about an event that was created and carried out with eighth grade female students in Butler County. Recently, the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board introduced the opportunity for the county schools to write a grant and receive funding for career awareness activities. Being the grant writer for BCAVTS, I gave quite a bit of thought of how to use this funding most effectively. Since I am also involved in Perkins activities and Perkins funding, I started to look at our populations served through Perkins to see what a little extra funding boost could do to help us reach some of our goals.

I do believe that this was one of those times when the stars and planets aligned and good things happened. With the input of the BCAVTS Guidance Counselor and the needs of the schools in our community in mind, we created a one day experiential seminar that would give young women some experiences in STEM related activities; that would show the applications of learning math, science, and technology concepts from their academic classes; and would provide career awareness that relates the importance of scheduling STEM classes in high school to real world jobs.

We did not re-invent the wheel. I researched all sorts of programs that offered similar activities and had similar objectives. If you are interested in looking, there are wonderful models out there! We took some of those models as a pattern and formed activity workshops in six of our CTE classrooms that would give eighth grade female students of AVERAGE math and/or science ability a look into the world of STEM applications.

We had written the grant for 20 students and had 36 participate in our day. I had to turn away requests to attend which was upsetting to me while during last week I was afraid nobody would be participating.  It was constant waivering between getting fit and having one.

The day was a success. Our teaching staff was remarkable with their lesson plans that showed a math/science/technology standard taken from the academic arena and directly applied the standard  to the world of CTE. The use of academics, tools, and creative minds was a joy to experience. During one of the sessions, some of our seniors who were helping the eighth grade girls learn about electricity and do some basic wiring for a circuit, asked why this wasn’t offered before as they saw it to be a valuable experience in career awareness. The math teachers, science teachers, counselors, and principals that brought the students seemed to learn a little bit more from our perspective.

As part of the day, we traveled to Butler County Community College for a taste of what is available just down the road. The folks there were wonderfully receptive and so supportive of the whole seamless transition idea. I don’t think that many of the eighth graders knew much about nanotechnology prior to our visit, but they had a brief exposure to what that world really includes. A math instructor from BC3 spoke directly to the importance of STEM in the world of today.

It was a full day of activities made possible by people who actually care! Thanks everyone. Let me know if you would like more information on our model. I am happy to share.

I remind myself daily of what is good in my world. As a counselor, I have had many opportunities to participate in skill building exercises that have helped me to learn to prioritize; not to sweat the small stuff; how to build my self-esteem and the self-esteem of others; how to do mini tension relieving exercises at my desk; how to breathe though my eyes; the power of positive thinking; how to project positive body language; the principles of fung shui; whether I am a warm or cool color; and dozens of other funny and enlightening pop-psychology activities.

After reading my list, you may notice what has been left out. My list does not include the heavy duty courses I have taken or serious seminar topics like abuse, special education, statistics, career counseling, mediation, etc. I think that my coursework and seminars contributed many useful tools that have helped me help others.

Lately, I have come to the realization that there is a huge gap in my education and probably in the educational plan of most potential teachers. I was never offered the opportunity to participate in coursework on school funding. I am pondering my lack of education in this area as I examine some facts about the state of education in PA. This really hit me last week as I was home sick with some crazy sinus infection and had the odd chance of tuning into state education budget hearings on public access TV for the few hours I was semi-conscious. I immediately got the impression that things were not going well for the representatives from the department of education as they presented the results of a costing-out study.

Let me give you the facts that I have discovered about the inequity of school funding in PA:

-School district spending is negatively associated with need. In other words, those students who live in poverty areas receive the least amount of funding.

-Local tax revenues make up about 2/3rds of the local school’s budget and wealthier areas can generate greater revenue while maintaining lower taxes.

-PA contributes 37% of the cost of education. PA is ranked 44th across the US in its contribution rate to our public schools.

-In 1971, PA contributed 54% to the cost of public education. In 2008, an all time low of 34% will be realized.

As the kicker to these frightening statistics:

-PA is ranked 7th (2001 figures) for its contribution to prisons and inmates in the prison system.

Maybe the omission of school budgeting from my educational line-up was a plan to keep the very people providing services in the dark about the overall picture. (I cannot honestly believe that anything that diabolical would occur in higher ed. )Maybe the thought that counselors and teachers don’t need to know and understand the financial conditions and constraints of the industry is commonly accepted. Maybe they all think we should stick to bake sales and car washes!

