View part 2 of this series of blog posts here!
As I continue to write these blog posts, I am starting to realize that the presentations given out by the administration basically have a lot of the same information in it (why the district wants to have Taconic become a fully vocational school, the benefits of the CTE program, myths about the CTE program, rough timeline, etc.) but with some added information not found in previous presentations. Because of that, I’m just going to summarize all of the new information from here on out. You may view the linked presentation or video recording if you want to see what else was talked about.
The November 28th, 2022 CTE Community Information Session
On November 28th, Taconic Principal Matthew Bishop, Taconic Vice Principal for CTE Teaching and Learning Marcie Simonds, Assistant Superintendent for College and Career Readiness Tammy Gage, and Superintendent Joseph Curtis hosted a virtual CTE Community Information Session to discuss Taconic transitioning to a fully vocational school (this was a rescheduling of a meeting that was going to take place on November 10th but was canceled due to technical difficulties). The presentation covered the following additional points not discussed in previous blog posts:
- With the completion of the new Taconic High School building, CTE education was going to be the school’s main focus;
- The increase in CTE applications for Taconic was a “problem we all hoped we have at some point” as it was showing the success of the CTE program for Taconic;
- CTE admission policy changes around admission requirements and simplifying the process of allowing Herberg students to attend CTE at Taconic resulted in an increase of CTE applications for Taconic;
- Enrollment Numbers:
| Grade | CTE | Non-CTE | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th | 191 | 45 | 236 |
| 10th | 153 | 58 | 211 |
| 11th | 139 | 56 | 195 |
| 12th | 100 | 82 | 182 |
| Total | 583 | 241 | 824 |
| Grade | CTE Applications Received | New CTE Students Enrolled |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | 205 | 191 |
| 10th | 44 | 33 (9 waitlist) |
| Total | 249 | 224 |
- CTE students still have elective offerings outside of CTE though “not as many as non-CTE students… some choice”;
- Superintendent Curtis provided an overview of next steps for transitioning Taconic to a fully vocational school, with a public discussion and vote happening sometime in January (which is going to be at their January 25th meeting);
- Superintendent Curtis also encouraged members of the public to be “very vocal about your opinion” and to reach out to members of the Pittsfield School Committee to express your thoughts on Taconic transferring to a fully vocational school;
- In response to a question asked by Brittany Polito of iBerkshire’s (I believe), Superintendent Curtis mentioned that there hasn’t been an abundance of feedback from the community even with the “number” of community outreach events that the district has put on;
The December 6th, 2022 School Building Needs Commission Meeting
On the agenda for the December 6th, 2022 School Building Needs Commission meeting was a “Presentation on the Possibility of Taconic Becoming a Fully CTE (Vocational) School” (timestamp 10:55 to the end of the meeting).
This presentation by Superintendent Curtis and Assistant Superintendent for College and Career Readiness Tammy Gage covered the following additional points:
- Superintendent Curtis reiterated that he has not seen a “tremendous amount of response” in regards to the transition proposal;
- When asked if the district collects information from incoming high school students on why they chose a particular concentration of study or CTE program, Mrs. Gage responded that the district has not done that in the past but is something that could be looked into, but did mention that the district has students in 7th and 8th grade start looking into possible career paths and develop a career plan;
- Back in October of 2021 “conservative” projections had the incoming CTE population a lot lower than what actually happened (191 students entering in the 22-23 school year)
- At Pittsfield High School the district is looking to strengthen and expand internship opportunities, develop “Innovative Pathways” by the fall of 2024 and seek out funding for those pathways, and leverage the schools current offerings in the arts and sciences;
In response to a question from Dr. Travis, Mrs. Gage explained that more CTE students are now in advanced courses such as Advanced Placement and honors courses due to the master schedule changes at Taconic, and that CTE students can access AP courses by replacing a general education course with an AP course (ex. replacing English 12 with AP English). Mrs. Gage also explained that they are looking into offering elective courses that embed itself into CTE curriculum strands, as well as build upon Early College and dual enrollment credit offerings for CTE students.
Dr. Travis then raised a concern he had regarding PHS and the safety of its science labs. He mentioned that the safety features were a focus in the new science labs at Taconic, and doesn’t know if those safety features are present at PHS. Mrs. Gage said that she did tour the labs at PHS the week prior to the meeting and they do have eyewash stations. She also mentioned that the Capital Skills grants from the states could be used to support science Innovative Pathway programs at PHS, and to make sure safety considerations are looked at.
Dr. Travis then asked what would happen to the performing arts programs at PHS (chorus, theater, band) with the new Video and Performing Arts CTE program. Mrs. Gage responded that the CTE program at Taconic is going to focus more on the technical aspect of production rather than the creative side, and that performing arts is added to the program so that the technical side has a product to produce. She also sees the program at Taconic and the performing arts programs at PHS being able to collaborate together.
Mr. Sheran asked if Mrs. Gage could go into more detail about the Innovative Pathways program. She explained that it is another part of the career initiatives from the state. Its primary purpose is to ensure students are more successful in their pathways after high school and to identify entry points for postsecondary life. She also explained that the program has support from the state with a team and there is some state funding given for planning purposes. She also explained that the program has requirements including looking at certain distinct industry, providing early college experiences, providing work based learning experiences, and having a yearly experience scope and sequence. (More information can be found on DESE’s website).
Meetings Not Covered
There were some meetings not covered by these 3 blog posts where Taconic’s transition to a fully vocational school was covered. Those meetings were:
- The October 13th In-Person Community Information Session – I was not able to make it to the session and it was not recorded;
- Various Taconic School Council meetings – even though I was a part of the School Council during the 21-22 School Year, my notes are spotty at best and there are no recordings of the meetings. There are probably some additional information from those meetings that could be beneficial to know but I don’t have any notes that provide any additional information;
But I do believe these 3 blog posts help to summarize what has been going on with Taconic’s transition to a fully vocational school with all of the information that is out there, even without those additional meetings covered.