I am so tired of being the little person tossed by the waves of big business. I think I am in crisis, along with so many other folks, and knowing how to breathe through my eyes is not helping! My alternative is to release that inner, professional beast and let my state representatives know that this “system” is unacceptable if we are serious about educating. Education is my business and I have been remiss.

Just in case, do you have a good recipe for brownies?

We are still in the midst of winter here in Western PA, and quite frankly, the majority of the population is teetering on depression. Instead of allowing myself to completely go to the dark side, I thought that I would set up a series of attainable goals that could be accomplished and help me feel like I am making progress. By successful attainment of the goals, I will enhance my self-esteem, create good vibes, generate postive plans, and generally avoid feeling a helpless victim of my environment. Yes, this is a bit of: counselor-counsel thyself, but indulge me. As I gaze out the doorway, I see snow, and lots of it. In my happy place, this is the time of year for change to green grass, sunshine, and little birdies singing.

I attended the ACTE Vegas pre-conference on Career Clusters and thought that I understood the design of this idea of how to view careers. When I attempted to fit the career and technical education classes offered at BCAVTS into the clusters a huge blizzard of confusion descended and I became immobilized. But, just like the spring thaw, a breakthrough came. I was finally able to place our classes in the clusters that appear to be most appropriate according to the knowledge and skills statements and the occupational grids prepared by each teacher.

By putting this into space for everyone to see, I am inviting criticism, and hopefully some positive insight.  In spite of  the possibility of another icy blast, here is what I think:

Butler County AVTS offers specialized career and technical training to high school students in  Butler County. High school elective credit in select high priority occupational clusters is offered in:       

* Manufacturing Career Cluster            

 Machine Technology     

* Law, Public Safety, Corrections, and Security Career Cluster               

Protective Services           

* Health Science Career Cluster           

Health Assistant     

* Human Services Career Cluster           

Cosmetology     

* Transportation, Distribution, and Logistics Career Cluster           

 Automotive Technology           

Collision Repair           

Heavy Equipment    

* Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Career Cluster          

Computer Aided Drafting-Mechanical     

* Architecture and Construction Career Cluster          

Building Construction          

Carpentry          

Air Conditioning/Heating/Electrical          

Computer Aided Drafting- Architectural     

* Hospitality and Tourism Career Cluster          

Culinary Arts    

* Arts, Audio-Video Technology, and Communications Career Cluster          

Commercial Art          

Graphic Arts    

* Information Technology Career Cluster 

Computer Networking/Telecommunications

My only concern with all of this centers around my lack of understanding and education. As a guidance counselor and educator on both the academic and CTE side of the coin, I thought that the learning curve would be short and sweet, but it was not.

This concept is being promoted for use by all counselors in academic and CTE settings without a great deal of in-service preceding it. IF this new look is to establish a positive pattern of growth, all counselors need some intense training on implementation.

I am currently involved with designing a commercial aimed at seventh and eighth graders showing the importance of taking advanced science, technology, (pre-)engineering, and math courses while in high school. The commercial is using real students in eleventh and twelfth grade, with a focus on non-traditional participants, who can apply science, math, and engineering concepts while engaged in technology. Local role models employed in business and industry will show the possibilities of success. I realize my grand plan requires a tremendous amount of trust and cooperation from students, role models, the local community college, teachers, and businesses, but I am a risk taker.

I received a big jerk on my reins last week when a co-worker commented that she was not sure that she actually believed in promoting STEM courses to high school students. I was surprised by the comment and have been forced to re-examine my own educational and philosophical position on the focus and theme of the commercial.

As an educator, counselor, and student of psychology, I have become a great friend of the normal curve. I also know and believe that not everyone learns in the same way, at the same rate, or during the same time frame. If I know this, and you know this, why is that we have allowed a student’s performance in a sterile, non-productive snap-shot testing situation become a more valuable marker of assessment than the overall assessment of the building blocks that combine to form  skill sets?

This snap-shot testing idea is in direct opposition to the understanding that multiple educational components must be individually collected to build career pathway choices. A strong core allows additional layers, like STEM coursework, to be added for growth. Falling back to the concept shown by a glance at the normal curve indicates that the layers added to each student’s core will be of various depths. Understanding a portion or a part of a concept can be valuable when working as a member of a team.

Because of high-stakes testing, educators are being forced to think that average is not good enough. If you cannot score in an 80-100% range, then you are a failure. So basically, we are being told to view most of our students as failures. Great way to motivate!

This is where we come in. We need to encourage the teaching of STEM courses following the pattern established by career and tech ed teachers as they assess skill building through occupational grids. Breaking apart the concepts in pyramid fashion will allow many students to learn the basic concept, maybe some of the advanced concepts, and add a layer of growth to their core. Skill building through application of concepts has been shown to increase retention. Using the occupational grid concept will clearly display concepts in building block style. We cannot expect everyone to know everything because we are humans and we all have limitations.

My understanding of career pathways leads me to believe that STEM courses will lead to additional career opportunities and options. When we do not teach those students who are “average” or below, we are failing to develop the whole student and we are basically failing our own economic progress. We have been forced to change what we teach and how we teach it. Maybe we need to change the method of reporting progress.

We have lost our way with our attention to making grades and test scores more important than learning. We need to utilize the importance of STEM courses and teach the whole child in order to increase their chances of finding successful career options.

The March, 2008 issue of neatoday on page 13 refers to an international assessment of student achievement. The US ranked 25th in science and 21st in math. The article supports my premise and states that the top achievers in the US can hold their own with other top achievers across the world. Our ranking dips when considering the lower level achievers.

We  have put our achievers who score less than 80% out on the most fragile twigs. Concept teaching, especially concept teaching of the STEM areas, can supply the nutrients needed for developing a sturdier branch on our economic tree.

Yesterday’s e-mails delivered some sad, but not hopeless, news to those of us who work in the career and technical education arena. The federal budget proposal once again slashed education and deleted monies that would have been appropriated for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. Following a pattern of tradition, as only governmental advisors can, they had proposed complete elimination of Perkins in 2006 and 2007, and had recommended partial funding in 2008. Funding has been restored by Congress for each of those fiscal years.

In preparation for this budget proposal, an assessment tool that had been created a number of years ago was used and the ratings taken from the data found the Perkins approach to CTE to be ineffective.  You can find the report regarding the effectiveness of use of Perkins money at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/detail/10000212.2002.html . According to the report, states and locals utilizing these funds are clearly inept at understanding, implementing, and assessing progress in career and technical education. 

Knowing that NCLB is also a program that would have been rated by using the PART tool, I also checked out their rating. It was no surprise to me that NCLB received an adequate rating. The rating was based on states’ implementation of assessment tools for reading and math. You can check out the data for yourself at http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/summary/10002120.2004.html .

Is this PART rating tool equally effective examining apples and oranges? I am going out on thin ice here, but it seems to me that when asked if you implemented testing to assess reading and math, your answers could be yes, no, or we are working on it. When asked questions about partnerships, performance, effectiveness, assessment tools, fiscal operations, program impact, strategic planning, etc, your answers become more complex and difficult to measure.

I believe that as state agencies and LEAs delivering services to students, we must examine the mission of the Carl D. Perkins Act. Implementing assessment tools that measure quantifiable goals can be introduced if the goals are clearly stated and not mixed with societal mores. Any student of psychology or sociology can tell you that human behavior patterns are most difficult to change, sustain change, and then measure that sustained change. Enormous and usually unmeasurable amounts of time are needed to change mores–our traditions, customs, and way of life.  

We need to collectively determine what we want to be able to accomplish with Carl Perkins monies and ascertain if the objective is measurable by defining the testing instrument.  If it is not a measurable goal, throw it out and find goals that actually can be measured. Twisting the data to fit the instrument of measure or consistent failure to meet a goal are good indicators of the square peg and round hole theory. If you ask a question on a test and only 10% of the students taking the test give the correct answer wouldn’t you examine the question for validity? Wouldn’t you tear into that question to determine why it did not bring about the intended results or intended response?

Has anyone, other than me, ever looked at the goals of the Perkins legislation and thought that even though they are goals I would certainly like our school to meet, there are just too many of them? …Unless you define exactly what you wish to measure and how to measure it, you will get something else?…If you encourage creative problem solving, a creative solution to the problem may emerge?…That preparing students for a technologically changing society requires both technology and change?….That teaching our students to become globally competitive means funding large-scale, comprehensive initiatives?

I hope that you feel tossing the Perkins legislation aside would be a huge error in judgement that would negatively effect the neediest of students as they try to gain competitive and marketable skills. Please take a moment and click to this link, http://capwiz.com/acte/home/, and let your Congressional legislators know that this funding needs to be fully restored. 

I have a close friend that recently gave me some advice as I lamented what I thought was going to happen to a student, “Don’t say that. Once you do, the universe gets a hold of it and it will happen. Only release thoughts that you want to see come to fruition.” She continued to explain the idea of the universe having just so much energy to use and it should not be wasted on negative actions. Please understand that my friend is an elementary teacher and fuzzy logic is used daily with youngsters under the age of 10. 

Since she gave me that advice, I have pondered what to say and how to express myself without upsetting the balance of the universe. I do understand that for every action there is an equal reaction. I have put quite a bit out there for the universe to ponder and act on over the years. Maybe I am over my limit?

Yesterday, I attended a webinar sponsored by the National Women’s Law Center entitled, Career and Technical Education Programs for High-Wage, High-Skill Jobs. I am pushing for all students to become better prepared in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) areas. Their survival in our changing economy depends on it. OK, universe, I understand and I am working on it!

Unfortunately for me, the webinar pointed out that pay equity is still not happening for women, regardless of their preparation. Therefore, I would like the universe, and everyone in it-especially those guiding our legislative efforts, to take care of pay equity for women. OK. I said it and I am awaiting the solution. Just in case we have a little lag time waiting on the universe, I will explain the personal history of my position on pay equity to you.

When I entered the job market with degrees in hand, I did my homework. I examined pay scales, job duties, coaching salaries, extra-curricular activity salaries, and any other ways for me to legally add to my take-home pay. I was hired as an English teacher in a district that has a great system of preparing students. I loved my job, the community, and the students. At the end of my first year, I met with the superintendent and I expressed my joy of teaching in the district and my disappointment that my coaching pay, my teaching salary, and my play advisor pay were not a little higher. I was told that I should be happy with what I made, that as a woman I didn’t need much, that I should live at home with my parents, and that I would be getting married and probably not work anymore anyhow.

I left that district. I moved on to another where I became the guidance counselor. I remember the discussion with the board members about salary. Harry, a math teacher, and I were hired at the same time. Harry, had one year of experience and I had 2. Harry was to coach girls basketball. I was not coaching. I had my M.Ed. Harry did not. Harry’s salary was to be $1,900 more than mine. Take it or leave it was the answer to my objection about years of experience and degree completion. So, I took it. I would enter on step one as a teacher with no classroom experience. It was still an increase over my last job. Maybe I should talk to the universe about my slow learning and not about pay equity!

There is a bill presently being constructed in DC that addresses pay equity. Women earn 77 cents on the dollar that men earn. The traditional low pay for “women’s work” and the lack of STEM preparation are big factors in pay inequity. I can only imagine the difficulty addressing this issue based on my own limited experiences, but it is definitely time to do so. Perhaps men don’t understand the need for it because inequitable pay and the attitudes surrounding it never happened to them simply because they are a male.

Please do all of the women in your life a favor. Talk about the importance of pay equity. Talk about the importance of education in STEM coursework. Talk to the universe and start the energy flowing!

Today I am going to digress slightly from the career prepartion avenue that is such familiar territory for my blog and comment on our fascination with viewing the self-destruction of others. Don’t pretend that you cannot call up mental pictures and the names of the most recent victims of poor life choices presented to us daily by the media!

One night this week, I saw Dr. Phil discussing his interactions with Britney Spears. I don’t know too much about his credentials, but in my profession, confidentiality is vital. So who is presenting mental health treatment’s dark side? Is Dr. Phil’s approach ethical or has he been caught up in his own perception of celebrity? Is Britney spinning out due in part to the lack of ethical treatment that includes establishing trust? I am sure these are the unanswerable questions that hover around any human tragedy where poor mental health is present.

These mental health conditions and addictions that are currently getting so much media attention are viewed and lived by educators every day. The grand play of the incidents may not be there because most of us do not work with the rich and the famous, but the individual acts of caring by you and your colleagues make a huge difference in the lives of our students. I applaud the efforts of school personnel who deal with the varied stages of mental health and mental illness in our schools every minute of the day. Your efforts to encourage students to move along the path to good mental health, although usually unspoken, are greatly appreciated.

Thanks to all of our efforts towards encouraging postive mental health, I am thinking the glass is half full!

I was one of the lucky educators who attended the ACTE conference in Las Vegas. It was a wealth (notice the theme here-totally unintended) of information for the country girl from PA. The difficulty for me was deciding which of the overwhelming amount of informative sessions available, I could attend. Being somewhat of a type A personality, I had actually previewed the sessions from the online list, printed them out, and made a daily schedule in Outlook that I used. At least, I had a place to start.

Other than the issues I have with airlines, I had a terrific experience. I got into booking my hotel a little late and so I ended up at the Riviera. I was expecting to see Frank Sinatra at every turn and down every pathway! The planning of helping people stay lost in a hotel casino is quite an art. I would recommend that everyone try it on the Vegas level–just have a cell phone handy for 911 access. Niagara Falls and Atlantic City cannot compete with the level of expertise practiced on poor unsuspecting hotel guests in LV.  I wonder if there is a special CTE course offered in Nevada that addresses this career pathway?

Once I made it out of the hotel/casino and into the fresh air on Wednesday morning, I walked around the outside of the hotel for a shuttle. Yes there was a shuttle available a bell hop told me, but I would have to pay! I needed the exercise anyhow, so I started walking to the Convention Center. Good luck was with me as I met up with some cowboys from Montana headed in the same direction! We battled across 6 lanes of traffic and eventually stumbled into the CC, exhausted and ready for coffee.

This is where the exceptional part of my trip really began. From the Montana boys, to the gals from Texas, to folks from Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Arizona, I was able to network and learn from the experts. I listened to folks from Google explain the future of education and technology, to women in technology explaining the benefits of the IGNITE program, to Ruby Payne discuss the rules of poverty and wealth, and so much more. I believe I learned more from the people I met in casual conversation than I could have ever imagined. I hope to use the buzz words and information on Career Clusters to rethink our Perkins plan and to develop new courses for the students of Butler County.

Thank you, ACTE Conference organizers, for doing a fabulous job. Thank you Guidance and Career Development Division for providing the opportunity to have two delicious lunches complete with fabulous conversations! Many thanks to the educators and CTE personnel who traveled to LV and helped me learn about CTE from another perspective.

I know I keep repeating this, but CTE is an amazing place!

Joyce

Today was the first meeting of the 2007-2008 school year for the Butler County Counselors’ Association. I take great pride in being a member of an organization that represents school counselors and agency counselors that work in schools serving the needs (and there are a lot of them) of our students. Our meetings present relevant information regarding the heart and soul of the profession as provided by peers, other professionals, or community groups. Counselors from elementary schools, middle/junior high schools, and high schools are invited to join and contribute ideas for break-out presentations during our meetings. The networking and learning are so valuable to us.

Our theme for this year is manufacturing. Butler County, PA contains a vital manufacturing community offering career opportunities, educational opportunities, and a sustainable wage for its employees.The Manufacturing Association that represents over 30 local manufacturing companies and the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board are determined to keep our manufacturing community alive through outreach activities.

Our meeting was held in the LIGHT (educational) center of Penn United Corporation. It was a wonderful day with tours and information about careers in manufacturing. Penn United provided a delicious lunch and tons of information to snack on later.

The members of the Manufacturing Consortium are actively marketing local manufacturing career opportunities to high school students. They have created viewable clips, with the cooperation of and access through the local cable provider, about the consortium member’s companies and the careers available with those companies. The Consortium has created a brochure to be used as a class scheduling tool. These folks have a great product and want to access potential employees through education.

I would love to hear from you about what has worked for your community as it tackles educating students about local career opportunities in order to retain them as qualified workers after graduation. Do you use local Workforce Investment Boards-or whatever your state calls them- for funding or funding support? How much input does the business community have with your CTE and with your local school districts? What are some activities local businesses sponsor in your school or school community?

I hope you have an amazing day!